Course Research Guide for PSYC 200: Research Methods and Statistics

• Research & Computing Help
  
  
• Reference Resources
  
  
• Statistical Resources
  
  
• Finding Books: Catalogs
  
  
• Finding Articles & More : Indexes

• Web Research
  
  
• Evaluating Research Materials
  
  
• Borrowing Materials & Interlibrary Loan
  
  
• Citing Your Resources

Research Help

• What? Librarians will help with research questions related to choosing a research topic or question, finding background information, choosing and searching within Library catalogs and subscription resources, finding books and articles at Macalester, requesting materials from other libraries, finding statistics, evaluating research resources, etc.
  
  
• When? Monday-Thursday 8am-9pm, Friday 8am-4:30pm, Saturday 1pm-5pm, Sunday 1pm-9pm. Librarians can also help through email, consultation sessions, and chat. See More Help in this section for additional information about these types of help.
  
  
• Where? The Reference Desk is located just inside the main doors of the Library and to your right.
  
  
• More Help
  
  
  • Sign Up for a Reference Consultation Session with a Librarian using the Library's Ask Us service (Limited Hours).
    
    
  • Call the Reference Desk at x6618 [Off Campus (651) 696-6618].
    
    
  • Send an Email Reference Question using the Library's Ask Us service.
    
    
  • Chat with a Librarian using the Library's Ask Us service (Limited Hours).
    
    
  • Contact your Instruction Session Librarian.

Computing Help

• What? CIT (Computing and Information Technology) staff members and student employees will help you with questions related to computer hardware and software, the network, email, printing, passwords and online accounts, etc.
  
  
• When? Monday-Thursday 8am-10pm, Friday 8am-4pm, Sunday 4pm-10pm.
  
  
• Where? The Computing Help Desk office is located in the Humanities Building, Room 310.
  
  
• More Help
  
  
  • Find more information and help on the Computing Help Desk Web page.
    
    
  • Call the CIT (Computing & Information Technology) Computing Help Desk at x6525 [Off Campus (651) 696-6525] to speak directly to a consultant or leave a message.
    
    
  • Email the Computing Help Desk to report a problem or ask a question.
    
    
  • Use CIT Documentation, instructional handouts explaining systems and software, for help with computer, application, program, and network questions.

• What? Reference materials include resources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, almanacs, handbooks, statistical materials, etc.
  
  
• When? Use resources in the Reference Collection to find background information on your topic area when you start your research projects.
  
  
• Where? Reference Collection Library Map. Use the CLICnet Catalog to search for resources in the Reference Collection. Print books are shelved under Library of Congress Call Numbers, including both letters and numbers, based on their subject matter.
  
  
  
  • Electronic Reference Resources - Collection of subscription reference packages

Selected Reference Resources for this Course

ANNUAL REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY

Location: BF 30 A56
Stanford, CA: Annual Reviews Inc., vol 1, 1950-

Each yearly volume presents "selective and evaluative reviews of status and recent progress in several main areas of psychology". All articles contain lengthy bibliographies. Topics covered in the 1998 annual volume included: Sibling Relationship Quality, Giftedness, Consumer Behavior, and Judgment and Decision Making. Subject and author indexes to the annual volume as well as a 5 year cumulative author and chapter title index appears at the end of each volume. References to psychology-related articles published in the annual reviews of other fields (medicine, sociology, public health, etc.) are listed in the front of each volume.

Annual Reviews

Coverage: Date Varies | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences)
Resource Type: Ejournal/Ebook Collection (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: Annual Reviews
Description: Indexes 29 Annual Review publications in a variety of disciplines. Full-text available for 18 titles the Library currently subscribes to from the start of publication of the title to the current publication year. Back volume full-text available for remaining titles, allowing full-text access from the start of publication of the title up to, but excluding, the current 5 years. Both searching and browsing are available within this service.

Xreferplus

Coverage: Current | Search Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences)
Resource Type: Electronic Reference Resource (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: Xrefer
Description: Resource of reference materials providing access to about 150 online reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations from a variety of publishers. Covers both general reference and subject-specific reference titles for a variety of disciplines. Allows cross-referencing across different books and provides a unique, graphics-based Research Mapper for topic exploration.

Advances in...

The following two resources provide research articles which reflect the present state of a particular sub-area of psychology. Browsing near these call numbers, or doing a keyword search in CLICnet using "advances" and a broad area of psychology would locate more of this type of resource.

ADVANCES IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE

Location: MAC Stacks BF 309 A38
Chichester : Ellis Horwood Ltd. ; New York : Halsted Press, 1986-1989.

ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Location: MAC Stacks HM 251 A35
New York, Academic Press, 1964-

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

BLACKWELL DICTIONARY OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Location: MAC Ref BF 311 B535 1991
Michael W. Eysenck, ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991.

THE CORSINI ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

Location: MAC Ref BF 31 .E52 2001)
Third edition. W. Edward Craighead and Charles B. Nemeroff, eds. 4 vols. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.

This provides in-depth entries, written by scholars in the field, with both extensive references and lists of suggested readings.

THE DICTIONARY OF PSYCHOLOGY

Location: MAC Ref BF 31 .C72 1999
Raymond J Corsini. Philadelphia: Brunner/Mazel, 1999.

In the appendices you will find DSM-IV terms, Rorschach descriptions, and more.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CREATIVITY

Location: MAC Ref BF 408 E53 1999
Mark A. Runo and Steven R. Pritzker, eds. San Diego: Academic Press, 1999. 2 vols.

Lengthy, signed articles by scholars in the field, covering a wide range of ideas on creativity. Bibliographies are included with each article. A subject index is at the end of the second volume.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Location: MAC Ref BF 31 E5 1994
V.S. Ramachandran, ed. San Diego: Academic Press, 1994. 4 vols.

Signed, scholarly essays on all aspects of human behavior, with attached references. Index in the last volume.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHOBIAS, FEARS, AND ANXIETIES

Location: MAC Ref RC 535 D63 1989)
Ronald M. Doctor and Ada P. Kahn. N.Y.: Facts on File, 1989.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PSYCHOLOGY

Location: MAC Ref BF 31 .E52 2000
Alan E. Kazdin, ed. 8 vols. American Psychological Association. Oxford University Press, 2000.

Authoritative multi-volume encyclopedia. The lengthy articles, written by scholars, cover topics, methods, advances, and findings in the field of psychology and in related fields. Comprehensive index in volume 8.

PSYCHOANALYTIC TERMS AND CONCEPTS

Location: MAC Ref RC 501.4 P79 1990
Burness E. Moore and Bernard D. Fine. New Haven: Yale University Pr., 1990.

Tests & Measures

These sources provide information about various psychological tests and measures. They can help you find appropriate testing instruments for your research needs. Most contain explanations about the nature and use of a test or measure, as well as give evaluative comments about their validity or reliability. Information about how to obtain a test is also usually given as are bibliographic references for additional information.

MENTAL MEASURMENTS YEARBOOK

Location: MAC Ref BF 176 M466
O.K. Buros, et al., eds. Highland Park., NJ: Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1st (1940)- 15th (2003) and supplements.

TEST CRITIQUES

Location: MAC Ref BF 176 T419
Daniel J. Keyser & Richard C. Sweetland, eds. Kansas City, MO: Test Corporation of America, 1984- 10 vols.

TESTS IN PRINT

Location: MAC Ref BF 176 T47 1961
O.K. Buros, ed. Highland Park, NJ: Gryphon, 1961.

TESTS IN PRINT II

Location: MAC Ref BF 176 T47 1974
O.K. Buros, ed. Highland Park, NJ: Gryphon, 1974.

TESTS IN PRINT III

Location: MAC Ref BF 176 T47 1983
James V. Mitchell, Jr., ed. Lincoln, NE: Buros Institute, 1983.

TESTS IN PRINT V

Location: MAC Ref BF 176 T47 1999
Linda L. Murphy, et al, eds., Lincoln, NE: Buros Institute, 1999.

• What? Use statistics to support your research question. Be specific about the type of statistics you seek. Keep in mind that the more variables involved (e.g. statistics for multiple countries, statistics for multiple ethnic groups, statistics covering a long period of time, etc.) the more complex your search may be.
  
  
• When? Finding statistics can be a complex and lengthy process. Start searching for statistics as soon as possible if you know that you will need them for your research.
  
  
• Where? Use the CLICnet Catalog to search for resources in the Reference Collection or ask a Librarian to help you find relevant Reference resources to help you with your research. Sometimes statistical information is available via the Internet.

Selected Statistical Resources for this Course

LexisNexis Statistical

Coverage: Current | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences)
Resource Type: Electronic Reference Resource (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: Congressional Information Service, Inc., LexisNexis
Description: Comprehensive index to statistical information from Congressional Information Service, Inc. The service allows users to search summaries of statistical publications, then link to the full-text of selected publications on Statistical Universe and government Web sites. Includes some international statistics.

Statistical abstract of the United States

Location: MAC Ref HA202 (and online via the Web)
Prepared by the chief of the Bureau of Statistics, Treasury Department. Washington : U.S. G.P.O., 1879-

Xreferplus

Coverage: Current | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences)
Resource Type: Electronic Reference Resource (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: Xrefer
Description: Resource of reference materials providing access to about 150 online reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations from a variety of publishers. Covers both general reference and subject-specific reference titles for a variety of disciplines. Allows cross-referencing across different books and provides a unique, graphics-based Research Mapper for topic exploration.

• What? A catalog is a record of items and materials owned, or subscribed to, by a particular library or group of libraries. Here at Macalester our online catalog is called CLICnet.
  
  
• When? Catalogs are the primary research tool to use when you need to find books. A catalog will allow you to search by the title or author of an item and also provide you with different ways to find research materials by topic.
  
  
• Where? Print books are shelved under Library of Congress Call Numbers, including both letters and numbers, based on their subject matter. See the Library's Locating Books at Macalester Web page for more information.
  
  
  
  • CLICnet - Books and other materials owned by Macalester's Library
    
    
  • MNCAT - Books and other materials owned by the University of Minnesota

  
  
  What if I want a book that is not available at Macalester?

  If the book is available at another school in the CLICnet Catalog: Use the red "Request" button that appears in the catalog near the top of the page in the record for the item.

  If the book is NOT available in the CLICnet Catalog: Submit an Interlibrary Loan request. Please see the Library's Interlibrary Loan - Borrowing Policy Web page for more information.

• What? Indexes are subscription databases, or a set of print volumes, that provide information about research materials by subject. Many indexes are multidisciplinary in nature, containing research information covering a variety of disciplines. The Library pays for Macalester community members to have access to these packages.
  
  
• When? Use indexes when you need to find information about articles in journals, magazines, newspapers, and reference sources for you research projects. Many of these resources also include information about other research materials such as books, book chapters, government publications, working papers, conference proceedings, Web sites, statistical resources, etc.
  
  
• Where? The fulltext of an article is sometimes available in a particular online index or we may subscribe to the print version of a journal you need. Use the Journal Finder Catalog to determine if the Library subscribes to a particular journal or other periodical either online or in print in the Library.
  
  
  
  • Indexes & Electronic Collections by Title - Subscription databases and other electronic collections available at Macalester.

  
  
  What if I want an article that is not available in an online or print journal at Macalester?

  If the article is not available in print or online journal at Macalester: Submit an Interlibrary Loan request. Please see the Library's Interlibrary Loan - Borrowing Policy Web page for more information.

Selected Indexes & Electronic Collections for this Course

Academic Search Premier

Coverage: 1975 - | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences)
Resource Type: Electronic Index (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor Information: EBSCOhost, EBSCO Publishing
Description: Provides full text for nearly 4,600 scholarly publications, including full text for more than 3,500 peer-reviewed journals. Coverage spans virtually every area of academic study and offers information dating as far back as 1975.

Annual Reviews

Coverage: Date Varies | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences)
Resource Type: Ejournal/Ebook Collection (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: Annual Reviews
Description: Indexes 29 Annual Review publications in a variety of disciplines. Full-text available for 18 titles the Library currently subscribes to from the start of publication of the title to the current publication year. Back volume full-text available for remaining titles, allowing full-text access from the start of publication of the title up to, but excluding, the current 5 years. Both searching and browsing are available within this service.

PsycARTICLES

Coverage: 1988 - | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Psychology
Resource Type: Ejournal Collection (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: American Psychological Association (APA), Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)
Description: Collection of 50 full-text psychology journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe & Huber. Search the entire collection or browse individual journal titles. Most articles are available in PDF and HTML form. Dates of coverage vary by journal.

PsycINFO

Coverage: 1840 - | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Psychology
Resource Type: Electronic Index (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: American Psychological Association (APA), Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)
Description: Index to journals, books, conference papers, dissertations and technical reports in the field of psychology. Fulltext PsycARTICLES are available within the PsycINFO index.

PubMed

Coverage: 1966 - | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Sciences)
Resource Type: Electronic Index (Free Web)
Publisher/Vendor: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NBCI), National Library of Medicine
Description: Free government Web database of citations and abstracts to over 3900 journals in the field of medicine and related areas. Includes access to the Medline database. There are links to fulltext for some citations.

Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)

Coverage: 1985 - | Help | Title List

Discipline/Topic Areas: Multidisciplinary (Social Sciences)
Resource Type: Electronic Index (Subscription)
Publisher/Vendor: Thomson ISI, Web of Knowledge
Description: Multidisciplinary database with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of the social sciences. It indexes more than 1,725 journals spanning 50 disciplines, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 3,300 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. A feature of this index is the inclusion of all cited references.

• What? The Internet is used to access information stored in files or documents on another computer. When you use the Internet, you retrieve documents, view images, programs, animation, and video, listen to sound files, speak and hear voice, via the World Wide Web. (From the UC Berkeley Library Web site)
  
  
• When? Use the Web to start your research. Like Reference Collection resources, Websites can help with finding background information for your research project.
  
  
• Where? Use a Web browser like Mozilla, Internet Explorer, Safari, Netscape, Avant, or Opera to access information via the Internet. No single search engine can claim to even come close to searching the entire Web. For best results, use multiple search engines.
  
  
  
  • Google - A great search engine to start with when surfing and searching on the Web.
    
    
  • Search Engine Watch - Access additional search engines. Also find information and reviews about these search engines.

Evaluating research materials involves analyzing a resource to determine its usefulness and appropriateness with respect to your research project. Evaluation is important during all phases of a research project. You must select the best and most appropriate resources for your research.

Criteria to Consider When Evaluating Research Materials:

• What? Interlibary Loan, or ILL, is a DeWitt Wallace Library service that allows current Macalester students, staff, and faculty to request materials not available at Macalester.
  
  
• When? If Macalester does not own, or subscribe to, the research material you need, you can ask the Library to try and borrow the item from another Library in the area.
  
  
• Where? The Library uses a system called ILLiad that allows you to place requests for materials and track the status of these requested materials.
  
  
  
  • ILLiad Login - Use to access an existing account in the ILLiad system.
    
    
  • Interlibrary Loan - Borrowing Policy - For more information about Interlibrary Loan and ILLiad.

• What? Giving credit to the ideas of other scholars when you use their work or research in developing your own project.
  
  
• When? You must cite a resource whenever you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or otherwise refer to the work of another.
  
  
• Where? Citing a source usually includes parenthetical documentation or use of a footnote within the text of your project as well as creating a works cited reference list at the end of your project using a specific citation style. See the Library's Citing Resources Guide Web page for more information.
  
  
  
  • RefWorks - Service that allows you to download, organize, annotate, and search citations you find during your research as well as create in-text citations and works cited bibliographies for your papers.
    
    

Common Citation Style Manuals

Chicago Manual of Style
Chicago : The Press, 1982-
MAC Ref Z253 .U69 2003

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Joseph Gibaldi. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
MAC Ref LB2369 .G53 2003

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, c2001.
MAC Ref BF76.7 .P83 2001