You are now on the Library's Psychology Research Guide. The grey tabs in this Guide will take you to different pages detailing different information resources to help you find what you need for any Psychology class assignments you may have. If you ever can't find what you need, please reach out to Melissa, your psychology librarian, at melissa.smith3@kpu.ca.
The page of the Guide you are on now is an asynchronous Library class you can work through at your own pace. Near the bottom, you will find a box with tabs for various instructors. Click on the tab for your instructor to access the Library assignment you will need to complete and submit.
Each box on this class page covers a different topic to learn. Each of these boxes also has one or more tabs/links running along the top of the box which will take you to additional information or optional exercises related to that topic.
As you scroll down and read, watch and/or listen through the information in the boxes below, you will learn:
Ready to get started? Scroll down and begin!
In all the videos on this page, the bottom tool bar of the video will give you the options to:
Embedded screenshots can be explored by clicking on:
question mark icons on the screen shot to find more information and search tips
the full screen icon in the top right of the screenshot will increase the size to fill your laptop/computer screen
Summon is a quick way to search most of the Library's collection at once.
This 5 minute video by our Business Librarian will show you the basics of how to search using Summon along with some search strategies.
In the image below, click on the Question Mark icons to explore the Summon search results page. Click the box in the top right corner to make the image fullscreen.
Before you move on to the next section, review to see whether you understand the concepts. This activity is not graded.
Finished with Summon? Scroll back up to the top of this box and click on PsycINFO.
Summon is a great tool, but if you want to just find peer-reviewed psychology articles, then PsycINFO is usually the best place to go, as 98% of the content in the database is peer-reviewed psychology research.
This 10-minute video goes through the search process and provides some search tips.
Explore the Summon search results page in the screenshot below.
Finished with PsycINFO? Scroll back up to the top of this box and click on Search Strategies.
Databases don't like natural language (whole sentences or questions).
Decide on the keywords or phrases that best describe your topic and enter these different terms into separate search boxes.
Make sure to include quotation marks around any phrases (eg. "online dating") if you only want the database to give you results where those two words are right beside each other.
This approach is called keyword searching. Unlike the kind of searching we do in our everyday lives, REsearching for a class assignment usually requires you do several different searches to find the best articles, so don't be discouraged if you don't find what you need with one search.
Not sure if you're using the best words? Spend some time thinking of other ways to say the same thing and try different word/phrase combinations in your searches. You can also search Google using "syn:" and the word you want to find synonyms for (other words that mean the same thing, or something similar). Or you can try Subject searching and let the database give you the best words to use.
Adding or subtracting terms to your search to either broaden or narrow your search. It uses three terms (AND, OR, NOT) to tell the search engine or database whether to include or eliminate certain terms.
Using AND will return search results where both words/phrases appear. This will narrow your search.
E.g. "online dating" AND lying
Using OR will return search results that contain either words/phrases. This will broaden your search.
E.g. "online dating" OR "dating apps"
Using NOT will return search results that do not contain that word/phrase. This will narrow your search.
E.g. "online dating" NOT ghosting
If the words you use aren't bringing up a lot of relevant articles, it's probably your search words.
PsycINFO assigns official Subjects to all of the articles, so they only use specific words to represent a topic.
So in our example...
Are online dating and lying official subject terms?
A quick way to find out is to just look through your search results.
There were 18 articles in the result list, the first item in the list looks like it is on topic, so we look at the Subjects:
Looks like online dating is an official search term, but the database uses deception as the official subject term instead of lying.
So if we change our search using the official Subjects:
You may get more or less results (in this case more) but all the articles in your result list should be more relevant to your topic.
Finished with Search Strategies? Scroll back up to the top of this box and click on Filters and Features.
All research databases, including Summon, provide filters to help narrow down your search results. These are usually located on the left side of your screen.
At the top of the left most column, you'll see options to limit your results to Peer-Reviewed journals & Publication Date slider. If you scroll down you'll find many more factors you can limit by. Many databases contain original research articles as well as reviews of articles and papers. Use the Peer Review filter to clarify that you are looking for original research. More on Peer Review in the next section.
Most research databases, including Summon, provide these basic features to help assist the research process. The specific locations and icons will vary.
For most articles, you will see a link to the Full-text of the article in this area. If PsycINFO doesn't have the article full-text, you have the option of searching our other databases for this article by clicking on Where can I get this? You will find we often have the article in another database. If not, you will see an option to Interlibrary Loan so you can request we find an e-copy at another library for you. This service is free and if we can find it elsewhere, the Library can usually email it to you in a few days.
The sheet of paper with magnifying glass icon will bring up part or all of the article Abstract (a brief description of what the article is about). This is usually enough information for you to judge if it is worth your time to look more closely at the full-text. Note: you can click on the title of the article to see the complete abstract, and find options to save, print, generate a citation and more.
You will see the articles saved in the Folder icon in the top menu bar. Before you logout or leave the database, you need to click on that icon and choose whether you want to print, save or email the articles. At this point, you can also have the database include an APA citation with each article. Note: The PsycINFO citation tool is very good, but always double check the accuracy before using it in your paper/assignment.
If you need help searching, please contact a librarian using the chat box on the right. We're happy to help you in your research!
Finished with Filters and Features? Scroll back up to the top of this box and click on Scholarly Articles.
When doing research, it is important that you can distinguish between scholarly and non-scholarly articles. Below is a list of criteria to look at in order to decide whether an article is from a scholarly journal or a non-scholarly (popular or trade) magazine.
This 4 minute video by our Business Librarian will provide an introduction to Scholarly Journal Articles.
Below is a comparison chart comparing different journals and how to tell whether they are scholarly.
Below is an example of a scholarly research article. It is an original, empirical study in the field of education.
Once researchers complete a project, they will usually (try to) publish their findings in a peer-reviewed journal. These are often called PRIMARY or ORIGINAL research articles because they are the first-publication of new research findings and are written by the researchers themselves. They may also be called EMPIRICAL articles.
OPTIONAL: Watch a 20-min more in-depth video by our Criminology librarian - Original Research Articles
Secondary sources of information describe, explain, interpret or summarize primary sources. These include encyclopedias, book reviews, commentaries, literature reviews, and any books or journal articles that simply discuss the original (previously-published) work of others. Although these can be very helpful sources for identifying primary research articles, they are not primary studies themselves.
Before you move on to the next section, review to see whether you understand the concepts. This activity is not graded.
Finished with Types of Articles? Scroll down to begin the section on Peer Reviewed Articles.
In Psychology, most of the research you will be asked to do for class assignments will involve finding peer-reviewed journal articles.
Why?
Let's say you are writing a paper about laughter therapy because you think it is an effective method to decrease the symptoms of depression.
OK. You are entitled to your opinion.
But when you write an academic paper (or want to persuade anyone that your opinion is the truth), you have to provide some proof, some evidence to back up your opinion.
Now, if you could find an article written by researchers about a study they conducted which proved that laughter therapy does decrease the symptoms of depression...and then you described and cited that research in your paper, that would be much more convincing than your opinion alone.
And if you found a few other articles that did similar research - replicating those results - and used that in your paper too, your argument would be even stronger. It's like a whole bunch of people with Phds are standing behind you saying: "Yes, we're experts who study this with academic rigor, and we agree!"
You can find that kind of research in peer-reviewed articles.
This 2-minute video from our will explain a bit more about the peer-review process and why such articles are important for university assignments.
Before you move on to the next section, review to see whether you understand the concepts. This activity is not graded.
Finished with Peer Review? Scroll down to the next section on Evaluating Information (SIFT).
Determining if resources are credible is challenging. Use the SIFT method to help you analyze information, especially various kinds of online content: social media posts, memes, statistics, videos, images, news articles, scholarly articles, etc.
Examples
Another Mike Caulfield creation, this blog focuses on using SIFT during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Verify and fact-check information (e.g. about Covid-19)
The SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield, a digital literacy expert at Washington State University. All SIFT information on this page is adapted from his materials with a CC BY 4.0 license.
Acknowledgement
Note: This SIFT method guide was adapted from Michael Caulfield's "Check, Please!" course. The canonical version of this course exists at http://lessons.checkplease.cc. The text and media of this site, where possible, is released into the CC-BY, and free for reuse and revision. We ask people copying this course to leave this note intact, so that students and teachers can find their way back to the original (periodically updated) version if necessary. We also ask librarians and reporters to consider linking to the canonical version.
As the authors of the original version have not reviewed any other copy's modifications, the text of any site not arrived at through the above link should not be sourced to the original authors.
Finished with What is SIFT? Scroll up to the top of this box and click on STOP.
Step 1 - STOP!
Before you read the article or share your video, stop!
Ask yourself:
Finished with STOP? Scroll up to the top of this box and click on Investigate the Source.
Step 2 - INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE
Two questions to keep in mind after you "Just add Wikipedia"
Finished with Investigate the Source? Scroll up to the top of this box and click on Find Better Coverage.
Step 3 - FIND BETTER COVERAGE
Sometimes, after you investigate the source, you'll find that the source is sufficient for your needs. However, this is not always the case. Maybe the quality of the source is low or it doesn’t adequately answer the questions you have.
This is when you would want to find better coverage.
Below is a video (4:28) explaining this process in more detail.
Search Strategy: Click Restraint - Fact-checkers scan multiple results to try and find the particular result that combines trustworthiness with relevance before they click, often visiting the subsequent pages of search results.
The video below (2:20) released by Stanford History Education Group shows how to find better information online.
Step 4 - TRACE CLAIMS, QUOTES, AND MEDIA BACK TO THE ORIGINAL CONTEXT
A lot of things you encounter online have been stripped of context. This could be due to inaccurate or misleading re-reporting, edited sound and video, images being shared with inaccurate captions, etc.
Below is a video (1:34) on finding the original source.
Here is a video (4:14) on finding original images and verifying caption claims.
Finished with Trace? Scroll down to the next section - an Introduction to APA. Scroll back up to the top of this box for Additional SIFT resources.
This is Mike Caulfield's Blog where he explains SIFT in his own words.
This ebook by Mike Caulfield is freely available online under a CC BY 4.0 license
A free, five-lesson course on fact- and source-checking from Mike Caulfield
"The oldest and largest fact-checking site, widely regarded by journalists and readers as an invaluable research companion."
Fact-checking journalism site. "Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing."
“We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.”
"Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy."
APA Style is a set of guidelines created by the American Psychological Association (APA) that details how to format research papers and essays. It isn't just used in Psychology but many other disciplines, including most of the Social Sciences and Business. So you need to be familiar with it to format your class assignments correctly.
APA Style has a lot of rules - but don't worry!
Here we are just going to focus on one part of APA: how to cite your sources.
When you are writing an assignment and you are using information from other sources (web pages, books, peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, class lecture, etc.), you must cite all the information sources you used to write your assignment.
In APA there are two types of citations you must use:
Click on the References Part 1 tab at the top of this box to find out more...
You will always find a References section at the end of a peer-reviewed research article. This is where you list all the reference citations (in alphabetical order) are listed - this includes your student papers/assignments too! Reference citations have much more information than the in-text citations, as you must provide enough information for someone reading your work to find all the items you cite in your References.
You have to format Reference citations for different sources in different ways (the formula to follow when citing a book, website, or article are all a little different), but we are going to focus on citing peer-reviewed articles, as that is the kind of information source you'll be using most in Psychology.
The reality is, there are a lot of citation generators out there (as you've learned, both Summon and PsycINFO will generate APA Reference citations for you) - which can save a lot of time!
So why do you still need to know the format/formula?
Click on the References Part 2 tab at the top of the box to continue....
Below you will see the basic formula/components of a Reference citation for a research article.
And here is what a reference citation for a real peer-reviewed article looks like following this formula:
Confused about what some of the components are? These definitions may help:
Still confused? Don't worry, it is kind of like learning a new language. The more citations you see and create, the easier it will get! The formula image above is from the first page of this APA Style handout. You'll find fuller descriptions of each of the sections and formatting there if you want to take a deeper dive.
That's an overview of reference citations for peer-reviewed articles. Click on the In-Texts Part 1 tab above to learn about the other type of citation in APA...
The In-text citation is just a much shorter version of the Reference citation within your essay/assignment. Wherever you use an In-text citation, someone reading your paper knows that the information you are citing isn't your original idea. And In-text citations also act as a kind of hyperlink - someone reading your paper can use that In-text citation to quickly locate the fuller citation in your References.
There are 2 kinds of In-text citations, but once you get the formula for one kind, the other is easy.
Let's look at paraphrasing In-text citations first. Paraphrasing is when you take information and put it into your own words. The easiest way to write an In-text citation is to just include the complete in-text citation in brackets at the end of your paraphrased sentence (before the period).
Here is an example from the Library's APA Citation Style Guide:
Paraphrase In-text citation example from a book:
The speed of human cultural evolution is linked to the turnover rate of cultural entities (Smail, 2008).
And here is the full Reference citation for the book where this information came from:
Smail, D. L. (2008). On deep history and the brain. University of California Press.
So if someone was reading this essay, and saw the (Smail, 2008) In-text citation, they can easily flip/scroll to the References at the end of the essay (which lists all the Reference citations in alphabetical order), go to the "S" section, and quickly find the full citation for the book written by Smail that the person paraphrased. They could then use the information in that more detailed Reference citation to find the book.
Paraphrasing In-Text citations have 2 components: author and year. The format just varies slightly depending on how many authors the book/article/website, etc. has.
Almost done! Click on the In-Texts Part 2 tab at the top to learn about the other kind of In-text citation. But don't worry, the other kind isn't too different to format...
You use direct quote in-text citations when you copy exactly from your information source (surrounding that information with "quotation marks") instead of paraphrasing it in your own words.
The only difference between direct quote In-text citations and paraphrasing In-text citations, is that the direct quote citations also include a page number where the direct quote was copied from.
Tip: Don't directly quote too much! Sometimes you find information that is worded perfectly and is very powerfully written, so you want to use the original wording for clarity and impact. But many first year students make the mistake of directly quoting too much because they aren't sure how to paraphrase. Paraphrasing is a writing skill you have to develop as a university student. If you need some help with paraphrasing, you can check out this Paraphrasing and Summarizing handout from the Learning Centre.
Still feeling a bit confused by APA citations? If you ever have APA questions or need help with an assignment, you can take a look at the Library's APA Guide or Ask a Librarian. We can't do the citations for you or proofread your work, but we are happy to answer any APA questions you have.
You finished learning the information in this class - Congratulations! Now you can scroll down to the exercise you must complete and submit.
Click on the tab above for your section and instructor. There you will find specific instructions, due dates, and the link to your assignment.
Some things to keep in mind:
Be sure to submit the Library assignment anytime before 11:59pm on Saturday ____
Good luck!
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