Tips on Doing Literature Searches

The American Psychological Association has a nice document on how to efficiently do literature searches. You might want to take a look at this site: http://www.apa.org/science/lib.html . The APA also has a document on using PsycInfo: http://www.apa.org/psycinfo/yellow.html#subject.

Accessing University Libraries

In addition to the databases outlined in your text that may be available from your university library, the Internet offers a variety of literature search resources. Many academic libraries allow access to their facilities via the Internet. You can access materials from these libraries going to http://dir.yahoo.com/reference/libraries/academic_libraries/. Then select the specific library you would like to work with. Follow the instructions on how to gain access to that library's resources. Remember, not all libraries will all you free access.

An excellent general library resource is the Vaughan Memorial Library of Acadia University where you will find a wide range of online library resources to help you track down research. Try this one out, it is worth the trip.

Doing a Literature Search Online

The INGENTA database system gives you a way to search the literature on-line. At http://www.ingenta.com/ the CARL database of over 17,000 multidisciplinary journals may be accessed.

Online Journals

A new service becoming more prevalent on the Internet is the providing of the full text of academic journals online. You may need to subscribe to a journal to get full access. At minimum most journals provide tables of contents for present and past volumes. Here are many of the psychology specific online journals that offer full text articles over the Internet. There are several Internet sites that will give you access to psychological journals online. Here are a few of them:

Electronic Journals and Periodicals provides a listing and an alphabetical index to online journals: http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/journal.html .

Psych Web gives a comprehensive listing of online journals. There is an index broken down into groups of journals: http://www.psychwww.com/

Rhodes Psychology Resources is another site where you can find a comprehensive list of psychological journals: http://blair.library.rhodes.edu/psychhtmls/psychnet.html.

University of Tennessee list of online journals: http://www.tnstate.edu/library/journal/onjnpsy.htm.

Psych-Central list of online journals: http://www.psych-central.com/online.htm.