PsycINFO Tutorial

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PsycINFO Tutorial

• Gerrie Kow
• Email clbky_at_nus.edu.sg
• Mercedes Cheong
• Email clbmc_at_nus.edu.sg

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Objectives

• To introduce you to the basics of literature
  search.
• To familiarize you with searching for information
  in PsycINFO through practice.

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Outline

• Sources for Research Evaluation
• Journal Articles Search- Part 1
• Search Strategy
• Journal Articles Search- Part 2
• Getting help

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Sources for Research

Books
Overviews, detailed look
Information Sources
Journals
Latest research findings
Quantitativeinformation
Reactions,recentevents
Theses
Statistical data
In-depth treatment of topics
Newspapers
Sources
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Sources for Research
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Evaluating Sources
Authoritative?
Accurate? Current?
Authors credentials?
Well supported by refs?Updated?
Objective?
Appropriate?
Information objective or biased?
Is info what you need?
Sources
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Evaluating Sources

• Authority
• What credentials are listed for the authors?
• Objectivity
• Is the information presented objective or biased?
• Accuracy
• Is the information well supported by references?
• Currency
• Is the information updated?
• Appropriateness
• Is the information what you need?

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How about

• Indexes almost anything
• Anyone is an author
• Good when youre stuck
• But
• Issue of evaluation
• Question is What are you looking for?

• Indexes journal articles regardless of impact
  factor, quality, etc.
• Good when you want a birds eye view of the
  literature out there.
• But
• No access
• Lots to go through

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Accessing E-resources (www.lib.nus.edu.sg)
E-resources
E-resources
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PsycINFO
Quick Reference Guide http//www.ovid.com/site/pdf
/osp/OvidSP_QRC_021108.pdf
Journal Articles Search
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PsycINFO

• American Psychological Association (APA) database
  
• Provides abstracts, citations some full-text to
  psychological literature.
• Provides access to book chapters, journal
  articles, conference reports, dissertations, etc.
  
• Coverage 1887-present.

Journal Articles Search
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Basic Search

• Features
• Use normal English/natural language
• Searches all available fields for keywords
• Exploratory in nature, usually many results

Journal Articles Search
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Basic Search
Identify Concepts
To what extent should the corporal punishment of
children be considered a kind of child abuse?
Concepts Corporal punishment, child abuse
Journal Articles Search
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Relevancy Star Rating
All search concepts are present and complete
All search concepts are present, but some are
incomplete.
One concept is missing from the record
Two concepts are missing from the record.
More than two search concepts are missing from
the record.
Journal Articles Search
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Basic Search
Enter keywords in natural language
Basic Limits
Journal Articles Search
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Results Display
Search terms used Narrow Search
Your Options View Abstracts, Full Text, Library
Holdings, etc.
Journal Articles Search
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Full Text within PsycINFO
Click to view or download full text
Journal Articles Search
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Full Text thru Other Providers
Checking other sources for full text
E-access thru other providers
Print/Hardcopy Version
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Exporting Records
What do you want to do with selections?
Journal Articles Search
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Basic Lets Practice
Discuss gender differences in perception of body
image.
Limits 2000-2009, English Narrow Search By
Subject Sort By Descending Year of Pub Target
Full Text through Library Holdings Keywords
gender differences, body image, self-perception
Journal Articles Search
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Boolean Operators
AND Both terms must appear
Academic outcomes
Parenting styles
OR One or other or both may appear
Academic outcomes
Parenting styles
NOT One term may appear but not the other
Academic outcomes
Parenting styles
Search Strategy
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Truncation //?

• Use for variant forms of term (end)
• teen teens, teenagers, teenaged
• dyslex dyslexia, dyslexic
• Use ? for variant forms of term (in between)
• - colo?r color, colour
• wom?n woman, women

What about ?
Search Strategy
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Round parentheses ( )

• Use ( ) for grouping words or phrases
• - language and (screening or testing)
• language screening, language testing
• How about
• (romantic or interpersonal) and attraction
• romantic attraction, interpersonal attraction
• (teen or youth) and pregnancy
• teen pregnancy, teens pregnancy, teenage
  pregnancy, youth pregnancy

Search Strategy
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Advanced Search

• Features
• Use Boolean operators truncation and ()
• Map Term to Subject Headings
• Searches 5 important fields (title, abstract,
  heading word, table of contents, key concepts)
• Fewer, more specific results

Journal Articles Search
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Advanced Search
Search via these fields
Journal Articles Search
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Advanced Lets Practice
Does exposure to media violence and pornography
produce aggression in viewers?
pornography
aggression/aggressor /aggressive
media/television violence
(media or television) and violence and
pornography and aggress
Journal Articles Search
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Advanced Lets Practice
Towards an understanding of the blogging and
social networking phenomenon

• Tasks
• Construct a search statement using BOs, , (),
  etc.
• Keyword search
• Email 1 citation to yourself

Search Journal Articles
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Find Citation
Helps you find a specific paper, verify a citation
Journal Articles Search
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Find Citation Lets Practice

• Challenge
• Find the Full Text of the following paper using
  Find Citation.
• Clues
• Title begins with the word worry
• Written by Ryan Hong (note Truncation option)
• - Published in Behaviour Research and Therapy in
  2007.

Journal Articles Search
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Advanced Lets Practice
Towards an understanding of the blogging and
social networking phenomenon
personality, personalities, outlook, mindset,
etc.
social networking, social network/s internet
blog/s, blogging, blogger/s
blog and (social network or internet) and
(personalit or outlook or mindset)
Search Journal Articles
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Results Display
Keywords in abstract, title, references, etc,
Search Journal Articles
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Search Tools
Find out more about your keywords
Search Journal Articles
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Search Tools

• Map Term Match your keywords to the official
  subject headings used in the database.
• Try Aggression
• Thesaurus See your search term displayed in a
  hierarchical manner (broader, related narrower
  terms).
• Try Language disorders

Search Journal Articles
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Search Fields

• Features
• Search for 1 concept in any field/s you like
• Browse indexes (e.g. Author index)

Search Journal Articles
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Multi-Field Search

• Features
• Search for multiple concepts in different fields
  at the same time.
• e.g. word recognition in Subject Headings
  hong kong in Location

Search by combining fields
Search Journal Articles
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Summary Finding relevant articles

• Start with PsycINFO
• Explore with Basic Search
• Use alternative keywords Boolean operators, ,
  (), etc. in Advanced Search
• Look at references of relevant articles
• Search other databases (See subject guide
  InfoGate)

Search Journal Articles
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Journal Searching LINC
E-access thru other providers
Journal Title
Search in Journals Collection
Search Journal Articles
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Article Searching InfoGate
Finding Articles Made Easy!
One search across multiple databases
Search Journal Articles
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Subject Guides

• Good starting point for research

Getting Help
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Library Instruction Online (LION)
Getting Help
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Getting Help

• Advisory Service atInformation Desk,Central
  Library,Level 5
• Email me clbky_at_nus.edu.sg
• clbmc_at_nus.edu.sg
• Tel [phone]

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Thank you!