PSYC 3401
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This document provides an overview of conducting research for a PSYC 3401 Experimental Psychology course. It discusses devising a research strategy, beginning background research, selecting and accessing resources, critically evaluating resources, and saving resources found. It provides guidance on defining a topic, conducting background research, doing detailed research, and developing a final product. It also outlines various research tools like databases, citation software, catalogs, and the internet that can be used during the research process.
PSYC 3401
- 1. PSYC 3401 Experimental Psychology Prof Traci Welch Moritz Public Services Librarian Assistant Professor Heterick Memorial Library
- 2. Goals for today • Devise a research strategy • Begin background research • Select and access resources • Critically evaluating resources • Saving resources found using Bibliographic Citation Software
- 3. How am I going to remember everything you are going to tell me?
- 5. What do I do first? Take a look at your topic and identify key search terms, Ask a question. Most databases now use an implied boolean logic search scheme so a keyword search will get you started. Boolean logic is the use of AND, NOT, OR to narrow or expand your search See Research Guide for PSYC 3401
- 6. Research Strategy DEFINING YOUR TOPIC Most important part of research is at the beginning
- 7. Research Tools • Internet • Catalogs – POLAR – OhioLINK • Databases – General – Subject Specific
- 8. So what next? • Start big doing background reading • Look for patterns • Look at reference sources, LC subject heading list, subject headings in research tools • Ask a librarian • Look at thesaurus in the research tools • Narrow your topic for a more focused product
- 9. Internet Tools Google and Wikipedia aren’t intrinsically evil, just use them for the correct purpose in your research.
- 10. Internet Tools Note: If working Google Scholar off ONU buys campus Full-text database Google asks please to link to see the content “google OhioLINK Permits scholar” Google to Run Google tab at the link to full-text Scholar Research Search Guide for PSYC ONU user sees licensed full-text 3401 articles
- 11. Critically analyzing web sources • What? is the page/site about • Who? created and maintains this site • Where? Is the information coming from • Why? Is the information presented on the web • When? Was the page created or last updated • How? Accurate or credible is the page From the University of Wisconsin Library, worksheet for evaluating web sites
- 12. What do I do next? Use library resources to continue your background research.
- 13. Research Strategy DEFINING YOUR TOPIC If needed, you will want to get an overview of BACKGROUND your topic. RESEARCH Reference works can help as well as general books.
- 15. Find a Book∞POLAR •Looks in several locations (usually subject, article title, abstracts or contents) •Does not require an exact match •Generates comparatively large number of hits (not precise) •Good if you are not familiar with terminology •Look for the same or similar words which keep appearing
- 16. Find a Book∞POLAR •Looks in one place – subject •Usually requires an exact match between your term and a pre-set list of terms •Precise •Can be used after keyword search has identified specific subjects •Click on the “Find Similar Items” link found on each item record
- 17. Find a Book∞OhioLink • Materials owned by all Ohio colleges, universities, several public libraries • Ca. 10 million items • Link from POLAR permits you to submit requests. Available from Heterick home page • Most requests arrive in 2-3 working days • No charge • Limited to 100 items at a time • MAY RENEW UP TO 4 TIMES
- 18. What do I do next? Use databases to find articles based on your search strategy
- 19. Research Strategy DEFINING YOUR TOPIC BACKGROUND With a basic RESEARCH understanding of your topic, it is DETAILED time to get RESEARCH more detail
- 20. Research Tools∞Databases • Often tools for locating journal and newspaper articles • Most are subject-specific – some multi-disciplinary • Many give access to full text of articles • Heterick has over 250
- 21. Scholarly, Peer-reviewed Popular • Periodical means the same as Magazine Usually magazines are more “popular” • Journals Scholarly or Professional Peer reviewed See Research Guide for PSYC 340 for this and other Handouts
- 22. Databases -- Subject Specific – MEDLINE with Full Text – Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection – Gender Studies Database – PsycINFO 1967 – present – PubMed (for off campus access, click on the “off-campus access” flag and log in using first and last name and all 11 digits ONU ID )
- 23. Tools -- Bibliographic Citation Software – REFWORKS
- 24. Databases -- Subject Specific • Medline Plus with full text
- 25. Databases -- Subject Specific • Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection
- 26. Databases -- Subject Specific • Gender Studies Database
- 27. Databases -- Subject Specific • PsycINFO
- 28. Databases -- Subject Specific • PubMed
- 29. Databases -- Subject Specific • Social Sciences Citation Index
- 30. Citation Databases • “General” databases – searchable by subject, title, author, etc. • Citation databases – as above but tells you who has cited a particular article - significance
- 31. Citation Databases (ISI) • Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)--1980-present • Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)--1980-present • Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI)--1980-present • Combined into product, Web of Knowledge
- 32. General or Subject Citation Specific Database Database Your Search Terms Your Search Terms Keyword / subject KW / subject Sources Author (citations) Author used by authors themselves Title Title Etc Etc.
- 33. Advantages • Gauge significance of individual articles & authors • Uses expertise of experts in the field • Gives insight into research patterns in different disciplines • Can save you time – especially when doing more rigorous research
- 34. Empirical Article -- summarizing original research Components of… • Abstract – A report of an empirical study includes an abstract that provides a very brief summary of the research. • Introduction – The introduction sets the research in a context, which provides a review of related research and develops the hypotheses for the research. • Method – The method section is a description of how the research was conducted, including who the participants were, the design of the study, what the participants did, and what measures were used. • Results – The results section describes the outcomes of the measures of the study. • Discussion – The discussion section contains the interpretations and implications of the study. • General Discussion – There may be more than one study in the report; in this case, there are usually separate Method and Results sections for each study followed by a general discussion that ties all the research together. • References – A references section contains information about the articles and books cited in the report.
- 35. Recognizing Empirical Research • Language • measurement • psychological aspects • reports • research statistics • usage • Length of Article • Empirical research articles are usually substantial (more than 1 or 2 pages) and include a bibliography or cited references section (usually at the end of the article).
- 36. Searching for empirical studies Hints and Tips 1. Always click on “peer 3. Also try the keywords reviewed” and/or "research," “scholarly (peer "experiment," or reviewed) "study" periodicals” link if 4. Some databases will available allow you to limit your 2. Try a search that search to a particular combines the type of publication or keyword "empirical" content. Use this with keywords that feature to limit your represent your topic. search to only Example: social work empirical or and empirical. research-based articles or case study
- 37. InterLibrary Loan You can cut and paste from most any source, so just fill in all the lines you can. ISSN is the unique number every periodical is assigned so it’s great if you can include that in your request. Be sure to only use the print ISSN, not the on-line ISSN.
- 38. Detailed Research DEFINING YOUR TOPIC BACKGROUND RESEARCH DETAILED RESEARCH FINAL PRODUCT
- 39. QUESTIONS? • Ask at the Reference Desk • Phone the Reference Desk – 2185 • Contact us by E-mail reference@onu.edu • Use Chat Help feature or • IM feature