PSYC 3401Experimental Psychology
Prof Kathleen BarilProf Kelly KobielaHeterick Memorial Library
What we will cover•Review developing a research strategy
•Learn about primary, secondary and tertiary literature
•Learn how to find relevant articles in PsycINFO
•Learn how to keep track of resources using Refworks
Types of Research Literature
Adapted from Marian Koshland Bioscience and Natural Resources Library: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/BIOS/bio1bscholcomm.html and Virginia Teach University
Libraries http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/research/primary-secondary-tertiary.html
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Tertiary literature presents summaries or condensed versions of materials, usually with references back to the primary and/or secondary sources. They can be a good place to look up facts or get a general overview of a subject, but they rarely contain original material. Examples: Textbooks, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias
Tertiary Literature
The secondary literature summarizes and synthesizes the primary literature. It is both broader and less current than the primary literature. Since most information sources in the secondary literature contain exhaustive bibliographies, they can be useful for finding more information on a particular topic.Examples: Monographs (books) and Literature Reviews
Secondary Literature
In the sciences, the primary literature presents the immediate results of research activities. It often includes analyses of data collected in the field or the laboratory.
Primary Literature
Examples:• Original Research – found as
articles in peer-reviewed journals• Dissertations• Conference Proceedings
Primary Literature : Examples
DEFINING YOUR TOPIC
Research Strategy
Defining your topicIdentify key search terms for your topic.
DEFINING YOUR TOPIC
BACKGROUNDRESEARCH
If needed, you will want to get an overview of your topic.
Reference works can help as well as general books.
Research Strategy
Find tertiary literature using the library’s catalog to find background information on your topic.
Background Research: Library Catalog
DEFINING YOUR TOPIC
BACKGROUNDRESEARCH
DETAILEDRESEARCH
With a basic understanding of your topic, it is time to delve deeper into the research using databases.
Research Strategy
(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 )
Finding Secondary and Primary Literature
Use the following databases to search for Secondary and Primary Literature:• PsycINFO• Psychology and Behavioral
Sciences Collection• Medline with Full Text• Social Sciences Citation Index
Secondary Literature: Literature Reviews
What is a literature review?• Literature reviews (also called review articles) survey
and synthesize primary research on a particular topic.
• They are articles authored by researchers and published in scholarly journals
• They summarize multiple primary research articles• They are secondary literature
from Marian Koshland Bioscience and Natural Resources Library: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/BIOS/bio1bscholcomm.html
Secondary Literature: Literature Reviews
Why are literature reviews a good starting point for researching a topic?• They provide an overview of a particular
area of study• Their extensive reference lists may be
used to locate further relevant articles• They may provide ideas for narrowing a
too-broad topic
from Marian Koshland Bioscience and Natural Resources Library: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/BIOS/bio1bscholcomm.html
Primary LiteratureTo determine if an article is primary research, look for clues in the citation, look for data tables and scan the abstract for a description of the methods or materials used, hypotheses, evidence of data collection, etc.
Primary Literature
When looking at the full–text article for primary research look for components such as:• Methods or Materials and Methods• Results• Discussion• Conclusions• References
PsycINFO
Click on Articles tab to begin searching for articles.
PsycINFOChoose database by title or via subject.
PsycINFOMain search page, use the limiters to narrow your search, options include peer-reviewed, limit by date, age group and methodology.
PsycINFO
Click here to access the full-text of the article.
Click on the magnifying glass to read the abstract for the article.
PsycINFOClick on Find It @ ONU to locate full-text in other databases.
Click on the link to access the full-text.
PsycINFOUse the Cited References search to find articles that have cited an article or author. Using this search will lead to articles on the same topic or related topic.
•“General” databases which are searchable by subject, title, author, etc.
•Citation databases allow you to see how many times an article has been cited.
•An article that has been cited several times is probably important in the field of study.
Citation Databases
• 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
Citation Databases
Social Sciences Citation Index
Social Sciences Citation IndexIn Results, use the facets at the left to narrow your search.
Social Sciences Citation Index
In Results, you can sort by Times Cited to find the most important articles on your topic.
Social Sciences Citation Index
Click on Times Cited to see the articles that have cited a Highly Cited Paper. Reviewing this research will allow you to view the related research on the same topic.
Social Sciences Citation Index
Click on the Linksource (LS) symbol to access the full-text of the article.
DEFINING YOUR TOPIC
BACKGROUNDRESEARCH
DETAILEDRESEARCH
FINAL PRODUCT
Research Strategy
Refworks
QUESTIONS?•Ask at the Reference Desk•Phone the Reference Desk – 2185•Contact us by E-mail [email protected]
•Feel free to contact directly, Kathleen Baril, [email protected] or 419-772-2188 and Kelly Kobiela, [email protected] or 419-772-2183