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PY 103: Intro to Psychology

Databases/Articles

All Monmouth University students, faculty, and employees have access to subscription databases on campus. Remote access requires entry of username and password for verification. MU username is your student ID (e.g. s0123456). Search the Library's A-Z Database List for a specific database, Databases by Subject, or use links in research guides. 

Search All Library Resources at Once: HawkFind

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Scholarly & Peer Reviewed   Beyond Library Collection
  
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Best Bet Databases

PsycINFO Tutorial: This tutorial demonstrates advanced searching in PsycINFO. It was created by Middlesex County College. 

Additional Databases

Searching Tips

Use the word "AND" to combine your keywords to make your search more specific. eg. substance abuse AND domestic violence

Use synonyms and alternative terms Related terms - broader or narrower - will also bring up relevant results. eg. teenagers | adolescents | youth

Use Truncation "*" to search for words with common roots without entering them individually. eg. searching for teen* retrieves teen, teens, teenaged, teenagers

Restrict searches to academic, peer-reviewed journals

Tips for Using Google Scholar

Google Scholar searches articles, books, theses, and other content. Searching Google Scholar is easy, but it doesn't give you the ability to filter to peer-reviewed journal articles.

If you need to be sure the article you found is from a peer-reviewed journal, use Ulrichsweb as described in the box below.

Always access Google Scholar from the link above or the "Resources" list on the front page of the library website. When you use these links, your MU credentials will be authenticated, giving you access to library resources found in Google Scholar. Look for the "Full-Text @ MU Library" link in your results list. You can also click on the Google Scholar logo above to search using your MU credentials.

One useful feature of Google Scholar is the ability to find articles that have cited an article you already have. See the handout below for more information.

Check for Peer-Review

Not sure if a particular journal is peer-reviewed? Check out Ulrichsweb. This database (also found in the A-Z database list from "Quick Links" on the library website) provides detailed information on publications. Look for the referee icon to indicate it is a peer-reviewed journal.

The black and white “ref jersey” icon in the screenshot below indicates that Higher Education is a peer-reviewed journal, but Education Week is not.

 

Characteristics of Scholarly and Popular Sources

Popular Scholarly
  • Purpose is to provide information or entertain
  • Articles report on current events, hot topics, or general interest
  • Short articles
  • Written for the general public
  • Written by general staff or freelance writers
  • Reviewed by general editor
  • No references or very few references
  • Purpose is to share discipline-specific research and scholarship
  • Articles report on new research
  • Lengthy, in-depth articles
  • Articles have a formal structure. Often includes an abstract, literature review, methods, results, and a discussion.
  • Written for researchers & professionals
  • Written by experts in the field & researchers
  • Peer reviewed by subject experts
  • Extensive references