From http://www.library.cmu.edu, go to “Databases by Subject” , “Social Sciences”, “PsycINFO”.

Or just go to http://www.library.cmu.edu/Search/DB/PsycInfo.html .

 

 

A Guide to PsycInfo

 

 

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A Guide to PsycInfo

 

PsycInfo is a database which indexes psychology-related material selected from periodicals written in over 25 languages since 1887. It also includes current chapter and book coverage with worldwide English-language material published from 1987-present. PsycInfo adds over 55,000 references annually through monthly updates.

Contents

 

• Basic Searching
• Advanced Searching
• Search Syntax
• Limiting
• Interpreting and Manipulating Search Results
• Requesting Items via Interlibrary Loan
• For Additional Help

 

 

Basic Searching
The quickest and simplest searching method is Basic Searching. Basic Searching offers a single search box, and supports the use of the Boolean connectors AND, OR, and NOT.

The sample search below is searching the database for documents containing the keywords "eating disorders" AND "adolescent"

basic searching example

 

Note: if you need help with using the database, simply click on the help buttonicon.

 

 

Advanced Searching
Advanced Searching allows you to formulate more complex search commands. You may simultaneously execute up to three search strings, and may select Boolean Connectors from drop down menus.

The sample search shown below is searching the database for items containing the descriptor "eating disorders" AND the keywords "adolescent" OR "teenager."

advanced searching example

 

Note: If your search does not give you the desired results, you may try browsing the index. You may browse the indexes before you search to verify the spelling or format (plural, tense, etc.) of search terms. To use the browse indexes feature, click the browse index buttonicon .

 

Search Syntax
There are several search syntax strategies that will help you expand or limit your search results.

Plurals- To search for word and its plural form (-s or -es), you may add a plus sign (+) after the singular form. Examples:

·    car+ will retrieve both car and cars

·    tax+ will retrieve both tax and taxes

To search for plurals of words that change form, use the Boolean operator OR. Example: goose or geese.

Truncation- This feature allows you to search for a term and its variants by entering at least the first three letters of the word, followed by an asterisk. Examples:

·    teach* will retrieve teach, teaches, teacher

·    franc* will retrieve franc, france, frances, francophone, etc.

 

Wildcards- This feature is used to represent x number of characters in a search term. Wildcards are useful when you are not sure of the spelling of a term, or if there are alternate spellings.

There are two wildcards that FirstSearch uses:

·         The pound sign # represents a single character.

·         A question mark ?, alone, or with a number represents up to nine characters. If used alone, ? represents any number of characters, otherwise, you may use ? with a number if you know the "maximum number of characters the wildcard will replace."

Examples (taken from FirstSearch help screens):

·    wom#n will retrieve woman and women

·    col?r will retrieve color, colour, colonizer and colorimeter

·    colo?1r will retrieve color, colour but not colonizer or colorimeter

Proximity operators- to find search terms within a certain numerical distance of other search terms, you may use proximity operators.

w (with)- type W between two terms to search for items that contain both terms, in the exact order typed, with no words between them. Insert w and a number (1-25) between terms to search for items that contain both terms, in the exact order typed, with no more than x number of other words between them.

Examples:

  • dog w food will find items containing dog and then food with no words in between them.
  • dog w4 food will find items containing first dog and then food within four words of each other

 

n (near)- use this operator to search for words containing two terms, in any order, with no words between them. Insert n and a number (1-25) to search for items containing both words, in any order, with x words between them. Examples:

  • said n he will find items containing said and he in any order, with no words between them.
  • garbage n4 truck will find items containing both words, in any order, within four words of each other

Limiting

You may further refine your search using limiting functions within the Advanced Searching screen. You may limit to your search to the following parameters:

  • You may use the drop down menus next to the search boxes to limit your search terms to specific fields, such as author (refers to an article/book chapter's author), subject, title, etc.

 

limiting example

 
  • Using drop down menus, you may also limit your search by year, document type, and language. You may also, by checking the box marked "items in my library," limit your search to items owned by Middlebury College.

    The search shown below is limited to the years 1990-2001, journal articles, English Language, and to items owned by Middlebury.

material type/date example

Interpreting and Manipulating Search Results

When you are happy with your search strategy, click on "Search." If your search is successful, you will be presented with a list of results that will look something like this:

brief record example

 

According to the above results list, record #1 consists of the following:

  • Title: Eating disorder examination questionnaire: Norms for young adolelscent girls.
  • Author(s): Jacqueline C. Carter, et al.
  • Source (Book or Journal Title): Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 39, no. 5, May 2001. p. 625-632.
  • Document type: Journal Article
  • and...we can tell that Middlebury owns the item by the icon Middlebury owns icon. Click on individual titles to see detailed records. To find out the location and format of the item, click on "search the catalog at Middlebury College."

You may select records that interest you by marking them. This is done by clicking the checkbox next to each numbered record:
checkbox

Then, you may show all the records you chose by clicking "Marked Records" under the "Results" menu in the blue bar at the left of the screen:
marked records
You may then either print your list by clicking on the Print print buttonicon, or e-mail the list to yourself by clicking on the E-mail email buttonicon.

(examples taken and adapted from FirstSearch Help Screens)

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Note that PsycInfo is just the first step in your research.  After you find the citations of articles and books that interest you, you’ll need to find out if the library actually has copies available (use Cameo, http://cameo.library.cmu.edu, for this). Remember that you can also ask the reference librarian for further assistance. 

Modified from: http://www.middlebury.edu/~lib/classguides/py105psycinfo.htm