PSYC 3401Experimental Psychology

Prof Kathleen Baril

Heterick Memorial Library

What we will cover

•Review developing a research strategy

•Learn about primary, secondary and tertiary literature

•Learn how to find articles in databases

•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

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

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

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

DEFINING YOUR TOPIC

Research Strategy

Defining your topic

Identify key search terms for your topic.

DEFINING YOUR TOPIC

BACKGROUND

RESEARCH

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

BACKGROUND

RESEARCH

DETAILED

RESEARCH

With a basic

understanding of

your topic, it is

time to delve

deeper into the

research using

databases.

Research Strategy

Scholarly versus Popular Periodicals

Magazines or Popular Periodicals• Glossy pages and lots of pictures• Edited by magazine editors• Articles usually written by staff

journalists• Short articles• Targeted to general audiences

Scholarly Journals/Periodicals• Peer-reviewed• Longer • Citations/Bibliography• Written by scholars, experts in the field

of study• Targeted to scholars, students in a

particular field of study

(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 Literature

To 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 Databases tab to begin searching for articles.

PsycINFO

Choose 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.

PsycINFO

Click on Find It @ ONU to locate full-text in other databases.

Click on the link to access the full-text.

•“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 Index

In 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.

Search

Includes the library’s catalog POLAR, OhioLINK, and most of the library’s database.

Use Facets to Limit Your Results

DEFINING YOUR TOPIC

BACKGROUND

RESEARCH

DETAILED

RESEARCH

FINAL

PRODUCT

Research Strategy

Refworks

QUESTIONS?•Ask at the Reference Desk

•Phone the Reference Desk – 2185

•Contact us by E-mail reference@onu.edu

•Feel free to contact directly, Kathleen Baril, k-baril@onu.edu or 419-772-2188