Step
1: Search PsycINFO
Accessing the database
- From the Library's home
page (http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib),
scroll down to the drop down menu labeled "Quick Links/Short Cuts."
- Select the link to Electronic
Resources, then click "Go."
- Click on the letter P to
take you to the section of the list where PsycINFO is located alphabetically.
- Choose PsycINFO from the
database list by clicking on the blue link.
- If you are accessing from
off-campus you may be asked to enter a NetID and Password at this point.
Your NetID and password are the same ones you use to access your UIC
computer account.
Searching PsycINFO
- The cursor should be blinking
in the text box. If it isn't, click the box so that the cursor is blinking.
- For help choosing the correct
keywords, type in a single term like Depression and leave the "Map
Term to Subject Heading" box checked. Then select "Perform
Search." This will retrieve a list of more specific subject headings.
Select one or more by clicking the boxes to the left of each heading,
then click "Continue" at the top of the page to search.
- To combine keywords like
Depression AND Children, type your keywords then click the box
labeled "Map Term to Subject Heading"; the checkmark should
disappear. Select "Perform Search."
- If you have too many results
(more than 150) limit your search by selecting the "Limits"
icon on top of the search page. Try limiting to English, Journal Articles,
and Humans. Add additional limits if necessary. Then select "Limit
Search."
- You can also limit by adding
more terms to your search.
Step
2: Viewing and Copying Citations
Viewing Citations
- The results of your search
will appear in a box labeled "Search History." To view the
list of citations click "Display."
- 10 citations will display
at a time. To see additional citations select "Next Citations."
- For a summary of the article,
click on "Abstract." To see the abstract plus more information
such as additional search terms click on "Complete Reference."
If the full text of the article is available a link will be provided
at this point.
Copying Citations
- Copy down the citation information
including all the information in the "Source" field: the journal
name, volume and issue number, date, and page numbers. You may also
e-mail the citations to yourself using the citation manager at the bottom
of the page.
- It is a good idea to get
more than one citation. Remember the Library doesn't own everything
in PsycINFO. Also, avoid selecting just the first ten citations. If
you do it may be harder to find the journals on the shelf, as your classmates
may have gotten there first!
Steps
3 & 4: Locate the Journal in Print or Online
- Select the Library Holdings
link when you are looking at the brief citation.
- A search for the journal
title will be performed in UICCAT,
the UIC Library's online catalog. The results will tell you if the library
owns the title and, if we do, the location of your journal in the library.
Remember to check under the Library Has: heading (located at the bottom
of each location record) to see if that Library location has the volume
that you need.
- You may also access UICCAT
directly from the Library home page. Perform a "Journal Title"
search.
- Locate the journal by following
the information provided in UICCAT. Since psychology overlaps with medicine,
you may find some of the journals at the Library of the Health Sciences
on the West Side of campus (LHS-Chicago).
- Some journal titles may
be available electronically as well as in print. For information about
which can be accessed online, check UICCAT
or the List
of Electronic Journals.
- Ask at the Reference Desk
on the 2nd Floor if you can't find your journal or the specific volume
you seek.
Frequently
Asked Questions
1. Where are the psychology
journals?
The Psychology journals are
not all in one location. Most periodicals at the Daley Library are in
the South end of the 2nd floor and arranged either by call number or alphabetically
by title. Periodicals are also held on the 3rd floor in Microforms, as
well as in the Reserve Periodicals Room on the 1st floor. Journals at
LHS-Chicago are on the 2nd floor arranged by title. Be sure to check UICCAT
for the location of your journal.
2. Can't I just browse the
psychology journals and find an article on my topic?
If you had a lot of time on
your hands you could do this. It would take hours to leaf through hundreds
of psychology journals to find an article on a particular topic. The most
efficient way to find journal articles related to Psychology is to use
PsycINFO first.
3. I found the citation in
PsycINFO, why can't I find the journal in UICCAT?
The Library does not own everything
cited in PsycINFO. That's why it is important to have more than one citation.
If you can't find your article, but really want it, be sure to ask at
the Reference Desk.
4. What if the journal I'm
looking for is not on the shelf?
Be sure to check to see if
you are in the right location; remember journals are not all in the same
place. Some volumes of journals in the Daley Library can be checked out
so it is possible that yours has been taken out of the Library. By looking
at the holdings information in UICCAT you can tell if your volume is checked
out, missing or at the bindery. Always ask at the Reference Desk if you
have difficulty.
5. How do I know whether the
article I have chosen is scholarly?
Here are a few simple tips
to determine if your article is scholarly:
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1. Look for
articles with abstracts, bibliographies and footnotes.
2. The author of a scholarly article is typically an expert or researcher
in the field.
3. Scholarly articles contain few pictures, except for charts or graphs.
4. The journal is published by an academic press, research center
or professional organization. |
6. How do I contact the
Reference Desk for more assistance?
The Reference staff would be
happy to help you.
At the Daley Library:
- Ask at the Reference Desk,
located on the second floor
- Call 312.996.2726
- Submit your question via
email
At the Library of the Health
Sciences Chicago:
- Ask at the Research Consultation
Office
- Call 312.996.9163
- Submit your question via
email
Online:
- Take
a Web-based
tutorial designed to walk you through the process of finding psychology
articles.
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