Psychology Guide  

Different literature types are appropriate for different information needs.

Primary literature reports original findings and new data. In science, research findings are published in peer-reviewed journals. Research papers typically include: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and References. References put the new work in the context of prior work.
New forms of primary literature are increasingly available through digital collections and institutional repositories; these include datasets, laboratory notes, correspondence, diaries, etc.

EXAMPLES: Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, Journal of Behavioral Medicine

Secondary literature consists of non-original work: it may be a book or book chapter, review article, summary, interpretation, or critique of primary sources. The best way to find books is by searching the PCOM Catalog and E-ZBorrow, the shared catalog of the PA Academic Libraries Consortium. When searching the PCOM catalog, you have the option of limiting to E-books or searching both print and electronic collections.

EXAMPLES: School Consultation, Mental Health Self-Help

Tertiary literature summarizes, abstracts or indexes the information derived from primary or secondary sources. Encyclopedias, atlases, handbooks, etc. help you to find background information on your topic (such as definitions, names and dates) or take you to relevant books and general articles.

EXAMPLE: Comprehensive Clinical Psychology, Encyclopedia of Psychology & Religion

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Where to start?  Using Google? You are missing out on links to PCOM-licensed full text. Relying on Wikipedia? Quick, easy, but not acceptable in the academic environment.

OneSearch+ is the best place to start any search. It is a simple, google-like search of much of licensed high-quality electronic and print content.

OneSearch+ LIMITS
Always limit to Full Text and to a defined date range.

View Major Subjects to select subject headings from controlled vocabularies used in many major databases such as PsycINFO and MEDLINE. Also view Subjects for more options. Using subject headings is the most effective way to target your search.

The following example shows how overwhelming results are effectively reduced to a manageable number by selecting terms from the Major Subjects listing.

1. clinical depression                                      518,000 results
2. Limit to cognitive behavior therapy               1,064 results
3. Limit to treatment effectiveness evaluation   88 results

There are many ways to limit OneSearch+. Options include content provider (i.e., PsycINFO, Academic Search), source type (books, reviews), key authors, top resources, and even NAICS industry classification code. 

Always remember that searching is an iterative process. Keep accurate records on what resources you have searched, and what search strategies you have executed. Use RefWorks (see Research tab) to manage your research.

Discover full text of more than 1500 psychological tests, scales, measures and instruments with PsycTESTS. From neuropsychological test to assessments of personaltiy disorders, IQ aptitutude, and more.

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Stephanie Ferretti
Associate Director
215-871-6475
StephanieFe@pcom.edu

Christine Davidian
Electronic Resources Librarian
215-871-6432
crhistineda@pcom.edu