Senior Library Books
Resource Key
When accessing content use the numbers below to guide you:
LEVEL 1
brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)
LEVEL 2
provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.
LEVEL 3
lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)
Fun Essay Builder
- March, T. (2015). Thesis Builder. Retrieved from http://ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.phpTom March has created an automated Persuasive Essay/Thesis Builder. It is a unique writing tool, fun to use but not guaranteed to give you a good mark.
Databases
- Psychological & Behavioural Sciences This link opens in a new window
This comprehensive resource is an essential tool for psychologists, counselors, researchers and students, providing extensive full-text coverage for a broad range of subjects in the fields of psychology, behavioral sciences and related disciplines.
- Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre Plus This link opens in a new window
This resource provides the largest collection of full text from leading regional and international newspapers and periodicals, full-text reference books, tens of thousands of full-text biographies, and a collection of images containing more than one million photos, maps, and flags.
- Britannica Schools This link opens in a new window
Britannica School covers the core subject areas of English, Maths, Science and History. Interactive lessons, activities, games, stories, worksheets, manipulatives, study guides and research tools.
Introduction
Welcome to the psychology research guide. This guide has been developed to help you to research psychology journals online, and to explore the relevant material within these documents in order to assist you with your critical review.
APA Standards
- American Psychology Association. (2015). What is APA style? Retrieved from http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/what-is-apa-style.aspx"APA Style® originated in 1929, when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers convened and sought to establish a simple set of procedures, or style rules, that would codify the many components of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension."
- American Psychology Association. (2015). The basics of APA style. Retrieved from http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspxThis tutorial is designed for those who have no previous knowledge of APA Style®. It shows users how to structure and format their work, recommends ways to reduce bias in language, identifies how to avoid charges of plagiarism, shows how to cite references in text, and provides selected reference examples.
Research Methods
- McLeod, S. A. (2007). Psychology research methods. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/research-methods.htmlThis site explores Psychology Research Methods: Lab experiment, field experiment, case study, correlation, interviews, questionnaires and observations.
- Explorable.com (Nov 3, 2009). Quantitative and qualitative research. Retrieved from https://explorable.com/quantitative-and-qualitative-researchWhat is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research? In a nutshell, quantitative research generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers. Qualitative Research on the other hand generates non-numerical data.
- Cherry, K, (2015). What is naturalistic observation? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/naturalistic.htmNaturalistic observation is a research method commonly used by psychologists and other social scientists. This technique involves observing subjects in their natural environment. This type of research is often utilized in situations where conducting lab research is unrealistic, cost prohibitive, or would unduly affect the subject's behavior.
- Psychology Press. (n.d.). Asking and answering research questions. Retrieved from http://psypress.co.uk/smithandmackie/resources/chapter.asp?ch=02Social psychologists strive to reach general conclusions by developing scientific theories about why people behave the way they do, both to solve large social problems as well as to understand everyday events.
Ethics
- APS. (n.d.) Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.psychology.org.au/about/ethics/The Australian Psychological Society's Code of Ethics was developed to safeguard the welfare of consumers of psychological services and the integrity of the profession.
Websites
- McLeod, S. (2015). Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/A complete guide to Psychology for students, educators and enthusiasts. Find psychology articles, student resources and learn about the theories and perspectives in all areas of psychology.
- AllPsych. (2015). Psych central's virtual classroom. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/AllPsych is one of the largest and most comprehensive psychology websites, referenced by hundreds of colleges and universities around the world.
- Alleydog. (n.d.). Social psychology online glossary. Retrieved from http://www.alleydog.com/topics/social-psychology.php#.VZSuxBOqqkoThe website defines Social Psychology and explores key theorists.
- Cherry, K. (2015). About education - psychology. Retrieved from https://www.verywell.com/psychology-4014660This website explores all areas of psychology including explanations of theories, educational videos and the latest research.
Notetaking Tools
- RMIT University. (n.d.). Note taking (tutorial). Retrieved from https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/note-takingGood notes are structured so they can be used for all study purposes including revision, assignment writing and exam preparation.
IQ and Personality Tests
- Thomson., Wadsworth. (2015). What's your IQ? Retrieved from http://wadsworth.cengage.com/psychology_d/special_features/whats_your_iq.html#Have you ever wondered about your Intelligence Quotient? Your emotional IQ? Here's your chance to find out.
- The Do-Re-Mi's of Personality. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.outofservice.com/music-personality-test/What does your taste in music say about your personality? Find out with this quiz! This psychology test will tell you how other people see you based on what types of music you listen to.
Search Strategies
Add keywords related to the topic; e.g. psychology, nonverbal communication, culture.
Add keywords related to academic information e.g. journals, report, article, scholar, research.
Add site names related to the topic; e.g. .gov, .health, .au.
Use AND/OR/NOT between keywords; e.g. psychology and nonverbal communication not depression.
Use quotations around terms for exact searches e.g. “social psychology” and “nonverbal communication”
Use a wildcard* for word variants e.g. non*verbal = non verbal, non-verbal and nonverbal.
Use a wildcard for words that can be spelt differently e.g. behavio*r = behavior and behaviour
Key Terms
- bibliographyA complete or selective list of works compiled upon some common principle, as authorship, subject, place of publication, or printer.
- grey literatureThe term grey literature "is usually understood to mean literature that is not formally published in sources such as books or journal articles" (Lefebvre, Manheimer, & Glanville, 2008, p. 106).
- paraphrasingA restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.
- plagarismUsing info from a source & not citing the source; copying without admitting it is copied.
- primary sourcePrimary source original document or artifact created during the time being studied; first hand account.
- theoryA coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena:
Einstein's theory of relativity.
- quizletQuiz yourself on key terms for psychology research.