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FAS 500: Research Methods

This guide is intended for graduate students in a research methods class in the School of Social and Family Dynamics.

Looking for PsycInfo?

Here's a quick link to PsycInfo . Remember that you can also find the link to the PsycInfo database under "most used resources" at the bottom of the library home page. Please note that there is *not* a direct link to PsycInfo from within the "myASU" portal, so it's much easier and faster to get there from the library home page or the link that is provided for you here. 

Strategies for Successful Searching in PsycInfo

  • Link concepts with the word AND. For example, a good way to find articles about the uses of family therapy with caregivers would be to search family therapy AND caregivers. You can easily do this in PsycInfo by utilizing the different search lines.
  • If there are different ways to say the same thing, consider using the linking word OR. For example, domestic violence or family violence. You can OR as many synonyms as you like on each search line. Don’t get carried away!
  • The terminology in PsycInfo can be tricky, so be sure to use the “preview” feature to see what subject headings were assigned to an article. For example, you can get results by searching the phrase “gender differences” but you’ll find that the phrase “human sex differences” is used much more often.
  • Adding an asterisk at the end of a word will get alternative word endings. A search on child* will find the word child, but will also find childhood and children. Effective* will find effective or effectiveness. Very handy!
  • To retrieve an exact phrase enclose it in quotation marks. "Video game violence" will limit your search to that exact phrase. But be careful; often that will limit your search too much at the beginning. Try your search without quotation marks first.
  • Remember to click the box that says "peer-reviewed" (located directly under the search boxes) if that is the kind of material you want. This will limit your results to peer-reviewed journal articles only. PsycInfo also includes books, book chapters, and dissertations, but often you may just want to focus on peer-reviewed journal articles.
  • Use other ways to limit as appropriate. Sometimes it helps to limit to a certain age group or population. After you have done a search, look at the left side of the results page; you will see several options there for ways to limit the results, e.g. methodology, age group, publication date, and more.
  • If you are not finding what you are looking for, please ask for assistance. We are here to help you!
Subjects: Psychology

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