Psychology
Resources for Psychology
See also: Tests & Measurements
Introduction
Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of humans and animals. It is a broad discipline that includes numerous subfields, such as clinical psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, and cognitive psychology. In addition, several other fields of study are related to psychology, including biology, sociology, and the health sciences.
The literature of psychology is divided primarily between books and journals. While other kinds of information may also be useful (such as dissertations, conference proceedings, websites, etc.), you will want to focus on the book and journal literature. Reference books, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, are helpful in providing definitions and overviews of a particular topic. Other books may be useful when you want to get a summary of the research in a certain area of psychology. However, journal articles will make up the bulk of your library research. Dana Dunn, in The Practical Researcher, gives several reasons for this emphasis on journals in psychology, including the fact that journals are more timely than books, journal articles are subject to professional peer review, they always have the same style format (American Psychological Association, or APA, style), they are specialized and focused, and they generally answer specific questions with empirical research.
Subject guide content
Featured resource
Journal articles. All disciplines. Allows one to trace a line of research forward in time.
Research assistance
Psychology Bibliographer
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