1. Find a Topic that Interests You
You will want to pick your topic based on various factors including the assignment, course research expectations, and your professor's feedback. However, it is important to select your topic based on your personal interest too.
You should explore your interests by reading more about them. Background information can be found in:
- encyclopedia entries
- popular magazine articles
- survey articles
- your textbook and other course readings.
Take a look at the "Background Sources" box on the right for suggestions.
2. Develop a Research Question
Build on information from your background reading to come up with a topic or question.
Example: Is an individual's sense of well being tied to their satisfaction with their job?
Brainstorm a list of words to use when you search library databases and other sources (aka: your search vocabulary or keywords). Think about the words you could use in your searches to find more information on your potential topic. Use tools like a database thesaurus or subject list to come up with related terms.
Example: well being, job satisfaction, happiness, employee engagement, work fulfillment, etc.
Start noting the words (like people, places, subjects, concepts, etc.) that you will use when you do your preliminary search. It's really helpful to have this list of search terms as you continue to search for articles and other materials on your topic!
3. Broaden or Narrow Your Topic
Try searching for your initial topic in one of the sources listed in the "Search Options" box on the right.
You may find that you topic is:
- too broad (lots of materials but on narrower subtopics)
- too narrow (not enough articles to answer your question)
- too new (not much written yet, particularly in academic journals)
You will want to think about ways to focus your ideas so you can find the right mix of materials to use to build and support your topic and research thesis.
If your topic is too broad
- focus on an aspect of your topic by being more specific. Consider pairing your search term with a certain population group (adults, adolescents,, etc.), geographic area, culture, research method (survey, experiment, observational study), culture, time period, etc.
If your topic is too narrow
- use more general terminology, search on just one or two words (add fewer terms to your search).
Be sure to ask me or another librarian for help if you have questions about your research topic. We can help you develop strong search strategies and point you to helpful databases and online sources.
Databases
Search these databases to find articles, books, videos, and more on psychology topics.
- Discover This link opens in a new window
Blume Library's primary search tool. This robust feature helps scholars find scholarly journals and articles, books, eBooks, music, videos, government information, and more. Input the keywords of your research to generate a results list full of articles and items covering the topic. Use boolean phrases (AND, OR, NOT) and other limiters to focus a search or modify a results list. This tool searches most of the Blume Library holdings including the Library Catalog of physical items and eResources.
Learn more about this powerful resource: DISCOVER
Reach out to a Blume Librarian for research assistance: RESEARCH ASSISTANCE - PsycINFO This link opens in a new windowThis ever-expanding collection of behavioral and social science research, dissertations, and scholarly literature abstracts offer a broad view of the field. With relevance to a host of related disciplines, including neuroscience, business, nursing, law, and education. APA PsycInfo delivers the peer-reviewed content and abstracts students and researchers need and does so with remarkable precision and a dedication to scholarly and scientific excellence.
Focused on the interdisciplinary aspects of worldwide behavioral and social science research and literature, APA PsycInfo is a resource for locating scholarly research findings in psychology and related fields across a host of academic disciplines.
Features include:
Coverage dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, with extensive coverage from the 1800s to the present
Authored and edited books and book chapters
Dissertations selected from Dissertation Abstracts International (Sections A and B)
Publications from more than 50 countries
Journals published in 29 languages - ERIC (from EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is an online library of education research and information, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. Citations, abstracts, and some full-text articles from education journals and other literature. The database includes the ERIC Thesaurus, a complete list of descriptive terms used by ERIC to index and search the database.
- PubMed This link opens in a new windowComprises more than 30 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher websites.
Note: only abstracts and open-access articles are available through this resource.
Background Sources
- Psychology Today websiteUse the magazine's website to explore ideas for research topics.
- Gale eBooks: General Reference Collection This link opens in a new windowAn award-winning, hassle-free eBook experience—anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Gale’s eBook platform provides comprehensive support from many of today’s top publishers.
Collections include titles on:
Arts, Biography, Business, Education, Environment, General Reference, History, Information and Publishing, Law, LCO, Literature, Medicine, Multicultural Studies, Nation and World, Religion, SATA, Science, Social Science, Technology
- Encyclopedia of PsychologyIn print in Blume Library Reference Collection, 1st Floor Commons at BF31 .E52 2000. 8 volumes. See this PDF to see the topics included.