PSY 550 - Forensic and Legal Psychology: Articles & Databases
Brainstorming Keywords
Library databases are organized around concepts. In order to effectively search a database you should first identify key concepts. Once you know what those are you can begin brainstorming keywords that you will use to search. Be sure to think of some keywords that are broader than you topic and some that are more narrow.
Example topic: "Why are incarceration rates higher for certain races or groups?"
| Incarceration Rates | Race or Groups | Other terms? |
| imprisonment | minorities | |
| jail | prison population | |
| conviction | race relations |
Databases
SEARCH TIPS:
- Keywords: don't forget to try broader/narrower terms, synonyms, and related terms
- Click on each title to get the full information
- Use Subject links at the bottom of the catalog record to find similar items
- Try a Boolean Operator: AND, NOT, OR
- How about a wildcard? Schizo* will give you: Scizophrenia, Schizoid, Scizophrenic
- PsycNET (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowFind scholarly articles, dissertations, and psychological scales (tests, measures).
PsycNET has precise indexing allowing a user to drill down to age group, population group, methodology, and by tests and measures. - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences This link opens in a new windowProvides full text articles to journals for a broad range of topics in the fields of psychology and behavioral sciences.
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowThe library's largest general interest database. Partial full text.
- Google ScholarBroad coverage of scholarly material on all subjects. Not all full text, but you can find some interesting material not found elsewhere.
Databases: An Overview
Sciences Librarian
James Miller
he/him/his
Contact:
millerjc@hollins.edu
540-362-6653
Office: Wyndham Robertson Library, 1st floor, Room 103
B.A. English, Austin College
M.L.I.S., Library & Information Science, Drexel University
540-362-6653
Office: Wyndham Robertson Library, 1st floor, Room 103
B.A. English, Austin College
M.L.I.S., Library & Information Science, Drexel University
540-362-6653
Website