Starting Your Research
Educational Psychology and Counseling
602: Research Principles
Library Instruction
2006-07
What is the assignment?
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Paper, Presentation, Annotated
Bibliography?
Due date: Inter-Library Loan
deadline?
Citation Style? APA? MLA?
Types of publications?
Educational Psychology Research
Basic Search Strategies:
Information Need & Resources
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Recent events or research?
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Current, general information?
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Scholarly journals, conference proceedings
Overviews, background or definitions?
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Popular magazines and newspapers
Current, in-depth information?
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Newspapers, magazines, journals, or the
Internet
Encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, or
reviews
More detail?
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Books
Types of Periodicals:
Scholarly Journals
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Authors are authorities in their fields.
Articles are usually reports on scholarly
research.
Articles must go through a peer-review
or refereed process.
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Scholarly/academic articles that are read by academic or
scholar "referees" for advice and evaluation of content
when submitted for publication. Referees recommend to
the editor/editorial board whether the article should be
published as is, revised, or rejected. Also sometimes
know as "peer-reviewed" articles.
Types of Periodicals:
Scholarly Journals (cont.)
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Authors cite their sources in endnotes,
footnotes, or bibliographies.
Articles use jargon of the discipline.
Individual issues have little or no
advertising.
Illustrations usually take the form of
charts and graphs.
Types of Periodicals:
Trade Publications
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Authors are practitioners
Authors often mention sources, but
rarely formally cite them in
bibliographies.
Intended audience are fellow
practitioners.
No peer review process.
Articles give practical information.
Some illustrations are included
Authors use jargon of the field.
Types of Periodicals: Popular
Magazines and Newspapers
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Authors are magazine staff members
or free lance writers.
Authors often mention sources, but rarely
formally cite them in bibliographies.
Issues contain numerous advertisements.
No peer review process.
Articles are meant to inform and entertain.
Illustrations may be numerous and
colorful.
Language is geared to the general adult
audience (no specialized knowledge of
jargon needed).
Reference Works:
Subject vs. General
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When enough information about a research track
has been accumulated, it will begin to be
integrated into reference books. For example:
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Subject encyclopedias: Encyclopedia of Psychology
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Places important research projects or tracks into a
disciplinary perspective, identifying the role each
plays, historically and intellectually, in the
psychology professions.
General encyclopedias: Encyclopedia Britannica
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Takes a broader view, attempting to articulate the
impact of the most important research projects on
society as a whole.
Reviews
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A research review, or literature review,
is a piece of writing that summarizes
and evaluates the significant research to
date on a given topic. Contrast this with
a research report, which emphasizes the
methods and results of one particular
study, not a whole area of research.
Publications such as the Annual Review of
Psychology compile articles that summarize a topic
and provoke discussion that will lead to new
research activity. Occasionally, an entire book may
serve as a review for research tracks especially rich
with activity.
Conference Proceedings
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Published papers presented at conferences, meetings,
etc.
 Conference papers are not always published, or
published in a timely manner!
Peer-review process similar to scholarly journals
Presenters can be scholars or practitioners
Use the jargon of their discipline
Intended audience are other scholars or practitioners
Often the first formal report of someone’s research
Authors cite their sources
Papers are often revised and published later in journals
or books.
Evaluating Print Resources
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Every book, periodical article, or other published
resource should be evaluated to determine its
quality and its relevance to your topic and the
nature of your assignment.
Use the criteria below to help you evaluate
resources.
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Authority
Content & Coverage
Timeliness
Accuracy
Objectivity
Evaluating Internet Resources
World Wide Web sites come in many sizes and styles. How do you distinguish a
site that gives reliable information from one that gives incorrect information?
Below are some guidelines to help.
Types
of Web Sites:
the URL is a key
.gov
.edu
.org
.com
Apply
the same
criteria:
Authority
Content & Coverage
Timeliness
Accuracy
Objectivity
Internet as Interface vs.
Internet as Source
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Internet Explorer or Netscape Interface:
 Access databases and online journals
 E.g.: PsycINFO, ERIC
 Usually require subscription
 Exception: ERIC Wizard
 Usually have print counterparts
 Equivalent authority and reliability
Source:
 Access using free search engines
 E.g.: Yahoo, Google, HotBot
 Originated on the Internet
 Anyone can put up a Web page!
 Critical evaluation more important
Basic Search Strategies:
Use Databases to Find Resources
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Books – Online catalog
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Articles – Indexes, abstracting
services, or full-text databases
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CSUN Library Online Catalog
Find Articles and More
Web pages – Search engines
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Internet Search Tools
Basic Search Strategies:
What Is a Database?
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Collection of records composed of fields which are searched for
words and phrases using Boolean Logic. For example:
Basic Search Strategies:
Words to Search by
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Keyword = natural language
Subject terms/descriptors =
controlled vocabulary
Keywords
Controlled Vocabulary
Basic Search Strategies:
Boolean Logic
OR
 AND
 NOT
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Basic Search Strategies:
Boolean “OR”
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Where either term
(or both) are
present
Broadens the
search
teenagers OR adolescents
Basic Search Strategies:
Boolean “AND”
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Where both terms
are present
Narrows the
search
teenagers AND academic achievement
Basic Search Strategies:
Boolean “NOT”
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Where first term is
present but
second term is not
Narrows the
search
counseling NOT therapy
Basic Search Strategies:
Truncation
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Symbol: *, !, ?, etc. (varies by database)
Replaces one or more letters at the end of
a word or root word
Truncation = OR
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Example: teen! retrieves teen OR teens OR
teenager OR teenagers
However: cat* retrieves cat, cats, but also
cataclysm, catacomb, catalepsy, catalog,
etc.
 Use OR instead to maintain meaning: cat
or cats
EPC Librarian
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Stephanie Ballard
stephanie.ballard@csun.edu
677-6396