Felician University Library: Psychology: Research

Finding Scholarly Articles

One easy way to get started is to use the Library Catalog. Enter search terms related to your topic, then check off "Peer Reviewed" under Content Type and "Article" under Format on the left-hand side under search filters.
Another way is to choose a database that's relevant to your research topic. Contact a librarian if you need assistance choosing a database to use or start with the databases listed in this guide.
The library's databases include scholarly journal articles. Use the search filters to limit your search to either "scholarly", "academic", or "peer-reviewed" -- different databases may use different wording to indicate.
In some cases, you'll have to determine for yourself whether an article is a scholarly source, based on the journal in which it is published, or by looking at characteristics such as the bibliography, abstract, or other aspects of the article.

The Library Catalog

Using the Full-Text filter will filter out any articles that you do not have full access to through the library. If you come across an article in the catalog that we do not have (this will only happen if you are not using "Full-Text" filter), you can request a copy of the article via InterLibrary Loan.

Literature Review

What is a Literature Review?

What is Peer Review?

Peer review is a quality-control process used by publications to help ensure that only high-quality, methodologically sound information is presented in the publication. In the peer-review process material submitted for publication is sent to individuals who are experts on the topic. Those experts read the material and suggest to the editor whether the material should be rejected, should be accepted, or should be sent back to the authors with a request for revisions. Almost all peer-reviewed journals are scholarly journals.

Peer Review In 3 Minutes

Structure of Scholarly Articles

Anatomy of a Scientific Article | Ask A Biologist

Research papers generally follow a specific format. Here are the different parts of the scholarly article.

Abstract (Summary)

The abstract, generally written by the author(s) of the article, provides a concise summary of the whole article. Usually it highlights the focus, study results and conclusion(s) of the article.

Introduction (Why)

In this section, the authors introduce their topic, explain the purpose of the study, and present why it is important, unique or how it adds to existing knowledge in their field. Look for the author's hypothesis or thesis here.

Introduction - Literature Review (Who else)

Many scholarly articles include a summary of previous research or discussions published on this topic, called a "Literature Review". This section outlines what others have found and what questions still remain.

Methodology / Materials and Methods (How)

Find the details of how the study was performed in this section. There should be enough specifics so that you could repeat the study if you wanted.

Results (What happened)

This section includes the findings from the study. Look for the data and statistical results in the form of tables, charts, and graphs. Some papers include an analysis here.

Discussion / Analysis (What it means)

This section should tell you what the authors felt was significant about their results. The authors analyze their data and describe what they believe it means.

Conclusion (What was learned)

Here the authors offer their final thoughts and conclusions and may include: how the study addressed their hypothesis, how it contributes to the field, the strengths and weaknesses of the study, and recommendations for future research. Some papers combine the discussion and conclusion.

NCSU Libraries Interactive Tutorial

This interactive tutorial shares the various components of scholarly journal article, such as the title, author, abstract, introduction, publication information, charts and graphs, conclusion, and references. (Methods and Discussion sections are not explicitly called out and included in the Article Text section.)

"Is my source scholarly" by Illinois Library https://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/howdoi/scholarly/

Psychology Databases

APA PsycARTICLES This link opens in a new window
PsycARTICLES®, from the American Psychological Association (APA), is a definitive source of full text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in psychology. It includes all journal articles, book reviews, letters to the editor, and errata from each journal. Coverage spans 1894 to the present and nearly all APA journals go back to Volume 1, Issue 1.
APA PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
The PsycINFO®, database, American Psychological Association’s (APA) renowned resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. Journal coverage, which spans from the 1800s to the present, includes international material selected from around 2,500 periodicals in dozens of languages.
APA PsycTESTS This link opens in a new window
PsycTESTS®, produced by the American Psychological Association (APA), serves as a repository for a growing selection of psychological tests and measures, including thousands of actual test instruments and test items that are available for immediate download and use in research and teaching. International in scope, PsycTESTS® also provides access to an increasing number of tests that are available in languages other than English.
Psychotherapy.net This link opens in a new window
A Library of over 300 training videos featuring the leading practitioners of our field. Plus articles and interviews, blogs and even cartoons.

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article (Skill-FUL Workshop)

Research vs. Review Article

A research article is a primary source, meaning that it reports on original research done by the authors of the article. Research articles normally include the following parts:

Introduction -- explains the reason for the research and discusses similar research studies.
Methods -- description of how the research was completed.
Results -- usually includes chart, data, and text explaining the outcomes of the research.
Discussion -- authors interpret the results and why they're important.
References or Works Cited -- research studies always include a list of references.

A review article is a secondary source, meaning that it discusses other articles and doesn't report original research. Review articles are a great way to get an overview of the research being done.

Reading a Scholarly Article

While you are Reading:

Keep in mind your research question
Focus on the information in the article relevant to your question (feel free to skim over other parts)
Question everything you read - not everything is 100% true or performed effectively
Think critically about what you read and seek to build your own arguments
Read out of order! This isn't a mystery novel or movie, you want to start with the spoiler
Use any keywords printed by the journals as further clues about the article
Look up words you don't know

How to Take Notes on the Article

Try different ways, but use the one that fits you best. Below are some suggestions:

Print the article and highlight, circle and otherwise mark while you read (for a PDF, you can use the highlight text feature in Adobe Reader)
Take notes on the sections, for example in the margins (Adobe Reader offers pop-up sticky notes)
Highlight only very important quotes or terms - or highlight potential quotes in a different color
Summarize the main or key points

Reflect on what you have read - draw your own conclusions.

As you read jot down questions that come to mind. These may be answered later on in the article or you may have found something that the authors did not consider. Here are a few questions that might be helpful:

Have I taken time to understand all the terminology?
Am I spending too much time on the less important parts of this article?
Do I have any reason to question the credibility of this research?
What specific problem does the research address and why is it important?
How do these results relate to my research interests or to other works which I have read?

Psychological Tests & Measures

What are psychological tests?

Psychological tests (also known as mental measurements, psychological instruments, psychometric tests, inventories, rating scales) are standardized measures of particular psychological variable such as personality, intelligence, or emotional functioning. They often consist of a series of questions that subjects rank as true or false, or according to a Likert-type scale (agree, somewhat agree...), however tests can also use written, visual, or verbal methods.

Many tests are commercially published. One well-known commercial test is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Commercial or published tests may need to be purchased from the publisher, and publishers may require proof that users have the professional credentials to administer the test.
In addition to commercial tests, there are countless unpublished tests that researchers design for particular studies in psychology, education, business and other fields.

Learn how to find, use, and cite Psychological Tests & Measures here.