PSS 350: PsycINFO
Important Note
Please be sure to review the information on the Before You Search! tab on the left menu before you begin searching in the tools listed on this tab. The Before You Search! tab explains what a "peer reviewed" article is and how to tell when you have found one. It also gives tips for building more effective searches. There are brief videos and tutorials that explain how to choose the best keywords, refine your searches, and evaluate the information you find.
Searching in PsycINFO
PsycINFO
Requires your MU ID and password when connecting off campus
PsycINFO is the most commonly used article database by students, instructors, and researchers in the field of psychology. It will help you find scholarly journal articles specifically about psychology topics. PsycINFO has many search options that let search for very specific types of articles, which is a great timesaver when doing research in this discipline.
Type in your keywords in the text boxes at the top of the screen, as shown below. The name of your disorder should appear on the top line. If there are multiple terms used to describe the disorder, select the string of words or phrases connected with "or" from the drop down menu that appears when you begin typing the name into the search bar. Do the same when you enter the keyword "etiology" in the second box.
Before clicking enter, scroll down the page to see and select additional search options. I suggest limiting by:
- English language
- Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
- Document type: Journal Article
- Population group: Human
- Entering a range for Publication Year to get recently published information. Ask your instructor what an appropriate date range is for your topic and assignment.
- Check the box to Exclude Dissertations
The screenshot below shows these options:
If your results list is too large after this search, you can narrow further by using the menu bar down the left column. Good options are to limit by the age and/or gender of the population studied or to limit by the subject of the articles.
Selecting Articles and Locating Full Text
See additional information about an article by clicking on its title. Read the abstract to get a better feel for what the article is about. If you like the abstract and want the whole article, check the top right corner for a link to the full text. If there is not full text link, try the 
button, which searches other databases for the full text. Use the tool bar on the right to print, save, email, and cite the article in APA format. The screenshot below shows those areas.
