Social Work Library: How to Search PsycINFO

How to Search PsycINFO

What is PsycINFO?

PsycINFO is an index to professional and scholarly literature in the field of psychology, from 1887 to the present, produced by the American Psychological Association (APA). It covers journals from around the world, books, book chapters and U.S. dissertations. This database does not provide the full text of articles -- only citations. PsycARTICLES, however, provides full text articles from 1989 to the present of 37 core journals from the APA. Subject matter includes clinical, experimental, social, educational and other fields in psychology.

When Should I Search PsycINFO?

PsycINFO is most useful when:

you need scholarly, research-based articles from psychology journals
you want to combine two or more mental health concepts into a single search
you want an historical overview of a mental health topic
you need to find studies that have applied a particular instrument or measurement
you want article citations from a particular journal, or by a particular author, on mental health topics such as counseling, psychiatric social work, treatment or intervention, deinstitutionalization, community mental health centers, etc.

How Do I Begin?

Outlined below is a two step strategy to help you search the database more effectively and efficiently.

Step #1.
Define your topic in the form of a question or statement, for example, What scales or tests have been used successfully to measure depression in African Americans?. Then, separate the question into specific logical components or concepts:

CONCEPT 1:	CONCEPT 2:	CONCEPT 3:
tests or scales	depression	African Americans

Step #2.
Use the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms (Z 695.1 .P7 T42 Reference) to choose descriptors or subject headings that describe your concepts. The Thesaurus provides the official terminology or authoritative list of subjects used in the database. Using the appropriate terminology is important, in that it enables you to hit upon citations about your topic rather than unrelated items using words which are too common. The PsycINFO database provides an online version of the thesaurus -- click on the Thesaurus button at the top of the screen.

Using the example in step #1, write down all descriptors/headings from the thesaurus that describe the concepts, for example:

CONCEPT 1: tests or scales	CONCEPT 2: depression	CONCEPT 3: African Americans
2224 clinical psychological testing (category in APA classification)	major depression depression (emotion) for citations prior to 1988	blacks

If your topic is fairly broad in scope, consider methods for focusing your topic, either with additional descriptors, with specific journal titles, with types of publications (book, dissertation, or journal article), or with a specific publication year.

How Do I Search PsycINFO?

After you prepare your search strategy, you may begin searching the database. From any computer in the Social Work Library, point your browser to the list of social work databases. Click on PsycINFO at the top of the screen. The system will display the default search screen (Advanced Search).

Continuing to use the example topic of tests for depression in the population of African Americans, make certain you are displaying the Advanced Search screen (the Advanced Search tab at the top of the screen will be green). You will combine your terms into a single keyword search statement using the connector AND between search input boxes. Selecting the descriptors from the example in each column above, a possible search statement might look like this:

Find: 2224 in CC Classification

and blacks in SU Subjects

and major depression in SU Subjects

Using the pull down menu next to each input box, select "Subject" as the field for the search terms "major depression" and "blacks." The descriptor "major depression" is searched as a phrase, and the system looks for that phrase in the subject heading/descriptor fields only. Use "CC Classification" for the APA classification code "2224" (clinical psychological testing). [For additional information on the APA classification codes, see the Help file within the database.) The system combines the keyword, phrase, and code with the connector AND, and displays only those records which have all three items in the specified fields. Click on the "Search" button to start the search. Note: The default fields for unqualified searches consist of the following: Title, Translated Title, Abstract, Key Phrase, Subjects, Table of Contents, and Author.

Notice under the search input boxes in the Advanced Search screen the additional options to fine-tune your search. For example, you may limit your search results to full-text articles only, to a certain publication date, to a specific publication type or content type, or to a particular language.

How Do I View the Search Results?

As the system finds results to match your search request, a list of citations will appear. The list will include the brief citation for each hit. To see the full record for each hit, click on the title of a citation. The complete record will display, providing key information such as abstract and subject descriptors. Note that you may click on the SFX button () to determine if the full-text of a citation is available.

How Do I Print/Email/Save Records?

As you review the full record of a citation, you may decide to print, email, or save the record. To print the record, click on the Print link at the top of the screen. At the Print Manager screen, you may change the default format for printing; however it is recommended that you accept the default setting of "detailed citation and abstract." Click on the "Print" button. Your computer's print dialog box will appear. You should verify the printer name before clicking on the "OK" button. When the record is finished printing, you can return to your original screen by clicking on the "Back" link at the top of the screen.

To e-mail the record to your personal e-mail account, click on the Email link at the top of the screen. At the Email Manager screen, accept the default setting of "detailed citation and abstract" and type in your complete e-mail address (e.g. jqpublic@umich.edu). Click on the "Send" button. A message will display on the screen that the record has been sent. Click on the "Continue" link to return to your original screen.

To save the record (for importing into RefWorks, ProCite, etc.), click on the Save link at the top of the screen. At the Save Manager screen, accept the default setting of "detailed citation and abstract" and "HTML link(s) to article(s)." Click on the Save button. A screen will display with your record information. Using your web browser's "save" function, save the displayed information with the file type of text (and with the file extension of .txt) . Click on the "Save" button. Click on the "Back" link at the top of the screen to return to your original screen.

How Do I Find Books and Articles Cited in PsycINFO?

If the citation refers to an APA journal available in PsycARTICLES, a link labeled "Linked Full Text" will appear in the citation. Clicking on this link will display the complete article on the screen. For all other citations, click on the SFX button ( ) to discover links to full-text article or book availability. If there is no full-text available for your citation, click on the "UM Ann Arbor University Library" link to connect to MIRLYN catalog. A window will appear which will display either the catalog record for the item in your citation (with location information) or with a message that the item is not available on campus. Close the MIRLYN catalog window and the SFX window to return to your PsycINFO search.

How Do I Run Other Types of Searches?

To search for an author:
Click on the "Author" button at the top of the screen. In the "Browse for" box, type in the author's last name and then click on the "Browse" button. A list of authors matching that last name will appear. Click in the box next to all the names that might be your author. Click on the "Search" button.
To search for multiple authors:
Type the last names of the authors in the "Advanced Search" screen, combining them with the connector AND. E.g. foley in AU Author and kope in AU Author. Click on the "Search" button.
To search for a literature review on a specific topic:
In the "Advanced Search" screen, type in the subject descriptor, limiting it to the subject fields. (E.g. sex offenses in SU Subjects). Then in the "Form/Content Type" menu, select "Literature Review/Research Review." Click on the "Search" button.
To search for a book on a particular topic:
In the "Advanced Search" mode, type in your subject descriptor(s), limiting to the subject fields. (E.g. schizophrenia in SU Subjects). Then in the "Publication Type" menu, select "Authored Book" or "Edited Book." Click on the "Search" button.
To search for a book chapter on a particular topic:
In the "Advanced Search" mode, type in your subject descriptor(s), limiting to the subject fields. (E.g. involuntary treatment in SU Subjects.) Then in the "Publication Type" menu, select "Chapter." Click on the "Search" button.
To search for a particular subject in a specific journal:
In the "Advanced Search" mode, type in your subject descriptor(s), limiting to the subject fields. (E.g. school truancy in SU Subjects.) Then in the "Publication Name" field, type in the complete title of your journal -- no abbreviations! (E.g. British Journal of Social Work.) Click on the "Search" button.
To limit to topical research on humans (i.e. excludes experiments with animals):
In the "Advanced Search" mode, type in your subject descriptor(s), limiting to the subject fields. (E.g. addition in SU Subjects.) Then in the "Population Group" menu, select "Human." Click on the "Search" button.
To limit results to a specific year:
In the "Advanced Search" mode, type in your subject descriptor(s), limiting to the subject fields. (E.g. social support networks in SU Subjects.) Then in the "Year of Publication" field, type in your year or range of years (e.g. Yr. 2003 to Yr. 2004).
To limit results to those with appended test or measurement instruments or which discuss a test or measurement:
In the "Advanced Search" mode, type in your subject descriptor(s), limiting to the subject fields. (E.g. memory in SU Subjects.) Then in the "Form/Content" menu, select "Test/Survey Appended." Click on the "Search" button.

Go now to PsycINFO

This database is restricted to validated U-M students, staff and faculty.

Created by: Karen Reiman-Sendi; Converted by Jamie Nielsen 10/1/07

Document Custodian: Sue Wortman

Content last updated on: 14 April 2005

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