psy3330 dissertation workshops

© Middlesex University

Literature searching for your dissertation

unihub.mdx.ac.uk / study / library

PSY3330


What we will cover today

• Reminder: Finding Tests

• Reminder: Advanced searching

• Keywords and search operators (* “ ” etc)

• Strategic searching: when there’s nothing on your

topic

• Referencing

• Where you can get help

Presentation title | 2


Finding resourcesmyUniHub > My Study > My Library

Access all sorts of online resources here!

My Library – most of the links you will ever need


Psychological TESTS



My library > Databases


© Middlesex University | 7

PsycTESTS database

Simple subject search


Or author/test name search


Click here to limit to full text

TESTS


Not all tests in PsycINFO are full text



Literature Searching



Advanced searches – Web of Science



Advanced searches - PsycINFO



Get better results & find things faster• Spelling US v UK:

• behavior / behaviour • counselor / counsellor

• Truncate *: • Offend* = offending, offender, offenders • Counsel* = counselling, counsellor,

counsellors• Behav* = behavior, behaviour, behavioural,

behavioral

• Phrases (exact words in that order)• “substance abuse”• “cogntive behav* therapy”


Databases for research articles myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Databases

Search for database by letter, then name

© Middlesex University Psych PG | 15

Web of Science


Web of Science

Gives you a hyperlinked

list of articles

which cite this article


Citation searching

• Which articles have cited an earlier article• Updates to the research study you’ve been looking at• Find articles on similar/related subject• How many times an article has been cited• Best journals in your field


Looks kind of like this...


© Middlesex University Presentation title | 19

PsycINFO – Access via Unihub > Databases


PsycINFO – options and limits


limits Full text


Tasks


therapy AND offenders AND mental illness


So a narrower search is….


CBT AND prisoners AND mental illness


Other ways to narrow your topic

• People or participants:– Racial/cultural/nationality groups– Age– Type of participant

• Way you measure it• Sub-factors (E.g. Media effect on

self esteem):– Fashion and Beauty media– Effect on body image or self worth– Among Women / students

– Among students in UK/Dubai/Mauritius


Repeat and improve

• Repeat, improve = improved results. • Try different things, react to your searches• Follow citations• Expand your keywords as you go • Alternative or new keywords in results— Re-run your searches


Task 2 – Strategic searching

• A + B + C = results• But what if it doesn’t?

• a + b• b + c• a + c



• Peer, media and family influences among African and Afro-Caribbean women and the effects on self esteem and body image

— Media influences on women and their self image— Peer/family/cultural influences on women and their self image— Media influences on Black/Afro Caribbean populations and their

confidence/self image — Media influences on people’s self worth and body image


Splitting up your searches


• Impact of missing father figure on teenage girls— Missing father figure with teenage boys — Missing father figure - influence on adult women — Missing father figure - influence on very young female

children — Key stages of development for teenagers — Parenting and its role in development





• Effectiveness of mentoring on young homeless people— Mentoring and young people— Mentors and homeless people — Support for homeless people getting out of homelessness


Task - strategic searching – splitting up your topic



Cite them right


examples Gives you a formatted example to type over


Managing your references• 2 choices of referencing software at MDX

• Flow – simple to use, limited functionality, fine for essays

• Refworks – slightly more complex to use but more functional

• Both will allow you to import citations from databases and both will format your reference list for you.

• Go to Psychology Library Subject Guide and find the section on referencing

libguides.mdx.ac.uk/psy/referencing


It’s not in the Library!• Inter Library Loans

http://bit.ly/InterLibraryLoans

• SCONUL Access http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access

• Other libraries http://bit.ly/visitingotherlibraries

http://bit.ly/InterLibraryLoans

http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access

http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access

http://bit.ly/visitingotherlibraries


To access the Library Subject Guide


Need help?

• Psychology Library Subject Guide

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/psy

• Librarians in the StudyHub (1st floor) Monday – Friday 9-5

• Viv – your librarian [email protected]

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/psy

mailto:[email protected]

psy3330 dissertation workshops

Education