Psychology Research Guide: Find Articles

Start here

Education databases

Health databases

Search tips

• What's a database? A database contains published information (mainly articles) with a search box.
• Use the "Advanced Search" option in our databases so you can search for multiple terms at once
• Search with keywords, not sentences. For example:
  • Don't type in a full sentence: How does the stigma of mental illness prevent people from obtaining treatment?
  • Do search by one or two major concepts: "mental illness" and stigma
• If you don't find a lot of articles in PsycARTICLES, try OneSearch (the main search box on the library homepage).

Research is a trial and error process, and librarians are happy to help you brainstorm or find articles! Chat with us when we're open, or email ref_desk@carrollcc.edu.

Scholarly articles are written by experts in their field, for other experts. This means they don't always stop to define technical terms, and if you're not already an expert, it can be hard to understand what they're talking about!

A few tips for making scholarly articles easier to read:

• Start with a reference source (like Gale eBooks) to get you familiar with the concept you're trying to research
• Read the abstract (one-paragraph summary) before you read the whole article
• Read the intro and conclusion of the article first. These parts are the easiest to understand
• Skim the methods and results sections
• If the abstract and intro of an article are too hard to understand, bail out!  Find another article, or ask a librarian to help you find one that is more accessible for students.

Reminder: You're not stupid, research is just dense! It gets easier with practice, I promise.