PsycINFO: Psychology database

Doing the search

Before you begin any database search, it is important that you plan your search. PsycINFO is a specialised database that utilises Terms to help us search more accurately.

For help on getting started with PsycINFO, please consult the Quick Reference Guide from Ovid.

The basic rules to searching this database are:

Database essentials	Note
a. Term search	Where possible, always do a term search to begin with, especially in a database like PsycINFO (NB. Not all databases have this feature and some don't have an extensive thesaurus).
b. Combining searches	Search terms/concepts one at a time and combine them later using the Boolean operators AND & OR.
c. Viewing and evaluating your results	Always look at the results of your searches and evaluate them to see if they are relevant for your assignment/research. - Is the content relevant? - Does the article really address the subject you need?
d. Keyword search & truncation	Use this when the database does not have a subject heading matching your searched term, or when the database doesn't have a subject search. When you use a keyword search, also consider using truncation (* in PsycINFO) e.g. DEPRESS* will find DEPRESSION, DEPRESSED, DEPRESSING etc.
e. Refining your search	If you are not satisfied with the results of your search, you will need to refine it by going back to your search plan. - Do you need more specific concepts? - Do you need to try another database? Too many hits? Irrevelant results? Search for another concept then use the Boolean operator AND to combine it with previous results, You can also try to limit your search. Combine searches in your Search History, by highlighting the searches and choosing to "Combine Selections with:" AND Use the Only Show Content Where feature to apply limits to your search eg. language, publication date, publication type, age group, etc. Too few hits? Zero results? Search synonyms for each concept and combine them with the Boolean operator OR. or Remove any limits or Use truncation * to include various spellings and forms of each word
f. Getting the full article	Once you have a citation to your article, you will need to check if the library holds the journal that it was published in (whether in print or electronic format). Once you have a journal citation, you can search the Library Catalogue to see if the library has this journal (see section 3 of Module 2: Searching and Locating References in the Library). However, some databases such as PsycINFO provide direct links to such information. It can also provide links to the full-text. When viewing the results from a database search and SFX links are available, you can use it as a short cut to determining the UNSW Library holdings for the journal.

3.1	Module 3 objectives
3.2	Databases: searching the literature electronically
3.3	Planning your search
3.4	Accessing databases
3.5	PsycINFO: Psychology database
3.6	Module 3 review
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