Psychology Webquest 

Spring 2002

 

The Project Advance Course in Psychology integrates journal based research, a requirement for college course credit at Syracuse University.  To support this research function, the following resources and guides have been identified as useful and productive tools for Psychology students.  Formats include:  web supported information resources, actual web sites, online or CD-ROM resources running on the High School East Library Network, and fulltext or citation options in print.

THE TASK

Take five steps to reach the GOAL of acquiring and using fulltext JOURNAL articles as the basis of a research project in College Psychology.  Whether the product is a paper, a presentation or a portfolio, the first steps are always the same:
 

1.1.  Define your task or question. Consider variables as well as  a core concept.  Pursue soft periodical or web articles, as well as reference books, to build an understanding of your basic topic.

2.2.  Seek information in multiple formats that relates to your research question or evolving THESIS.

3.3.  Determine that you have found JOURNAL articles, and EVALUATE them for authority and affiliation, as well as usefulness.

4.4.  Maintain a consistent record of all items for bibliographic purposes. Check against a STYLE SHEET for the elements of a bibliographic citation.
 

THE PROCESS

1.  Select a psychological topic that relates to the units introduced in class. Conduct a feasibility study to ascertain that the topic is viable, well represented in the professional literature of psychology. ProquestPlatinum, running on the library network, is a worthy first step.  Explore the CONNECTIONS of your topic to psychological concepts. Build a THESIS statement or research question.

2.  Once your TASK is DEFINED, develop a SEARCH STRATEGY using the information resources listed below.  LOCATE and ACCESS citations from  psychological  journals and full text articles from psychological journals using metasearch engines like CHUBBAor GOOGLE, online information resources, psychological  web sites, databases at Shenendehowa school and public libraries, and print index tools like the SOCIAL SCIENCE INDEX (library index area).

3.  Use the CADILAC at www. cdlc.org on the H.S. network to identify local college libraries that house the journals you need once you identify those journals in useful citations.  A field trip to SUNY Albany's library or other college library will support your retrieval of the journal articles. The High School librarian can help facilitate that with directions, college library hours, and details about specific retrieval options.

4.  Find full text  journal articles right at Shenendehowa  by using Electric Library,Proquest Platinum, EBSCOhost,web sites or H.S. journals on microfiche.

5.   Begin to synthesize information into subdivided topic areas and useful notes.  Prepare an outline.

6. EVALUATE the articles you have retrieved as well as the information resources used to retrieve them for their AUTHORITY, AFFILIATION, CURRENCY, PURPOSE and AUDIENCE.
 

Web Supported Information Resources

STUDENT ADVANTAGE SEARCH Engine
http://research.studentadvantage.com

AmoebaWeb – Psychology on the WEB
http://www.ssrn.com/update/general/ssrn_faq.html

High Wire Press
http://highwire.stanford.edu

Electronic Journals and Periodicals

http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/journal.html

University of Maryland Electronic Journals by Subject

http://www.lib.umd.edu/ETC/EJNLS/subject.php3?subject=Psychology

Journals and Magazines – Stanford University

http://www-psych.stanford.edu/cogsci/journals.html

Counseling Psych on the Net

http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/kholmes/libguides/cpfulltext.html

APA Journals

http://www.apa.org/journals/fulltext.html

SEARCH ENGINE GUIDE
www.searchengineguide.com/

The Argus Clearinghouse
http://www.clearinghouse.net/index.html

U.S. Department of Education Search
http://search.ed.gov/results.html

APA Monitor
http://www.apa.org/monitor/

Psychcrawler
http://www.psychcrawler.com

Psychcrawler Virtual Refence Desk
http://www.virtualref.com/abs/446.htm

Online Information Resources

Electric Library - Runningnow on all library PC’s, this offers full text, journal articles on psychological topics.  Look under the  PUBLISHER column for the word JOURNAL in the title of the source or ask the librarian about a periodical’s status.

ProquestPlatinum – This periodical and journal database features over 2000 full text periodicals with emphasis on the Social Sciences.Click on the Proquest tab on the toolbar in Internet Explorer and select Proquest Platinum as your option.Clicking on the titles or articles retrieved allows you to access and print fulltext.

FIRSTSEARCH- Using your Shenendehowa Public Library card and your barcode ID, you can tap the Public Library database offerings.  FIRSTSEARCH provides FULL TEXT journal articles.  The Public Library address is
www.shenpublib.org. You can also use this at home. Also the Health Reference Center offers medical journal articles full text.

AskERIC - A long trusted educational database, AskERIC provides abstracts and some full text journal articles about psychological topics related to school age children and teens. A site map leads you to the Information Center and a SEARCH option. The address on the web is www.askeric.org/sitemap.html.

DIALOG Database- With an appointment, DIALOG Database searching connects you online to PSCHINFO. Abstracts and citations on your topic are printed as a result of a DIALOG search with the librarian.  Journal citations and abstracts need to be compared to available holdings at local college libraries using CADILAC. One DIALOG Database called Magazine Index provides full text journal articles from medical resources etc.

DIALOG@CARL- This resource offers fewer journal options but will support your research with academically solid full text articles.  This is a BOCES funded search option at http://dialog.carl.org:3005/

CADILAC -Running on all library network stations, CadiLac will identify libraries where you can access journals for which you have only retrieved citations/abstracts. Going to the college library will result in your ability to photocopy journal articles in bound volumes arrayed by title or Library of Congress call number.

SHENENDEHOWA H.S. JOURNAL COLLECTION -
The following Journals can be accessed at the H.S. in the microform collection:
    American Demographics
    American Journal of Psychology
    Child Development
    Criminology
    Education Digest
    Exceptional Child
    Journal of Applied Psychology
    Journal of Educational Psychology
    Journal of General Psycholgy
    Journal/ Child and Family Studies
    Psychological Review
    Psychology Today
 

Social Science Index- The print Social Science Index located on the index shelves near the librarian's office will provide subject (single subject only) access to journal citations.  This is successful with mainstream topics without the need for Boolean layers where secondary subtopics need to be factored in.  Cross check hits on CADILAC.
 

Evaluation-
 
 
 
 

Conclusion -

Students in Psychology  earn college credit from Syracuse University by pursuing college course work in high school.  Succeeding in the use of  college indexing tools, psychological web sites, online information resources linked to college databases, and the retrieval of full text journal articles from a college library validate the Shenendehowa senior's mastery of information environments, particularly those that are found in four year colleges.  Success in this task predisposes the graduate to success in college and journal based research tasks.

 
 
 

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