HCE 623 - Theories and Applications of Play Therapy

Introduction | Reference Sources | Indexes & Databases | Internet Resources | Writing the Paper

For further research assistance, please contact Tim Lynch tlynch@usm.maine.edu; (780-5344), Research and Instructional Services Librarian; Laision to the Education Department. Gorham Campus Library, University of Southern Maine.

Please use this course guide anytime you need help with your research. Also please feel free to contact the Gorham Reference Desk at (207) 780-5344 or your liaison above if you have more questions. You can also use our Ask a Librarian service.

The key to all your library research is your USM Card. On that card is your Library Barcode beginning (2502. . .) This card will gain you access to remote databases, Interlibrary Loan, Request items from other libraries in Maine and will allow you to check-out books from the University of Maine Library system. This card must be activated by the Circulation staff at one of our libraries before you may use it.

To start us off, lets begin by learning how to search the catalog and databases at USM:

Searching Using AND and OR: (This process can be used in most any database including journal indexes and databases)

Keyword, Title, Author, and Subject

Currently search strategies are catagorized by four types of searches: Keyword; Title; Author; and Subject. Keyword searches use "key words" from areas of the book or document record like the title and the abstract and match the exact instructions of your search (See Basic Search below). Title searches are performed by entering the exact wording of the title, While Author searches are performed by entering the Last name of the author followed by a comma and the first letter or first name of the person or entity responsible for the content of the work.

Subject searches are altogether different. A subject search (See Subject Headings Below) is an attempt to find a collection of works determined to be in the same subject area. The Library of Congress creates these Subject Headings and new works are either matched to an existing Subject Heading or new Subject Headings are created. The best way to use a Subject Heading is to find a book, using a Keyword search, (See above) that very closely fits your topic, then look to the bottom of the record for the Subject Headings that belong to that book. Using the blank subject search on its own is possible but will probably not give you the information you are looking for unless you know exactly the right Subject Headings to use.

Basic Search using Keywords

1. State your topic in one sentence. (Ex. I'm looking for information about play therapy in the US)
2. Separate important terms. (Ex. Play AND Therapy AND United States)
3. Did you find enough information? If not continue. . . .
4. Add IMPORTANT synonyms and related terms that you would find in the professional literature:Play AND (Therapy OR Treatment) AND (United States OR U.S.)
5. Truncate terms to get plural as well as singular form.
   Ex. Play* AND (Therap* OR Treat*) AND (United States OR U.S.)

Advanced Search using Keywords (Default)

AND and OR searching can also be accomplished by filling in the search boxes using the AND connector in the Adanced search mode. Make sure and place all the OR terms (ie synonyms) together in the same box connected with the word OR. Also place and the AND terms in the same box, connected with the word AND.

URSUS
In order to find books, journal titles, videos, government documents and other materials owned by the University of Maine system you will need to consult URSUS, the online catalog. Because journal article citations are not included in URSUS, you will need to use a discipline-specific index to find this information (see Resources by Subject). Essentially, the difference between URSUS and other databases is that URSUS searches items like books, journal titles and videos in their entirety. URSUS can show you Time Magazine and tell you the issues we have in our collection, but it cannot reach into Time magazine and show you the articles. Just as it cannot reach into a book and show you specific chapters. Other Databases called Indexes can do those things!

Subject Headings

The following is a listing of selected Subject Headings relating to HCE 623. Each Subject Heading is hotlinked directly to URSUS. Notice how they appear at the bottom of the record of each book you choose.

To obtain materials not located at USM, but within the University of Maine System, you will need to click on the black Request button on the URSUS screen and enter your name and barcode number (found under the barcode on your USM Card). Remember, your barcode will need to be activated at the Circulation Desk usually on the first floor of our libraries. Remember also to choose a location for the item to be delivered. Items requested in this manner require 3 to 5 days for delivery.

If the item is not available through the University of Maine System (URSUS) or Maine InfoNet (A service including the additional public and private libraries in the state of Maine) you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (Illiad). Interlibrary Loan is a service by which students can request books, articles and other items from outside the USM libraries, the state of Maine, or even outside the United States to use for their classwork.

Unfortunately, many students are reluctant to use such a powerful service, relying instead on full-text items online. At the graduate level of a discipline, it is often more advantageous to look for articles and books that narrowly define one's topic. This will result in more serious research and ultimately a better grade!

To use the Interlibrary Loan service called Illiad. First look for the Interlibrary Loan Forms and the "First Time Users" link. Read the information and continue to follow these links until you reach a screen that requires you to imput your personal information. It is on this screen that you will choose a Username and Password that will allow you to quickly access your Interlibrary Loan service, minimizing the time and effort to make requests and, if you have an article, allowing you to get that article right from your screen!!

Because they are mailed, books requested by Interlibrary Loan may take a week to 10 days to arrive. Articles requested by interlibrary loan usually arrive in under 3 days!

Off-Campus (remote) connection to databases: Use your name and library barcode number (2502. . . . ) available from your student ID to access Indexes and databases from home. Indexes and Databases that can be accessed remotely will have a small yellow "remote access" icon next to the Index or database. If you are having trouble, try using the state funded Marvel Databases. Enter personal information including ZIP Code.

Teaching and Research Sources

Encyclopedia of African-American Education
Gorham Ref. LC2717 .E53 1996

Encyclopedia of Education
Gorham Ref. LB15 .E47 2003 [8 vols.]

Encyclopedia of Educational Research
Gorham Ref. LB15 .E48 1992 [4 vols.]

Encyclopedia of Human Development and Education
Gorham Ref. BF713 .E65 1990

Encyclopedia of Human Intelligence
Gorham Ref. B431 .E59 1994 [2 vols.]

Encyclopedia of Learning and Memory
Gorham Ref. BF318 .E53 1992

Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family
Gorham Ref. HQ9 .E52 1995 [2 vols.]

International Encyclopedia of Education
Gorham Ref. LB15 .I569 1994 [12 vols.]

International Encyclopedia of Teaching and Teacher Education
Gorham Ref. LB1025.3 .I58 1995

Handbook of Research on Teacher Education
Gorham Ref. LB1715 .H274 1996


Biographical Sources

Biographical Dictionary of American Educators
Gorham Ref. LA2311 .B54 [3 vols.]

Who's Who in American Education
Gorham Ref. LA2311 .W471994-5

Other Research Resources

Dictionary of Multi-cultural Education
Gorham Ref. LC 1099 .D53 1997

Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology
Gorham Ref. HA17 .V64 1999)

Educator's Resource Directory
Gorham Ref. LB1028.27 .U6 E53 2001-02

Handbook of Educational Terms and Applications
Gorham Ref. LB15 .E419 1996

Handbook of Qualitative Research in Education
Gorham Ref. H62 .H2456 1992

Maine Adult and Community Education Directory
Gorham Ref. LC5252.M2 M35  1993-94

Journals, Serials and Periodicals
All of these words stand for the same thing: items that come via subscription at regular intervals. Please also make use of the Finding Articles at USM webpage created by Barb Mann

Because of the publishing cycle of a book, information in a book is not always current. Periodical articles are current sources of information. There are two main types of periodicals: scholarly and popular. Scholarly periodicals are usually referred to as journals. Articles in journals often contain reports of primary research; the articles are written by experts in the field and for other researchers/scholars; use terms and language specific to that discipline; may include graphs, charts, etc. related to the topic; most often are peer reviewed via an editorial board; are published by professional organization or society, university, research centers or scholarly presses; and often include a bibliography. Popular periodical articles contain general information; are written using easily understood language that appeals to a varied audience; are usually written by journalists or others who are not experts in the field; do not include citations; have a limited or non-existent editorial review board; and may contain glossy photographs

To find scholarly articles it is necessary to consult a discipline-specific electronic or print index/database. The following are electronic indexing sources available to the Unversity of Southern Maine in the area of Education and Human Resource Development.

Academic Search Premier
Date coverage: varies according to publication. See coverage information
Provides full text for nearly 4,000 scholarly publications of which 3,100 are peer reviewed. Academic areas of study include: social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. Approximately 300 journals indexed are in the field of Education

ERIC
The Educational Resource Information Center, formerly sponsored by the US Department of Education, is the major research database for the field of Education. It collects, indexes and abstracts (summarizes) articles from virtually all of the 950+ US journals devoted to Education. Additionally, ERIC collects, indexes abstracts and publishes as ERIC Documents other items of interest to the educational community, such as conference papers, official reports of federally funded research projects, materials produced by state departments of education and other educational entities, a small number of commercially published books (abstracts only) and even classroom and other materials submitted by individual educators, although as of 2004 this type of information may no longer be included.

Because ERIC has been sold to a private contractor for management, it is unknown to what extent the database will change. The new model promises full-text online for much of the information indexed in ERIC whenever possible. See more information at the http://www.eric.ed.gov/ site.

PsycINFO
The online edition of Psychological Abstracts, produced by the American Psychological Association is the major Research Database related to the field of Psychology. The database includes abstracts of articles from the professional journal literature in several languages. It also includes abstracts of books and book chapters, dissertations and reports in psychology. ERIC and PsychINFO will, in some cases connect to the full-text of articles.

Social Services Abstracts
Social Services Abstracts covers journal articles and dissertations in social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development since 1980.

Social Work Abstracts Plus
Index to articles and dissertations on social work, social welfare, and related fields.

Sociological Abstracts
Covers sociology and related disciplines including anthropology, criminology, demography, education, gerontology, mental health, minority studies, political science, public health, social psychology, social work, urban studies, welfare programs, and women's studies. Comprehensive and international in scope. Covers about 2,600 journals in 30 different languages from 55 different countries. Also includes books, conference papers,and doctoral dissertations.

There is no authority control for the Internet. In choosing Internet resources it is imperative to evaluate the authenticity of the source. Thinking Critically about Discipline-Based World Wide Web Resources (UCLA College Library) provides excellent evaluation criteria. The following selected resources have been chosen because of authenticity and comprehensiveness of coverage.

Play Therapy International

Family Enhancement and Play Therapy Center

Canadian association for Child and Play Therapy

In using resources it is imperative that they be used ethically and legally. The sources listed here provide assistance in following correct citation methods and in avoiding plagiarism.

Writing Handbooks

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Gorham Ref. BF76.7 .P83 2001

St. Martin's Handbook
(Portland Ref. PE1112 .L86 1989)
(Lewiston-Auburn Ref. PE1112. L86 1989)
Contains sections on the writing process, sentence construction, punctuation, doing research, and academic writing.

A Writer's Reference, 3rd Edition
Gorham Ref. PE1408 .H2778 1995
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation.

Citation Styles

Online! A Reference Guide Using Internet Resources

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Gorham Ref. BF76.7 .P83 2001

Be sure to look at the EndNote program for help with citations.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism-The Do's and Dont's: Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism (University of California-Davis)

Plagiarism (Indiana University)

Last update: 10.2005
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