Carolyn Hughes, Head of Acquisitions and Serials Liaison to the USM Psychology Dept. Glickman Library, Portland hughes@usm.maine.edu (207) 780-4671

Reference sources are normally used to obtain quick facts such as definitions, statistics, brief biographies, etc. They are a great place to get started on your research. For instance, defining unfamiliar terms or exploring different aspects of your topic in a subject-specific encyclopedia may be an effective way to brainstorm for ways to approach your research. These are just a few of the reference resources that are available through USM libraries.

Dictionaries | Encyclopedias | Tests | Other Resources

Dictionaries

APA Dictionary of Psychology
POR Reference: BF31 .A65 2007
LEW Reference: BF31.V295 A63 2007

Campbell's Psychiatric Dictionary, 8th edition
POR Reference RC437 .H5 2004

Oxford University Press Dictionary of Psychology

Encyclopedias

The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science
POR Reference BF31 .E52 2001 [4 vols.]

Encyclopedia of Psychology
POR & GOR Reference BF31 .E52 2000 [8 vols.]

Encyclopedia of Human Development (2006)

Encyclopedia of Human Emotions
POR Reference BF531 .E55 1999 [2 vols.]

Encyclopedia of Stress
POR Reference BF575 .S75 M235 1999

The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders (2003)

Handbook of Psychological Assessment, 4th edition
POR Reference BF176 .G76 2003

Handbook of Psychology (2003)
note: accessible via "Restricted access (USM)" link

Tests

Handbook of Family Measurement Techniques
POR Reference HQ728 .T68 1990
GOR Reference HQ728 .H67 2001

Mental Measurements Yearbook (9th through 16th yearbooks)

Test Critiques
GOR Reference BF176 .T419 [vols. 1-10]

Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessment in Psychology, Education, and Business
GOR Reference BF176 .T43 1997
LEW Reference BF176 .T43 2003

Tests in Print III-VI: An Index to Tests, Test Reviews, and the Literature on Specific Tests
GOR Reference Z5814 .E9 T47

Other Resources

Biographical Dictionary of Psychology
POR Reference BF109 .A1 B56 1997

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)
POR and GOR Reference, LEW Reserve RC455.2 .C4 D536 2000

If you don't have a particular journal or article in mind, but are hoping to find journal articles on your topic, go directly to one of the databases below. If you are looking for a particular article from a particular journal, find out which USM database indexes that journal by searching the USM e-journals collection or whether USM libraries own the title in print by searching the print journals collection.

PsycINFO: Index to the professional and academic literature in psychology and related disciplines, including medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, and other areas. Coverage includes references and abstracts to over 1,300 journals in more than 20 languages, and to book chapters and books in the English language. The database includes information from empirical studies, case studies, surveys, bibliographies, literature reviews, discussion articles, conference reports and dissertations.

PsycArticles: A database of full-text articles from 53 psychology journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe & Huber. The database includes all material from the print journals with the exception of ads and editorial board lists.

Mental Measurements Yearbook: Contains the most recent descriptive information and critical reviews of new and revised tests from the Buros Institute's 9th through 16th yearbooks. The database covers more than 2,200 commercially-available tests in categories such as personality, developmental, behavioral assessment, neuropsychological, achievement, intelligence and aptitude, educational, speech & hearing, and sensory motor.

More databases: Psychology Resources by Subject Page.

Books

Ursus Catalog: The online catalog of the University of Maine System Libraries as well as the Maine State Library, the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library and the Bangor Public Library. It is possible to request to have books sent from one campus to another that is closer to you. Visit the UMS URSUS Tutorial for more info.

MaineCat: This catalog searches a wider range of libraries than URSUS, though all are within the state of Maine. It is possible to request to have books sent from one campus to another that is closer to you.

World Cat: "Allows users to search the collections of libraries in their communities and thousands more around the world."

Web sites can be excellent sources of information, but require that you think critically about the information presented, especially since anyone can publish a Web site whether they are an expert on the topic being presented or not. Here are a few reliable sources of information that are pertinent to psychology majors. For other reliable sites, try the Librarians' Internet Index list of psychology Web sites.

Classics in the History of Psychology
"A full-text collection of 'historically significant public domain documents from the scholarly literature of psychology and allied disciplines.' Search by keyword or browse by author or topic. There are 20 books and over 100 articles and chapters available, as well as links to over 170 relevant works... Developed by a professor in the Department of Psychology at York University (Toronto)." (description from Librarians' Internet Index)

Psychology Experiments on the Internet
"This is 'an on-line cognitive and social psychology laboratory site ... [that] consists of a set of interactive experiments, a cumulative data archive, download utilities for both data and experiment source code, downloadable Excel macros for analyzing data from the experiments, and support materials for those who want to use and/or develop experiments at the site.' From the University of Mississippi." (description from Librarians' Internet Index)

Social Psychology Network
A database of links to thousands of websites related to social psychology. Subjects include prejudice, discrimination, gender, and romance and attraction; types of material provided include professional journals, teaching resources, and research groups... Maintained by a professor at Wesleyan University." (description from Librarians' Internet Index)

Most psychology professors will prefer that you cite your sources in APA (American Psychological Association) style. However, check with your individual professor to find out which citation style he or she would prefer that you use.

Web sites that will assist you with the process...

Citing References in Your Paper: Examples of citations for sources of difference formats for Chicago/Turabian, MLA and APA styles, from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Resources and Documentation Online: a Web-based adaptation of Diana Hacker's
Research and Documentation in the Electronic Age (4th ed.) published by Bedford St. Martin's Press.

Son of Citation Machine: after users select a citation style and enter citation information into a form, Son of Citation Machine arranges the information into a citation. Beware: this tool, though useful, is not foolproof. Be sure to proofread citations generated by this site carefully before including them in your bibliography.

Acadia University Interactive Tutorial: You Quote it, You Note it: A fun and informative way to learn about citing sources. Covers when you are required to cite your sources in order to avoid plagiarizing and the basics of creating citations.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
POR & GOR Reference, LEW Reserve BF76.7 .P83

MLA handbook for writers of research papers
POR & GOR Reference, LEW Reserve LB2369 .G53 2003