PsycInfo Exercise

The peer-review process helps ensure that the highest-quality research gets published. A peer-reviewed article was reviewed by scholars (the author's peers) in the same field.

Please answer the following questions regarding PsycINFO:

  1. How can you find peer-reviewed articles in PsycINFO? (Hint: there is more than one way—can you identify at least two methods?)
     
  2. Choose a topic to search in PsycINFO (e.g., bipolar).
    What are at least three ways you could narrow your search results?
     
  3. Run the same search in Google Scholar.
    What differences do you notice between the results in PsycINFO and Google Scholar?

Citation Analysis Exercise

In separate tabs of your browser, open up Google Scholar and Web of Science; look up the following article in each:

Hooley, J. M. (2007). Expressed emotion and relapse of psychopathology. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 3, 329–352.

Questions:

  1. What kind of article is this, and how many times has it been cited, according to Web of Science?

  2. Click into the record for Hooley's article in Web of Science and explore the information on that screen. What is the most common role her article played in the studies that cite it?

    (a) Background = context
    (b) Basis = methodological or theoretical foundation
    (c) Support = agreement
    (d) Differ = disagreement
    (e) Discuss = neutral consideration

  3. How many times has this article been cited, according to Google Scholar?
  4. Why is there such a difference between the citation counts?

Hints – look at the following:

  • What is the first citation listed in each database? Are they the same in both databases?
  • What about the first 5 citations – are any of the “top 5” the same in both databases?
  • Which database focuses more on peer-reviewed research articles?

   5.  Which of these databases, Web of Science or Google Scholar, offers the most sorting options for citations?

Hints – look at the following:

  • Which sort chronologically?
  • Which sort by relevance?
  • Which sorts by “Times Cited”? (highlights the most influential and authoritative sources in the field)
  • Which sorts by “Usage Count”? (useful for spotting papers that are being actively read/discovered, even if they don’t yet have high citation counts)

Book Exercise #1

 Scenario 

You are working on your final paper for a course, and your professor highly recommends reading Chapter 7 (“Using Transnational Feminist Theory to Expand Domestic Violence Understandings” by Guthery, et al.) in this book:

Collins, L. H., Machizawa, S., & Rice, J. K. (2019). Transnational psychology of women: Expanding international and intersectional approaches. American Psychological Association.

Look up this item in HOLLIS.

Question: What are your options for obtaining this chapter from the book?

Book Exercise #2

 Scenario 

You need to read four (4) chapters from the following book, in preparation for section meeting:

Bensadon, B. A. (2015). Psychology and geriatrics: Integrated care for an aging population. Elsevier/AP.

Look up this item in HOLLIS.

Question: What are your options for obtaining the chapters from the book?