PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS and PsycINFO: Search Guide

This guide will show you how to perform a basic search in the core psychology databases.

For more advanced features, check out the "Help" screens in CSA.

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1. Go to Library Home

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2. Click on 'SearchSMART':

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3. Select 'CSA' underneath 'Select specific databases':

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4. You may be prompted for your student number and password (e.rolment pin or Library barcode). 

Enter in these details and click ‘Login’:

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5. You will be taken to the CSA interface – tick the boxes beside the databases you wish to search, and then click 'Continue to Search':

Note: In the above example, all three databases have been selected. You can also opt to search the databases separately.

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6. This will take you to the search screen for PsycBOOKS, PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO.

This is where you can enter in your keywords (e.g. "drug use" and teenagers) and apply any limits (.e. date range, 2003-2008):



Note: This search will return all the records held in PsycBOOKS, PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO which contain the phrase drug use and the word teenagers and were published between 2003 and 2008.

Note: The keywords you choose will be dependent on your assignment topic. Make sure you try alternate keywords and combinations of keywords, e.g. drugs AND teens; "drug use" AND adolescents.

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7. Click the 'Search' button.

The results screen will display a list of database records. For more information about a particular resource, click on 'View Record' beneath the citation.

Note: Sometimes your search may return hundreds - or even thousands - of database records. There are a number of ways you can reduce the number of results in the results list:

• Select a specific type of resource by clicking on one of the tabs above the  search results, e.g. Peer-Reviewed Journals.
• Re-sort the search results by relevance - select 'Sort by: Relevance Rank'. (This won't reduce the number of results in the results list, but it will bring the most relevant ones to the top.)
• Repeat your search, adding another keyword or applying more limits to your search - scroll to the bottom of the search results screen and enter in these details.

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8.  Only some of the resources will be available in full-text via PsycARTICLES,  PsycBOOKs, and PsycINFO.

If the resource is available in full-text, there will be a link to the full-text below the citation:

Example:


If the resource isn't available in full-text via PsycBOOKs, PsycARTICLES or PsycINFO, there won't be a full-text link below the citation:

Example:


Click on the ArticleLinker icon to see if the resource is available through another database or in print.

For more information on Article Linker, check out Using ArticleLinker to locate full text articles.