SEARCHING PsycINFO at FEINBERG LIBRARY

PsycINFO is the major international database for psychology and related fields.  It indexes and abstracts journal articles, book chapter, dissertations and a variety of other published materials in many languages.

The Advanced Search Screen:

  Enter your search terms where the arrow indicates.  Use only the first box under the Enter Search Terms arrow. Add additional terms to narrow your search in the two search boxes beneath the first.  Add additional terms (synonyms) across to broaden your search (eating disorders or bulimia or anorexia).
Choose the field you want to search by.  Anywhere searches all fields.  Choose Title field for more specific results or Descriptors field for database specific subject terms.  Change fields by clicking on the drop down menu.
Check which database you are searching in the area labeled Now Selected.  Change to another database by choosing the Select Specific Databases link.

Choose limits further down the screen by selecting limits from drop down menus.
Choose publication date, language, population, age, target audience if desired
Choose how your results will display--short format [recommended], full or full (omit references)
Choose the number of records to dsiplay per page [10 is recommended]

Return to the top of the form and choose the Search button. Choose the Clear button if you wish to start over.

SEARCH RESULTS FROM PsycINFO at FEINBERG LIBRARY

The Search Results Screen:  

  Check the number of search results you got.  If there are too many records [more than 40] in  your results list, add another search terms, look at descriptors displayed when you choose View Record for the link to the dtailed record and use one or more descriptors as search terms.  Remember to limit your search to English.  Choose Edit Search tab to make changes.

Choose Publication Types by selecting the appropriate tab.  In the example, Peer-Reviewed Journals is selected.

Choose the URL and/or SFX icon to see if full-text of the article is available directly from the search results screen.  If not, go to the Library Home page  and choose Journals AtoZ, under Electronic Periodicals to search for alternative access to online full-text using the journal title.  In the example, the journal title is Clinical Social Work Journal.  Note:  some links will take you to a pay to view screen.  If the article is not available through online via Feinberg, choose the Request on InterLibrary Loan link next to the SFX icon.

Look through your search results and mark them by clicking on the box by each citation.  You may then Save/Print/Email the records you mark.

QUESTIONS ABOUT USING PsycINFO?  Ask a Librarian!  Come to the Reference Desk and we’ll walk you through a search or call 564-5190 or click on the Ask A Librarian link here or on the Library Home page to work with a librarian online in a chat session.

CAH 1/05, updated 9/05