Armacost Library: PSYC300: Research Methods: Research Process

Research Process

Research doesn't happen in a straight line from start (assignment prompt) to finish (polished paper/presentation).
Research includes finding background information to help you shape your ideas.
Research incorporates analyses from journalists and scholars, whose ideas help you reframe and revise your research questions.
Research includes making evaluative decisions about which and whose perspectives to incorporate into your own scholarship.

Information Need	Sources to Consult	Specific Examples
Overview of Topic	Encyclopedias Annual overviews	Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science Annual review of psychology
Definitions	Dictionaries Handbooks	APA college dict. of psychology The Oxford handbook of cognitive psychology
Primary Sources (first hand or contemporary accounts)	Books Digital Archives Magazines/Newspapers Videos	Search the library catalog B.F.Skinner Foundation Counseling and Therapy in Videos
Secondary Sources (comprehensive and/or detailed analyses)	Journal articles Books Some magazines	Search PsycInfo or PsycArticles Search the library catalog with specific subjects.
How to write a report	Books Website	Your psychology project : the essential guide Brief Guide (Harvard)