PSYC 280 - Redker
Finding Journal Articles
To find journal articles on a particular topic, use any of the databases available on the FLITE Web site. These databases provide access to thousands of journals and the articles published in them.
For psychology topics, these databases are probably your best bets:
PsycINFO and PsycArticles - PsycINFO is the most comprehensive database for psychology and associated fields. Selected full-text is available via PsycArticles, which you automatically search at the same time.
Psychology (Sage Full-Text) - Psychology (Sage Full-Text) contains the full-text of more than 44,000 articles from 34 peer-reviewed journals.
Suggestions to help you search:
Combine key nouns/short phrases of your search with AND or OR.
Example: Instead of searching ROMANTIC DATING try searching ROMANCE AND DATING.Come up with synonyms.
Example: If you can't find anything for dating, try human courtship.Need peer-reviewed journal articles? Use PsycINFO's Advanced Search screen. Type Peer Reviewed Journal into a search box, and change the drop-down menu for its row to Publication Type, PT=. Now add the rest of your search, and away you go!
Spelling! Remember that computers are picky about it. A single misspelled word can mean the difference between great results and no results at all.
Need to check your spelling?Ask for help.
All the librarians in FLITE were hired to make your life easier. We can't do that unless you bring us your questions.
Finding articles when there's no Full-Text link
The Find-It or SFX links will tell you if FLITE has access to an article, and link you to the article if we do.
Click here for a video tutorial on how to use Find-It links.
Finding a specific article
If you know a specific article that you want, but aren't sure what database it might be in, you can use the Citation Linker on the Journals tab of the FLITE homepage.
Click here for a video tutorial on locating and using the Citation Linker.
Finding Journal Articles in Print
To find books or print journals, search the library catalog (search box on Catalog tab of center box on FLITE home). If you want your results to show only journals--not books or dvds or anything else--use the link that says FSU Periodicals in the gray box labeled Location. You will have to scroll down on the results page to see this box.
FLITE's print journals from the past 10 years are on the second floor, and are alphabetized by title.
For journals more than 10 years old, you'll need to check the lower level (below the first floor).
There are photocopiers in FLITE if you wish to make copies of articles you need for your classes.
What To Do If FLITE Doesn't Own the Article You Need
If you're looking for an article FLITE doesn't own, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan. We'll e-mail or text you when it comes in, usually within a week of your ordering it.
Note: An item requested via interlibrary loan could possibly take up to 20 days to get here. Plan ahead if you think you might need this service!
Formatting Your Citations (Refbase)
If you're ok formatting your citations by hand but aren't quite sure how APA style wants things formatted, check out FLITE's Guide to APA Citation Style.
If you need APA-style citations but don't want to have to worry about where to put every period and what does (or doesn't!) need to be italicized, Refbase is the tool for you. If you haven't used it before, you will need to create an account. (There's a link just below the login button.)
To learn how to get citation information out of the database you're in and into Refbase with the least possible effort, check out these directions.
To learn how to get your formatted citations out of Refbase for use in your paper, check out this video tutorial.
Contact: Emily Mitchell / Email / Phone: 231-591-3730 / Office: FLITE 140F
Don't forget, you are welcome to come to the Oval Information Desk and ask for help any time. You can also call us 231-591-3602, chat with us, or sign up for a one-on-one appointment.
Last update: February 11, 2011