Academic Database

Reference List Search

Google Scholar

Citation Search

Expert Consultation Search Strategy

Goals of a Literature Search

Reviewing the Research Literature

Non-Scholarly Sources

Consulting Faculty for Research Literature

Professional Journals

Scholarly Books

Purpose of the Literature Review

PsycINFO

Which of the following sources is typically included as part of the research literature in psychology?

Match each type of information source with the description that correctly identifies its role and classification within the psychological research literature.

A student researching memory disorders finds a summary of a new experiment on a popular science news website and a full report of the same experiment in a peer-reviewed professional journal. True or False: In the field of psychology, both of these publications are classified as research literature.

A student is filtering search results to build a foundation for a new study. Based on the criteria for inclusion in the psychology research literature, arrange these sources from the most central and rigorously vetted (1) to those most explicitly excluded from the field's professional literature (4).

In a scientific field, sources intended for the general public, such as self-help books and websites, are classified as part of the professional research literature.

Why are sources like self-help books, dictionary entries, and public websites excluded from the formal 'research literature' of psychology, even if they describe actual psychological findings?

A researcher is vetting sources for a professional meta-analysis and decides to reject a factually accurate summary from a reputable news organization. To justify this evaluation, the researcher must identify that the source lacks _____, which is the defining requirement for inclusion in the formal research literature.

An undergraduate student is compiling sources for a literature review on cognitive development. Match each potential source with the correct classification decision based on the definition of research literature.

A research assistant analyzes why a chapter in a handbook of personality psychology is included in their literature database while a personality definition in an online dictionary is excluded. They conclude that the key analytical distinction is that the dictionary entry is intended for the general public and lacks the _____ required of formal scholarly sources.

A student is evaluating sources to build the scientific foundation for their research proposal. Order these potential sources from the highest evaluative suitability (the most central and vetted form of research literature) to the lowest (excluded from the formal research literature due to lack of peer review).