Electronic databases are the principal tools used to search the scientific literature. These computer systems provide a searchable interface for massive collections of academic works—including professional journals and scholarly books—allowing researchers to locate relevant publications across various disciplines by entering specific search terms.

Academic Database

A reference list search is a technique for finding relevant research literature by examining the bibliography of a good article or book chapter on the topic, such as a recent review article. By reviewing the sources cited by that work, researchers can easily discover other pertinent articles and books.

Reference List Search

Google Scholar is a specialized internet search engine that is particularly useful for conducting general web searches to find scientific research literature. Entering topic-related search terms or a specific researcher's name can lead directly to scholarly works, such as articles in open-access journals or publications hosted on researchers' personal websites.

Google Scholar

A citation search is a method of navigating the research literature by locating the database record for a classic, foundational article on a topic, and then linking to a list of newer works that have cited it. This technique is effective because subsequent researchers investigating the same topic are highly likely to reference the original classic article in their own publications.

Citation Search

Consulting knowledgeable individuals, such as instructors or university faculty members, is an effective strategy for searching the research literature. These subject matter experts are familiar with previous research in their area of expertise and can suggest relevant articles, book chapters, and specific topics to help novice researchers find inspiration and locate scholarly sources.

Expert Consultation Search Strategy

When conducting a literature review, researchers should strategically select sources that fulfill four primary objectives: refining the research question, identifying suitable research methods, contextualizing the current study within previous findings, and providing guidance for writing an effective research report.

Goals of a Literature Search

Reviewing the research literature involves finding, reading, and summarizing published research relevant to a specific topic of interest. Conducting this review early in the research process is crucial because it helps researchers determine if their question has already been answered, evaluate the interestingness of the question, generate ideas for study design, and understand how their own work will fit into the existing scientific dialogue.

Reviewing the Research Literature

Sources such as self-help books, pop psychology publications, dictionary and encyclopedia entries, and general websites are excluded from the scientific research literature. These materials are intended mainly for the general public and are considered unreliable for academic purposes because they do not undergo peer review and are frequently based on personal experience or common sense rather than rigorous empirical data.

Non-Scholarly Sources

Another strategy for locating research literature is to consult with knowledgeable individuals, such as instructors or psychology faculty members. These experts can draw upon their familiarity with the field to suggest relevant articles, book chapters, and foundational works related to a specific research topic.

Consulting Faculty for Research Literature

Professional journals are periodicals that publish original research articles, typically issued on a monthly or quarterly basis in volumes. As a primary component of the research literature, they undergo a rigorous peer review process to ensure quality and primarily feature empirical research reports and review articles.

Professional Journals

Scholarly books are a core component of the research literature, written by researchers and practitioners primarily for use by their peers. Similar to professional journals, these books typically undergo a rigorous peer review process to ensure their quality and contribute significantly to scientific discourse.

Scholarly Books

Conducting a comprehensive review of existing research literature is a crucial early step in the scientific process. This review serves several key purposes: it helps researchers refine their specific research questions, identifies the most appropriate methodologies for their study, places the new investigation within the broader context of previous findings, and provides the necessary background to write a compelling research report.

Purpose of the Literature Review

PsycINFO is a comprehensive electronic database created by the American Psychological Association (APA). Because it indexes thousands of professional journals and scholarly books dating back over a century, its scope is essentially equivalent to the entire body of research literature in psychology, making it the most critical database for psychological research.

PsycINFO

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

The research literature in any given scientific field consists of all the published research in that area. It primarily includes articles in professional journals and scholarly books, while excluding sources intended for the general public, such as self-help books, dictionary entries, and websites, which lack rigorous peer review.

Google

Literature most broadly is all written work in addition to “oral literature”. 

Literature

Previous research is the most common inspiration for new research ideas. Because science is a collaborative process, researchers constantly read, evaluate, and build upon each other's work. Novice researchers can find inspiration by consulting experienced researchers or by reading titles and abstracts in professional psychology journals.

Previous Research as Research Inspiration

Psychological research focuses on understanding behavior, as well as the cognitive (mind) and physiological (body) processes that underlie behavior. Psychologists use scientific methods to acquire knowledge.

Psychological Research

https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/

KPU Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition

Add reference nodes for Literature as children here.

Literature References

A type of communication that usually describes categories of art or entertainment based on agreed-upon conventions.


*Works can fit into multiple genres 

Genre

Critical Practices in Literature 

An ancient human tradition found everywhere in the world. The earliest poetry is believed to have been recited or sung as a way of remembering history, genealogy, and law.

Oral Literature/ Oral Tradition 

Around the 4th millennium BC, the complexity of trade and administration in Mesopotamia allowed writing to become a dependable method of recording transactions. Although, in both ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica, "writing may have already emerged because of the need to record historical and environmental events." 

The History of Writing

Types of Literature

Research Literature

What is considered the most common source of inspiration for new research ideas in psychology?

To navigate the vast amount of available information, it is essential to adopt a stance of healthy skepticism and think critically. When encountering a claim, one should evaluate it from multiple perspectives by asking key questions: What is the expertise of the person making the claim? What might they gain if the claim is valid? Is the claim justified by the available evidence? And what do other researchers think of the claim?

Evaluating Research Critically

Notable researchers in psychology include:

- Margaret Floy Washburn
- Mary Whiton Calkins 
- Francis Sumner
- Inez Beverly Prosser
- Horatio Pinero
- Gunamudian David Boaz and Narendra Nath Sen Gupta

Notable Researchers in Psychology

Ethical standards in research are dynamic and evolve over time, meaning practices once considered acceptable may now be viewed as unethical. Contemporary researchers are required to follow established ethical guidelines, particularly when studies involve human participants, to ensure their work respects human dignity and safety. This involves integrating ethical considerations into the core design and implementation of their research.

Ethics in Psychological Research

Several areas of psychology incorporate interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, or cross-disciplinary approaches. For example:
- Consciousness
- Motivation
- Emotion

Cross-Disciplinary Research Topics in Psychology

Upon completing a research project, psychologists disseminate their findings to the broader scientific community by publishing articles in journals or presenting them at research conferences. Sharing this data is a critical step, as it enables other researchers to replicate the experiments or build upon the original results, thereby advancing the collective understanding of the field.

Research Dissemination in Psychology

Scientific research provides objective, evidence-based findings that are crucial for informing effective public policies. By relying on systematic inquiry rather than anecdote or opinion, policymakers can make more informed decisions that address societal issues. This evidence-based approach is essential for responsibly managing public resources, such as taxpayer funds, by ensuring that funded programs and initiatives are genuinely effective.

Role of Scientific Research in Guiding Public Policy

Beyond its role in shaping public policy, scientific research is a valuable tool for individuals making significant decisions in their personal lives. When faced with important choices, such as those concerning family health and well-being, consulting research allows people to move beyond anecdotal evidence and personal biases to make more informed judgments.

Importance of Scientific Research in Personal Decision-Making

Scientific research offers a systematic way to understand the world, serving as a crucial alternative to relying on intuition, authority, or luck. It enables us to challenge our assumptions and superstitions with objective evidence. History provides numerous examples of widely held beliefs that were proven false through scientific inquiry, such as the geocentric model of the solar system, the immobility of continents, and the idea that demonic possession caused mental illness, a misconception sometimes historically treated by boring a large hole through the skull.

Scientific Research as a Tool to Overcome Misconceptions

To understand, describe, and explain behavior and its underlying cognitive and biological processes, psychologists utilize a diverse range of research methods. These approaches span a spectrum from passive observational techniques to interactive methods involving direct engagement with study participants. The interactive methods themselves vary in complexity, from straightforward questioning in surveys and in-depth interviews to rigorously controlled experiments.

Research Methods in Psychology

A researcher wants to investigate the common belief that 'venting' anger by yelling or hitting a pillow is an effective way to reduce aggressive feelings. The researcher designs a study where one group of participants is provoked and then hits a punching bag, while a second provoked group sits quietly for the same amount of time. Afterward, the researcher measures the aggressive feelings of participants in both groups. Which of the following statements best analyzes why this approach is a form of psychological research?

The scientific study of the mind is fundamentally limited because thoughts and subjective experiences, unlike matter or energy, are not directly measurable. This core constraint means our scientific understanding of the mind is necessarily incomplete. This challenge is further illustrated by the fact that observable behaviors can arise from multiple unobservable mental states, forcing psychologists to infer internal processes rather than observing them directly.

Scientific Limitations in Studying the Mind

Psychological research provides a systematic method for addressing complex and often contentious questions, such as the societal impact of technology. By seeking answers based on verifiable evidence rather than personal opinions, this scientific approach helps in navigating issues where public views are frequently strong and contradictory.

Role of Psychological Research in Navigating Contentious Issues

Experimental psychologists are researchers who investigate human behavior and mental processes to advance scientific knowledge. They typically hold doctoral or master's degrees and work primarily as college and university faculty, where they balance research with teaching. While some are licensed clinicians, the majority specialize in non-clinical subfields like cognitive, developmental, or social psychology. They are driven by the intellectual challenges of research and the satisfaction of contributing to our understanding of human behavior.

Experimental Psychologist

While the majority of contemporary psychological research relies on human participants, a significant minority involves nonhuman animal subjects. This practice is especially prevalent in fields such as the study of learning and conditioning, behavioral neuroscience, and the development of surgical or drug therapies for psychological disorders.

Nonhuman Animal Subjects in Research

Scientific psychology blogs provide an accessible and engaging platform for summarizing and commenting on current research findings. Prominent examples include Research Digest, Talk Psych, Brain Blogger, Mind Hacks, and PsyBlog. These blogs offer students and the general public a fun way to follow new developments in psychological science and understand how research is applied to everyday life.

Scientific Psychology Blogs

The clinical practice of psychology involves the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and related behavioral problems. This broad applied discipline encompasses professionals like clinical and counseling psychologists who help individuals and communities function better. A rigorous scientific approach is essential in clinical practice, as clinicians must rely on empirical research to accurately understand psychological problems and make evidence-based treatment decisions.

Clinical Practice of Psychology

Basic research in psychology is scientific inquiry conducted primarily for the sake of achieving a more detailed and accurate understanding of human behavior and natural phenomena. It focuses on expanding foundational knowledge and answering theoretical questions without necessarily attempting to address or solve any particular practical problem.

Basic Research

Applied research is scientific inquiry conducted primarily to address and resolve specific, practical problems. Unlike basic research, which focuses on general understanding, applied research applies scientific methods directly toward real-world issues, such as public safety concerns, to develop actionable solutions and interventions.

Applied Research

In psychological research, a participant is an individual being studied. As the term suggests, participants are not passive subjects but are actively involved in the research process.

Psychological Research Participant

The scientific process in psychology operates as a continuous, cyclical model. It begins when a researcher formulates a question based on existing research literature. This question then guides an empirical study, the findings of which are subsequently published. Once published, these results are incorporated back into the research literature, serving as the foundation for new research questions and continuing the cycle.

Cyclical Model of Psychological Research

In psychological research, a variable is any characteristic or factor that can differ or change across different individuals, situations, or over time. Variables can be broadly classified into two main types: quantitative variables, which involve numerical measurements (such as age or height), and categorical variables, which represent distinct groupings or categories (such as academic major or geographic location).

Variables in Psychological Research

A research sample is a relatively small subset of individuals selected from a larger population to participate in a psychological study. Researchers use various techniques to recruit this subset, ranging from convenience sampling, which relies on readily available participants, to simple random sampling, which ensures every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Research Sample

Experimental research is a method that involves a tremendous amount of control over variables of interest. It utilizes randomized assignment of participants to conditions and systematic manipulation of an independent variable to observe its effects on a measured dependent variable, with the objective of drawing causal inferences.

Experimental Research

Non-experimental research is a broad category of research methodologies defined by the lack of manipulation of an independent variable. Instead of controlling factors, researchers simply measure variables as they naturally occur in real-world or laboratory settings. Although experimental research can provide strong evidence that changes in an independent variable cause differences in a dependent variable, non-experimental research generally cannot. Despite this inability to draw causal conclusions, non-experimental research is still considered extremely important and is utilized in cases where experimental research cannot be carried out.

Non-Experimental Research

Descriptive statistics are a set of quantitative techniques used to summarize, organize, and visually display the data collected from a research sample. Important examples include measures of central tendency (such as the mean, median, and mode), which describe average scores, and measures of dispersion (such as the range, standard deviation, and variance), which indicate how spread apart the scores are.

Descriptive Statistics

Inferential statistics are a set of mathematical techniques used by researchers to determine whether a statistical result or relationship observed in a study's sample reflects something that is genuinely true of the broader population.

Inferential Statistics

The hypothetico-deductive method is a fundamental framework used by psychologists and other scientists to structure their research. In this cyclical process, researchers construct or utilize existing theories to interpret phenomena, derive specific hypotheses from those theories, conduct empirical tests, and ultimately reevaluate the original theories based on the new results.

The Hypothetico-Deductive Method

A field study is a type of research conducted in a real-world, natural environment rather than an artificial laboratory. Because they take place in natural settings, field studies often exhibit higher external validity, allowing researchers to more effectively generalize their findings to the real world.

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