Reference Sources
While primary sources and scholarly articles will be the main focus of your research in this course, don't leave out the value of reference sources. These include items like encyclopedias and subject dictionaries that can provide basic definitions to key terms, and provide "who/what/where/when/why" style answers to a research topic.
Additionally, literature reviews can be tremendously helpful in providing context for your research topic and give you clear starting places for articles and scholars to search for. Because they discuss the articles and books published about a topic, they can offer a 10,000 foot view of which scholars are talking about which topics in scholarly literature (articles, books, etc.).
As you begin your research assignments for this class and any other research-intensive courses, before diving right into scholarly articles and/or primary research, consider searching for reference sources first to provide a more focused approach to your research.
Example Reference Sources
- Annual Review publications
- Annual Reviews provides literature reviews that capture current understandings of topics, including what is well-supported and what is controversial. These articles also set the topic in historical context, highlight the direction of future research, and outline the general significance of the research to society. Subjects are wide-ranging from the science to law to social sciences to politics.
- Example: Annual Review of Psychology
- Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, etc.
A Dictionary of Psychology by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 0199657688Publication Date: 2015Including more than 11,000 definitions, this authoritative and up-to-date dictionary covers all branches of psychology.
Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology by Call Number: Boatwright Library - Level B2 - BF636 .E52 2004ISBN: 0126574103Publication Date: 2004Topics in this work include aging (geropsychology), assessment, clinical, cognitive, community, counseling, educational, environmental, family, industrial/organizational, health, school, sports, and transportation psychology.
International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780080970875Publication Date: 2015Provides authoritative, foundational, interdisciplinary knowledge across the wide range of behavioral and social sciences fields, discussing history, current trends and future directions.
Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 1441904255Publication Date: 2011This work will survey the entire range of thinking in psychology, from ancient times to the present, encompassing philosophies and theories of mind that pre-date our modern conception of psychology as a science, and extending to the current findings of neuroscience. It will set the theories into their historical context and cross-reference key influences, such as Darwin's on Freud. Fifteen hundred entries will comprise key figures, theoretical concepts, false theories, historical events, and seminal writings.
Very Short Introductions
VSI offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects, written by experts in the field.
*Note: Only five simultaneous users may access these works, so if you run into issues accessing these works, wait about an hour and try again, or contact Kyle Jenkins (kyle.jenkins@richmond.edu).
Psychology: A Very Short Introduction (2nd Edition) by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 0191779830Publication Date: 2014Psychology: A Very Short Introduction explores some of psychology's leading ideas and their practical relevance by looking at normal and abnormal behaviour, perception, attention, memory, and intelligence.
Design: A Very Short Introduction by Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9786611970352Publication Date: 2005Design: A Very Short Introduction transforms the way we think about design. How does design affect our everyday activities? Do we appreciate its place in our daily lives? Simple objects, such as a spoon, can have their design modified to meet the needs of specific cultural behaviour.
