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PSY 400 Empirical Research Methods

Guide to Psychology 400

Welcome to the PSY 400 guide.  This guide will help you with empirical research methods and information evaluation. You are now becoming part of the "scholarly conversation."

Below you will find help with overview and background materials on research methods and how to use them in psychology.    These are encyclopedias, textbooks, and books.   On other pages you will find databases with research articles on specific topics.  And further on in this guide you will find guides and help in database searching, creating your research question, citations, and how to get personalized help from the librarians.

Research Tip: Keep an Open Mind.

While you explore and evaluate scholarly sources, it's important to remember that the research process is iterative. The topic you start with will most likely change as you read the literature, learn more, and hone in on the topic area on which you will focus.


Starting your research process

mind map of personality and personality theoryFinding Topics and Overviews

  • Encyclopedias are a great place to find authoritative overviews of key theories and explore possible research topics.
     
  • Note any key terms, names, dates, etc., and check the bibliographies at the end of the articles for useful sources.
  • Take a look at the books below for background materials and overview information
  • To find articles on a specific research topic, go to the databases and journals tab to find academic articles