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PSY 101 - Desert Vista: Find Articles

Magazine, Newspaper, and Journal Article Databases

Use the following online databases to find both popular and peer-reviewed articles.  Remember, each database allows you to refine your search by type of publication, email the article, and get the APA citation.

Remember to use keywords or synonyms associated with your topic. 

Keyword Searching

State Your Topic as a Question:

  • For example, if you are interested in finding a definition of cognitive psychology , phrase your question: "How is cognitive psychology defined? " Identify the keywords in your question. Here they are "cognitive psychology".

​​Too Much Information? 

  • If you are finding too many sources, narrow your topic by using the "and" operator.

For example: cognitive and psychology.

Too Little Information?

  • You may need to broaden your topic or perhaps select a different one. Broaden your topic by linking similar words with the "or" operator.

Special Search Strategy

Truncation: *

  • The asterisk * is a common symbol used to represent any number of letters at the ends of words

  • Helps find singulars, plurals, and variant endings of words

  • Example: docu* finds documents, document, documentation, documented

Limiters:

  • Most databases let you limit search results. Some limiters include:

    • Language  

    • Publication type..such as Peer-Reviewed or Scholarly Journals.

    • Date of Publication

​Phrases: " "

  • Enclose phrases in quotation marks when searching the Web or most databases

  • Phrase searching in individual databases may vary. 

  • Example: "evolutionary psychology"