Social Ecology SE 10 (Research Design) Guide for Library Resources

 

Librarian Dana Peterman

Langson Library 144

949.824.0607

dana.peterman@uci.edu

 

Efficient use of UCI Libraries

·         Ask a Librarian and in person at UCI Libraries’ reference desks.

·         Use ANTPAC and MELVYL to access holdings (i.e. what the library actually has)

·         Connect from Off-Campus for licensed resources, which require authentication. Contact NACS at 949-824-2222 to resolve connection problems

 

Hours for the Libraries and their services are located at http://www.lib.uci.edu/libraries/hours/index.php  

Contact information for Ask a Librarian and reference desks is located at http://www.lib.uci.edu/services/ask/ask.html

                       

Hints for a Successful Research Project

  1. Read the Research Project Handout carefully
  2. Everyone in a group must work and fulfill responsibilities
  3. Use Excel to enter data
  4. Before collecting any data, get the topic, methods, consent and debriefing approved by a TA
  5. Define the subtopic before conducting a literature search - consider synonyms that describe the topic or major themes
  6. Look specifically for empirical articles – in PsycINFO, restrict the search by scrolling down to "Methodology" and choosing "Empirical Study". Consult the Database Guide to PsycINFO for more help. Restrict the dates of publication
  7. Before writing a research proposal, find about 5-6 relevant articles to follow the proposed outline
  8. APA Style Guide to Electronic Resources, chapter 5 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association has been revised for online content - see http://apastyle.org/elecmedia.html to make sure citations are correct
  9. Follow the outline for the research proposal:

·              Title

·              Abstract - do not copy an abstract from an article; just use it as a model; sometimes it is best to write the abstract last so that it really describes the paper or study

·              Introduction

·              Methods - can be searched in PsycINFO under Methodology - Empirical or a specific kind of study; remember to identify the Independent and Dependent variables which may be explicitly stated or must be determined from the data

·              Results/Findings

·              References - follow the APA style contained in the PRINT Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (ANTPAC Record for Publication Manual)

·              Tables/Figures - can also be searched under supplemental data

 

Databases of greatest value to your assignments

Note: Be certain to read scholarly articles containing research content.  Restrict searches to journal literature, because some databases include and index dissertations, government information, books and book chapters.

 

PsycINFO  - behavior, development and psychology

 

Child Development & Adolescent Studies – focus on human development. This of this as a subfield of Psychology

 

ERIC – focus on Education. Education research is heavily influenced by Psychology. Some of the best studies in education have been conducted by researchers in Psychology.

 

Sociological Abstracts – a group approach to behavior.

 

Expanded Academic ASAP – a general database of information that covers a surprisingly large swath of academic disciplines

 

Pub Med – medical and biological basis.

 

Criminal Justice Abstracts

 

Business Source Premier

 

 

Overall considerations - make sure that you have an accompanying coding sheet when it is requested - review your textbook for ideas about how this is accomplished.  Use the UC eLinks in the databases to determine if UCI has a full text online copy of the articles - remember to cite the article and CITATION means:

            Author(s)

            Title of the article

            Source of the article

            Volume #, Issue #, date and pages

            If online source, provide the DOI - Digital Object Identifier

 

There are many other reference tools that will help inform you on these topics providing background information and some references, and they include:

·         CQ Researcher

·         International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences

·         APA dictionary of psychology in Langson Library Reference under call number  BF31 .V295 2006   

 

OOTHER HINTS:        

                 1.  If you need to print or copy articles at UCI Libraries, buy a copy card - available from machines throughout all libraries - when printing, save the item, then go to a network printer nearby to retrieve copy by using the key# you assigned it.  If you have a choice in printing the article, select option to print out the pdf using the printer icon instead of using the print option under "File"                

                 2.  For additional assignment assistance, contact the Liaison Librarian or use reference services via Ask a Librarian to sign up for a Research Consultation with a reference librarian at either the Langson or Science Library.

 

How to Find Tests/Scales, etc.:

To identify books on a Tests and Measurements topic, search ANTPAC, the UCI Libraries’ online catalog: http://antpac.lib.uci.edu. To find information on specific tests, see the “Mental Measurements Yearbook” section on page 3 in this reference guide.

REPRESENTATIVE SUBJECT HEADINGS

One way to look for materials in the UCI Libraries is to search by subject headings, which are the words or phrases used by the Library of Congress to describe the main topics of books. SOME examples include:

 

               Attitude (Psychology) – Testing                          Personality Tests

                    Psychological Tests

                    Psychology – Mathematical Models

               Educational Tests and Measurements             Psychometrics

               Item Response Theory                                         Reading – Ability Testing

               Intelligence Tests                                                  Visual Perception – Testing

 

Start in ANTPAC (http://antpac.lib.uci.edu) and choose a Subject Heading search. Then type in one of the subject headings above. When you’ve created a list of records, note not only titles and call numbers but also the locations (e.g. Langson Library or Science Library).  You will also find subject headings that are used by the medical community which are called MeSH. These are NOT listed above.

 

 

GENERAL RESOURCES – the representative list below shows some of the many call number areas where books on tests and measurements can be found in the UCI Libraries.            

 

Acculturation and Ethnic Identity Measures for Latinos and Asian Americans: Analyses of Methodology and Psychometrics .
Call Number: BF 698.9 C8 M34 2000a (Langson Library)

 

Assessment and Culture: Psychological Tests with Minority Populations

Call Number: WM 145 G659a 2002 (Science Library Bar)

 

Beginner’s Guide to the MMPI-2

Call Number: BF 698.8 M5 B86 1999 (Langson Library)

 

Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy

Call Number: LB 3051 L44 1999 (Langson Library)

 

Beyond the Big Test: Noncognitive Assessment in Higher Education

Call Number:  LB 2351.2 S43 2004 (Langson Library)

 

Children’s Psychological Testing: a Guide for Nonpsychologists

Call Number: BF 722 W63 1997 (Langson Library)

 

Comprehensive Handbook of Psychological Assessment. 4 volumes

Call Number: BF 176 C654 2004 (Langson Library)

 

Dictionary of Psychological Testing, Assessment and Treatment: Includes Key Terms in Statistics, Psychological Testing, Experimental Methods and Therapeutic Treatments

Call Number: BF 176 S78 1995 (Langson Library)

 

Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures

Call Number: BF 431 G625 (Langson Reference, previous vol. in Langson Bound Periodicals)

 

Educational Measurement, Issues and Practice [online journal, indexed by the ERIC database]

 

Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment. 2 volumes

Call Number: BF 176  E53 2003 (Science Reference)

 

Gender Roles: A Handbook of Tests and Measures

Call Number: HM 253 B43 1990 (Langson Reference)

 

Handbook of Family Measurement Techniques. 3 volumes

Call Number: HQ 728 H267 2001 (Langson Reference)

 

Handbook of Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological and Educational Applications

Call Number: BF 176 H36 2001 (Langson Library)

 

Handbook of Psychiatric Measures

Call Number: WM 34 A512 2000 (Science Reference and 1 disc at Science Library Interactive 

                                                                                                                                   Learning Center)

Index to Tests Used in Education Dissertations

Call Number: LB 3051  F3 1989 (Langson Reference)

 

Introduction to Test Construction in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: a Practical Guide

Call Number: BF 176 F57 2003 (Langson Library)

 

Measures for Clinical Practice: a Sourcebook. 2 volumes

Call Number: BF 176 C66 2000 (Langson Library)

 

Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes

Call Number: BF 698.4 M38 1991 (Langson Library)

 

MMPI, MMPI-2 and MMPI-A in Court: a Practical Guide for Expert Witnesses and Attorneys

Call Number: KF 8965 P66 2000 (Langson Library)

 

Multicultural Assessment in Counseling and Clinical Psychology

Call Number: WM 145 M961 1996 (Science Library Bar)

 

New Rules of Measurement: What Every Psychologist and Educator Should Know

Call Number: BF 39 N44 1999 (Langson Library)

 

Positive Psychological Assessment: a Handbook of Models and Measures

Call Number: BF 176 P67 2003 (Langson Library)

 

Testing and Standards: A Brief Encyclopedia

Call Number: LB 3051 W4966 2002 (Langson Library)

 

Title Index for the Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures. 7 volumes

Call Number: BF431 .G625 Index  (Langson Library Bound Periodicals)

 

Women and Women’s Issues: a Handbook of Tests and Measures

Call Number: HQ 1180 B43 (Langson Library)

 

MENTAL MEASUREMENTS YEARBOOK and RELATED PUBLICATIONS

 

Looking for a test of acculturation? Visual retention? Learning styles? A test that targets a specific population

(e.g. Latinos, Asian Americans, college students, females)?  A good place to start is a search of Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY), which is now available online to one user at a time as well as in paper format. MMY provides full-text descriptions and reviews, but not full-text of the tests themselves.

 

Mental measurements are not available in libraries the way books and journals have been purchased for many readers and researchers to use. In nearly all cases they were designed for licensed clinicians (psychologists, counselors, etc.) to administer and interpret. “Test collections” available at some libraries – UCI Libraries has no such collection – have many restrictions on who can use them, whether or not they can be photocopied, etc. There is no test collection in southern California that is open to students or researchers other than its own faculty, students, and staff.

 

For those planning a research project, MMY is a rich resource for identifying tests, reading descriptions and reviews of them, and examining the lists of references in the reviews.

 

            Mental measurements yearbook [electronic resource] / by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements – In

ANTPAC (http://antpac.lib.uci.edu) select a Title search (not Keyword) and type in Mental Measurements Yearbook Online. Click on the hot link to use this online resource. Only one user may search this at a time – logout as soon as you’re done to free MMY  for the next searcher.

 

For each test, the full record includes a full-text overview of the test, a description of the test materials and time needed, and one or more full-text reviews of the test.

 

Mental Measurements Yearbook 1938-2001

                Call Number: Z 5814 P8 B932  (Langson Reference)

                Online guide: http://www.unl.edu/buros/bimm/html/howtommy.html  

 

                The yearbooks provide descriptive information on commercially published tests available in

                English . The volumes include references to tests, test reviews, information on test availability,

                scoring, and validity. Indexing is by test, title, personal name, and general subject area.

 

Buros Center for Testing   http://www.unl.edu/buros/

 

Personality Tests and Reviews

Call Number: Z 5814 P8 B933 (Langson Library)

 

Tests in Print

Call Number: Z 5814 E9 T47 (Langson Reference)

The third edition – TIP III – is the master index to the first eight editions of Mental Measurements Yearbook (see above) and provides a list of available published tests. It includes references to tests through 1978 and a directory of commercial test publishers.

Online Guide: http://www.unl.edu/buros/bimm/html/howtotip.html           

 

Consumer’s Guide to Tests in Print

Call Number: LB 3060.32 N67 H36 1989 (Langson Library)

 

To identify a test that is too current to be included in Tests in Print or MMY, or sources like the ones listed above, you may have to search for information about them in journal articles. Articles about specific tests may be found in journals reporting research in psychology, education, sociology, and related fields. They will likely not include the entire text of the tests – only excerpts for illustrative purposes.

 

Search article databases such as:

              ERIC (Education)                                    PsycINFO (Psychology and related social sciences)                            BIOSIS (Biology) Social Sciences Citation Index (via Web of Science)

In each article database above, perform a keyword search with the name of the specific test. To get to these databases, start at the Libraries’ home page (http://www.lib.uci.edu), click on E-Resources Locator, then on Databases to get you started. 

 

DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

AND RELATED PUBLICATIONS

 

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the only comprehensive classification of all recognized psychiatric disorders. It is written by and for mental health professionals, faculty, and graduate students. It is not a self-help book for the lay person. The most current paper edition, DSM-IV-TR

(4th edition, Text Revision) is in the Reference collection in the Science Library and in the Grunigen Medical Library (at the UCI Medical Center). Call Number: WM 15 D536 2000.  It is also available online: in ANTPAC (http://antpac.lib.uci.edu) perform a Title search for   dsm   in Online/Internet Resources (instead of Entire Collection).  In the list of results, click on dsm and then follow the link to full-text.

 

There are dozens of publications related to the DSM (e.g. guides, casebooks). Identify them in ANTPAC (http://antpac.lib.uci.edu) by choosing a Keyword search and typing in: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

 

AUTHORITATIVE WEBSITES

 

American Psychological Association (APA): Finding Information About Psychological Tests

              http://www.apa.org/science/faq-findtests.html

 

Educational Testing Service: the world’s largest private educational testing and measurement and a leader

In educational research.     http://www.ets.org/

 

Association of Test Publishers      http://www.testpublishers.org/