Warning! Avoid using the Web for scientific research.
Public websites are RARELY the place to find literature for research papers in
psychology or other sciences! They can have innaccurate, misleading, or biased information, and are usually not
peer-reviewed (click here
for some exceptions). Most of the information you need will be found in
the library or through on-line databases accessible only through your college's library webpage. Here are some
examples of when public websites are NOT the best place to begin looking for information:
- To find books for a research paper you are writing - use the on-line library catalog
CONSORT instead.
- To locate primary or secondary scholarly literature - use a database like PsychINFO instead.
- To find popular magazine articles - use a database like Periodical Abstracts instead.
- To locate the full text of copyrighted materials- try the Electronic Journal Center instead.
However, there are some exceptions. Use the Web...
- To get preliminary ideas about research topics. (e.g., the American Psychological
Association website at www.apa.org)
- To learn more about companies, universities, government agencies, non-profit groups,
funding agencies, museums, and other organizations. (e.g., the National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov)
- To learn about graduate school, graduate programs, or career information. (e.g.,
this site about graduate school preparation, www.geocities.com/heartland/flats/5353/classes/graduatestudy.html)
- To learn more about specific researchers or other prominent people. (e.g., a researcher
in social neuroscience at the University of Chicago, http://socialpsy.uchicago.edu/cacioppo.htm)
- To locate information about ongoing research, national statistics, or factual
information about psychology. (e.g., National Institute of Menatl Health, www.nimh.nih.gov)
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