With things changing regularly due to the evolving coronavirus situation, physical access to libraries resources and spaces may also continue to evolve. For the latest information on library changes, visit the guide below.
Book shelves are not currently available to library users. To check out a book, you will first need to sign in with your EID and password:
And then choose Pick It Up
Library staff will pull the item for you and notify you when it is ready to be picked up from the desk at PCL.
You may have noticed a slight change in the Library search this year. The new search work similarly to the old system, but you may notice a few differences. If you find yourself with questions about how to do something in the new system, check out our Search and FAQ guides linked below.
Subject headings allow you to search library catalogs for materials on a particular topic. Often subject heading searching can be more productive than searching by simple keywords. Listed here are some major subject headings of interest for educational psychology.
As you work toward completing your research projects, remember that the research process is NOT linear. It's usually more of a circular process and there may be many times where you jump back and forth between the stages of your research. While not everyone's research process will look exactly the same, the following model can give you a better idea of how the research process often works.
In order to search most effectively for articles that pertain to your research topic, take a little time at the beginning of your project to plan out your search strategy.
1. Break up your topic/research question into it's primary concepts
2. Brainstorm synonyms for your terms (see more in next tab)
3. Add quotation marks around exact phrases and be sure to include both singular and plural
4. Search one concept at a time using ORs to include all of your synonyms and then combine your searches with AND
1. Save time, prepare to research!
Sample Topic: |
Services for college students with disabilities |
||
Key Concepts |
services |
college students |
disabilities |
Related Keywords |
accommodations |
university |
disab* |
2. Combine keywords using AND and OR:
3. Brush up on the search tools available:
Interfaces and search options vary across databases, but best practices for searching are relatively consistent across interfaces. No matter which database you choose, remember these important tips...
1) Don't search wth your topic as a single phrase! Determine the key concepts of your topic. Then place each concept in its own search bar. For example...
2) Use ORs to string together synonyms or related terms for core concepts...
3) Use truncation, when appropriate. Adding an * to the end of a word will catch all forms of that word. For example, teach* will return teach, teachers, teaching, etc.
4) Use proximity searches to force a relationship between two terms. This isn't always needed, but is sometimes super helpful. Completion is a common word that may come up in many context. The search below means that the word complete or completion must appear within two words of college in the article title and abstracts.
5) Look for the "peer reviewed" limit in each database. You can set this limit on the main search screen (before you search) or narrow your results after you've started your search.
6) Set date limits as appropriate for your topic..
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