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Psychology

This guide is designed to assist students enrolled in general psychology courses find college-level resources required for their assignments.

Scholarly Articles

The library provides access to several databases; the databases listed below are an excellent starting point for psychology assignments.

Google Scholar provides better access to scholarly resources than a general Google search.

Google Scholar Search

Access SWIC library articles by linking your account in Google Scholar.

  1. Go to: scholar.google.com
  2. Click the menu icon on the top left of the webpage
  3. Click on Settings
  4. Click on Library links
  5. Type Southwestern Illinois College in the search box
  6. Click to select the box Southwestern Illinois College Library - View It @ SWIC Library
  7. Click the blue Save button

Sections of a Scholarly Journal Article

Click on the image below to review different parts of a scholarly article.

Steps to Reading a Journal Article

Journal articles should rarely be read from beginning to end. When doing research, it is typically best to start with the Abstract of the article, then directly proceed to the Discussion section. The combination of the Abstract and the Discussion sections should provide the reader with enough information to determine if the article is suitable for their research assignment. It is suggested to approach reading journal articles in the following order: 

  1. Abstract - A brief summary of the article. (This can help you determine if the article meets your research needs. If you determine the article is not relative to your assignment, stop reading and find a different article that is better suited to your research requirements.)
  2. Discussion/Conclusion - A discussion of the findings of the study; includes an interpretation of the results, how the study was carried out, strengths/weaknesses, how the findings fit within the context of the field of study, and suggestions for potential research. (After reading this section, you should be able fully determine if the article is appropriate for your assignment needs. If you determine the article is not useful, stop reading, return to your results list and choose another article. If the article fits your needs, continue to read/skim the rest of the article.
  3. Introduction - Background information on the topic. Includes previous research, identifies gap(s) in research and introduces the purpose of the study. (If you are familiar with the topic, this section may be repetitive, so skim rather than read. If you are beginning your research on this topic, this is a good section to read thoroughly in order to gain a better understanding of the topic.)
  4. Methods - A detailed account of how the study was carried out, providing the precise details should another researcher want to repeat the study. (You can skim this section to clarify any information found within the Discussion section.)
  5. Results - Statistical findings at the conclusion of the study, indicates if the findings were significant. (Complicated statistical information, which can be used to clarify findings and discussion. Often difficult to understand.)
  6. References - Citation information on research used within the article. (A good way to find additional articles related to your topic.)