Library Tutorial for Psychology

Last update: 16 February 2007,
by Maureen Bell

Section 5. Interpreting catalogue results - journals

Once you've successfully found the item you're looking for listed in the catalogue, you need to know how to interpret the results of your search. Below is the result of a search for the journal Psychological Bulletin. The search retrieved multiple records, so to see more detail we need to choose a single record. You can do this either by clicking on the number to the left of the screen, or by clicking on the Full Title hyperlink.

Hard copy (print) journals

If you clicked on the first record you would go to a screen which displayed the following information about our print copy of this journal.

Title: Psychological bulletin.

Published: Washington [etc.] American Psychological Association [etc.]

Description: v. 23-25 cm.

Abbreviated Title: Psychol. bull.

Other Author(s): American Psychological Association.
American Psychological Association. Publication manual.

Summary: Issues for 1904-38 contain the literature section of the Psychological reviews publications.
Vol. 49, no. 4, pt. 2 (July 1952) is the association’s Publication manual.

Subject Heading(s): Psychology Periodicals.

ISSN: 0033-2909

Location: Barr Smith Main Collection
Call Number: 150.5 P97 Copy 1

Notes: Recent issues shelved in Current journals.
Vol. 1 (1904)-v. 36 (1939) in Joint Store J47086-47121

Library Has: v. 1, no. 1 - v. 128, no. 6 (1904:Jan. - 2002:Nov.)
v. 129, no. 1 - v. 130, no. 6 (2003:Jan. - 2004:Nov.)

Recent Issues: v. 132, no. 6 (2006 Nov.)
v. 132, no. 5 (2006 Sept.)
v. 132, no. 4 (2006 July)
v. 132, no. 3 (2006 May)
v. 132, no. 2 (2006 Mar.)
v. 132, no. 1 (2006 Jan.)
v. 131, no. 6 (2005 Nov.)
v. 131, no. 5 (2005 Sept.)
v. 131, no. 4 (2005 July)
v. 131, no. 3 (2005 May)
v. 131, no. 2 (2005 Mar.)
v. 131, no. 1 (2005 Jan.)
Status: Not on loan

Location: Joint Store (URRSA)
Call Number: J47086-47121
Library Has: Vol. 1(1904)-v. 36(1939)
Status: Not on loan

Questions - hard copy (print) journals

1. What is the year and volume number of the earliest volume of Psychological Bulletin held by the Library?

2. What is the call number for the journal?

3. Name the three locations in which the volumes of the journal are shelved.

4. What is the volume number and date of the earliest volume stored in the Barr Smith Main collection?

5. Where would you look for the volumes you need for the references below

A. Weeden J., and Sabini J. (2005) Physical attractiveness and health in Western societies: a review. Psychological Bulletin. 131(5): 635-53

B. Gosling S. D. (2001) From mice to men: what can we learn about personality from animal research? Psychological Bulletin. 127(1): 45-86.

ANSWERS

To find this information you need to check the sections labelled

Location,
Call Number
Notes
Library Has
Recent Issues

You will also need to check Status, to see if any volumes are on loan. Older volumes of most journals are kept at the Joint Store (URRSA) which is at Flinders University Campus. Check the Library's A-Z for details of the Joint Store location and how to request items from there. Bound volumes are shelved in the Barr Smith Main Collection, and the recent issues are shelved with the Current Journals on level 3 of the Barr Smith.

Electronic journals

The Library now subscribes to a wide range of electronic journals. If you clicked on the second record from your search results screen you would be taken to a new screen with links to a number of sources. Dates for which volumes of the journal are available are listed after the name of the source. Sometimes a dash after a date is used to indicate that all issues of the journal are available from that date forward.

Clicking on the PsycARTICLES link would result in a prompt for your username and password . After you entered these details you would be taken to the web site, where you could retrieve a copy of the article you wanted.

Questions - electronic journals

1. What is the date of the earliest volume of the journal available electronically?

2. Would you find the reference below online?

Compas B. E. (1987)Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence.
Psychological Bulletin. 101(3): 393-403

ANSWERS

Answers - hard copy (print) journals.

1. The Library holds volume 1, which was published in 1904. It's kept at the Joint Store (URRSA) along with other volumes up to and including volume 36, which was published in 1939.

2. The call number for volumes in the Barr Smith Main Collection, and also in the Current journals area on level 3 is 150.5 P97

3. Volumes 1 to 36 are kept at the Joint Store (URRSA), volumes from 37 on are shelved in the Barr Smith Main collection, and the very recent unbound volumes (where every issue is listed separately) are kept in Current journals on level 3.

4. The earliest volume stored in the Barr Smith Library is volume 37.

5A. You would need to look in the Current journals area on level 3 - If you look at the record you'll see volume 131, number 5, 2005 listed in the Recent Issues.

5B. To find this volume, you would need to look in the Barr Smith Main Collection. This journal would be shelved on level 1, along with other bound psychology journals.

Answers - electronic journals

1. The date of the earliest volume available electronically is 1904.

2. Yes you would be able to find an electronic copy of this article as the electronic source begins at 1904, and the article was published in 1987. (The Library also holds a paper copy of this volume - this is useful at times if there is a problem with online access)

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