Searching PsycINFO - The Essentials

CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

Boolean Logic - essential for any database searching

Wildcard and Truncation Symbols

Proximity Searching - if you don't know what it is here's your chance to find out

Using Parentheses - to protect your logic and avoid nasty shocks in your search results

Using Field Codes - to search for words from authors' names, titles of articles, and more

The Thesaurus - an indispensable aid in searching for subjects

Displaying Search Results - you can tailor the display to suit your needs

Saving Search Results - prior to emailing, printing, or exporting

Printing, Emailing, or Saving (to disc)

Exporting Results to EndNote - it's so easy!

Below are some brief notes to help you with the essentials of searching in PsycINFO on the EBSCOhost platform.

You can find PsycINFO by searching the catalogue - use the Title option, and select Electronic Resources from the Limit box.

There's also a link on my databases page, and if you right click on this link you can add it to your Favorites for future use.

When searching PsycINFO always choose the Advanced Search option as this will allow you to see your Search History.

Boolean Searching

Boolean logic defines logical relationships between search terms. The Boolean search operators AND, OR and NOT allow you to broaden or focus your search results.

The AND operator combines search terms so that each result contains all of the terms.

• For example, social AND behavior will find articles that contain both social and behavior.

The OR operator combines search terms so that each result contains at least one of the terms.

• For example, analgesic OR psychotropic will find articles that contain either analgesic or psychotropic.

The NOT operator is used to exclude search terms.

• For example, analgesic NOT psychotropic will find articles that contain the term analgesic, but not the term psychotropic.

Wildcard (?) and Truncation (*) Symbols

Use the wildcard and truncation symbols in searches using terms with unknown characters, multiple spellings or various endings.
Note: Neither the wildcard nor the truncation symbol can be used as the first character in a search term.

The wildcard is represented by a question mark (?). To use the wildcard, enter the search terms and replace each unknown character with a (?). EBSCOhost® will provide results containing variations of that character set, with the "?" replaced by a letter.

• For example, type ne?t to find all citations containing neat, nest or next. EBSCOhost will not find net because the wildcard replaces a single character.

Truncation is represented by an asterisk (*). To use truncation, enter the root of a search term and replace the ending with an asterisk (*). EBSCOhost will find all available forms of that word.

• For example, type occup* to find the words occupied or occupational - and any other words beginning with occup
  

Proximity Search

A Proximity Search produces results with two or more terms that appear a specified number of words (or fewer) apart in the database(s). The proximity operator is composed of a letter (N or W) and a number (to specify the number of words), placed between search terms.
Near Operator (N)- N5 will find a result if the terms are within five (5) words of each other, regardless of the order in which they appear.

• For example, type eating N5 disorders for results that contain eating disorders, as well as mental disorders and eating pathology.

Within Operator (W) - W8 will find a result if the terms are within eight (8) words of each other, in the exact order entered.

• For example, type eating W8 disorders for results that contain eating disorders, but not mental disorders and eating pathology.

Grouping Terms Together Using Parentheses

Parentheses can be used to protect the logic of your search Without parentheses, a search is executed from left to right. However, words enclosed in parentheses are searched first. Why is this important? See the examples below

• Example 1: eating disorders or depression and self esteem or media

• Example 2: (eating disorders or depression) and (self esteem or media)

In the first example, the search will retrieve everything on eating disorders, results which include both depression and self esteem, and everything on media.

In the second example, parentheses control the query to find only articles about eating disorders or depression that also refer to self esteem or media.

The simplest way to remember how to use parenthesese - if you use "or" use parentheses around the terms

Using Field Codes

This can be used to conduct searches on either Basic or Advanced Search screens.

• For example, typing AU Brown will produce results that include Brown in the article's Author citation field.

• Typing AU Brown and SO British Journal of Sociology will produce a list of articles that include Brown in the Author citation field only if they are from the British Journal of Sociology.

For a list of searchable field codes, click the Field Codes link, located directly above the Find field on the Basic or Advanced Search screens.

A box will open displaying a list of field codes

Searching the Thesaurus

The Thesaurus Authority File contains the subject headings from the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. American Psychological Association indexers use this controlled vocabulary known as index terms or descriptors. Subjects are assigned to every record using major and minor descriptors, which describe the primary and secondary focus of the document. Subject headings, which describe the major focus of a document, are preceded by an asterisk (*) in the PsycINFO record.

The Thesaurus is arranged in a hierarchy that permits searching various levels of detail from the most general level to more specific levels, to find the most precise concept.

• You can Explode terms in the thesaurus to include Narrower terms in the hierarchy.

• You can also select Major Concept to ensure that you retrieve only material where the subject is a primary focus of the article

To browse the Thesaurus:

1. Click the Thesaurus button on the subtoolbar.

2. Enter search terms in the Browse for field.

3. Select either the Term Begins With, Term Contains, or Relevancy Ranked radio button.

4. Click Browse. A list of headings is displayed.

5. As you select headings, you can also mark Explode and/or Major Concept

6. Then add to your search using OR, AND, or NOT (your search is being built in the Find field).

7. Click Search to display a list of results that match your search terms.

Displaying Search Results

The default display shows records in Brief format, which includes author and title of the article, name of journal, volume number, date, and pages. Only 10 records per screen are displayed.

To change the display options click on the Preferences at the top right of the screen.

A page will open showing the options from which you can choose.

Detailed display will allow you to see abstracts for articles. Choose the options you would like, and click on Apply.

Saving Search Results to the Folder

Before you can email, print, or export search reults you'll need to save them to the Folder. When your search results appear, a Folder icon will be displayed near the top right of the screen.

• If you want to collect individual articles, click the Add folder icon for the article.

• To add all items on a page to your folder, click Add (1-10) at the top of the Add column.

NOTE: If you're saving all of the results of a large search it would be a good idea to change the Preferences to increase the number of items displayed on a page to 50 - otherwise you'll find you'll be doing a lot of clicking!!

Continue adding items page by page until you have collected all of the reults you want.

• As you add the articles to the folder, you can click the Folder link and review which items have been added.

Emailing, Saving, or Printing Results

When you have finished collecting items click on the Folder icon

A page will display the list of items with the options available

Click on the option you would like, then select:-

• Whether you want to include
  HTML Full Text (when available)
  HTML link(s) to article(s)
  PDF as separate attachment (when available) - this applies only to Email

• The Field Format in which you would like the references to be saved (Brief Citation, Brief Citation and Abstract, Detailed Citation and Abstract, or Customized Field Format)

• The Citation Format - APA
  (American Psychological Assoc.)

Exporting Results to EndNote

When you have finished collecting items click on the Folder icon

• A page will display the list of items with the options available

• Click on Export, and select Direct Export to EndNote, ProCite, or Reference Manager

• Click on Save.

The program will now open EndNote, and you can select a temporary Library to which to save the results.

Further Help

The American Psychological Association has detailed Search Guides for PsycINFO for a variety of platforms including EBSCO.