Why Reference Sources?
In order to do research in any subject area, you'll need a range of sources, including books, journal articles, newspapers, blogs, magazines, and perhaps other kinds of websites. Reference sources compliment your study and guide you as you establish your ideas. They are designed to provide overviews of existing scholarship, concepts, and knowledge in any given subject. Reference sources make a concerted effort to present information objectively, and they allow you to access quality information quickly. Often, you'll find the most important scholarly sources that exist by first consulting a reference source.
Here you'll become familiar with several kinds of reference sources that will guide you through your studies in Psychology, including:
- Print holdings in the Carmichael Library
- Databases subscribed to by the Carmichael Library
- Free Online Reference Sources
- General Reference Sources
Reference sources are unlike "regular" books in that they cannot be checked out of the library; you can always count on them being on the shelf. Be sure to explore each of these categories as you begin the research process. Also, vist the "Evaluating Online Reference" page to learn about sorting through information.
Find background information
Psychology Reference Sources
- A Dictionary of PsychologyCovers all branches of psychology, including psychoanalysis, psychiatry, criminology, neuroscience, and statistics. It features comprehensive coverage of key areas, for example: cognition, sensation and perception, emotion and motivation, learning and skills, language, mental disorder, and research methods.
- Dictionary of the Social SciencesDefinitions of terms from anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, human geography, and cultural studies.
- The Oxford Companion to ConsciousnessAn interdisciplinary survey of contemporary research on consciousness. Contains entries about the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, experimental psychology, clinical findings, and more, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the study of consciousness.
- The Oxford Companion to the MindA guide to the mysteries and idiosyncracies of the human mind, including discussions of concepts such as language, memory, and intelligence.
- Big Ideas Simply Explained: The Psychology BookClearly explaining more than 100 groundbreaking ideas in the field, This explains the complex theoretical and experimental foundations of psychology. From its philosophical roots through behaviorism, psychotherapy, and developmental psychology, The Psychology Book looks at all the greats from Pavlov and Skinner to Freud and Jung, and is an essential reference for anyone with an interest in how the mind works.
- Biographical Dictionary of PsychologyProvides biographical information and critical analysis of the influences and reception of people who have made a significant contribution to the field of psychology.
- The Brain Book: An illustrated guide to its structure, function and disordersA complete guide to the one organ in the body that makes each of us what we are - unique individuals.
Print Reference Sources
Print reference books are on the first floor of the Carmichael Library, by the back windows.
Psychologists and Their Theories for StudentsCall Number: Ref. BF 109 .A1 P72 2004Perfect for research assignments in psychology, science and history, this one-stop source for in-depth coverage of major psychological theories and the people who developed them provides a unique approach to the study of psychological history as it pertains to analysis.
What the call number means:
Ref. This book in is in the Reference Collection on the 1st floor
BF The General Subject Area (Psychology)
109 The numbers in this line represent a specific subject area (Biographies)
.A1 More details about the subject (A Collection of Biographies)
P72 This combination signifies the title of the book; can also be the author's name
2004 Year of publication
Print Reference Sources
