Fogler Library

 PsycINFO Guide

Getting Started Basic  Advanced Visual Search Viewing/ Printing Folders 

This guide is for using the EBSCO version of PscyINFO that is available for users affiliated with the University of Maine. PsycINFO covers psychology literature from 1887-present.

Getting Started

Locating  PsycINFO on the Fogler Web Page
1. From the Fogler Library web page go to the link "Search in a Database" under the heading Articles on your topic.
2. Under the Databases A-Z list click on  P.
3. Then click on the link for PsycINFO.
Connecting to PsycINFO from Guide
You can go directly to the site from this link to PsycINFO
Accessing PsycINFO Remotely
1. Enter your name and the number on the back of your Maine card to access PsycINFO from non-campus computers.
remote access
2. Your Maine card needs to be activated. If you have not checked out a book since the fall, you will need to have your Maine card activated at the circulation desk.

Basic Search

Basic Search is the default setting for ERIC. This is the single search box that searches all of the default fields.

Entering Your Search Terms
1. Your search terms are the words that must match part of the PsycINFO record.   If you enter more than one term the database will search for the terms next to each other.
2. Use  AND to look search for more than one term.  You can search for a subject and an author.
Example: Internet AND aggression
PsycINFO default search box
3. Use OR to search for synonyms. Matching records will contain either of your terms.
Example: children OR adolescents
4. Use NOT to eliminate certain aspects of a term. Example: aggression NOT Internet
5. Put ( ) around terms to make a complex search. Example (children OR adolescents) AND aggression)
6. Use * to truncate words so that you can capture both the singular and the plural. Example: child*
Changing Search Options
The default search option can be changed. Click on Find all my search terms to AND between all terms.  Click on Find any of my search terms to OR between all terms.

ERIC search options

Setting Limits in Basic Search
You can place a number of limits on your search. When you place a limit on your search you will not see any records that do not match your limits. For this reason it is not a good idea to limit to full text.  You will miss all the full text articles that we get through Science Direct and Sage Journals Online that are indexed in PsycINFO..
PsycINFO limits
Narrow Results by Subject
1. You can narrow the results within your results by clicking on a subject term in the box on the left of search results. Below are the subject terms returned, if you search by the keyword anorexic.
PsychINFO narrow search
2. A  new group of subject terms is shown when you click on a subject term. This means that you can become increasingly more specific.
Sorting Results
1. The default listing is by date

sort results

2. Results can also be listed by author, source, or relevance.

Advanced Search

To access Advanced Search click on the  Advanced Search links that is beneath the basic search box.

advanced search

Entering Your Search Terms
PsycINFO advanced search box
If you leave the setting for "Default Fields" your search terms are matched in the same way as a basic search. Unless you are know a specific field you wish to search, you should use the default fields.
Advanced Search has pull down menus for AND, OR and NOT.
Search History on Advanced Search
1. PsycINFO automatically makes a temporary file running your searches. This file will not remain if you close out of the database.
2. Click on the link  Search History/Alerts to see your search history.
advanced search history
3. You can click on the link to see the results or revise a previous search

advanced history results

Using the Thesaurus
 The thesaurus is an index of subject terms that are used in PsycINFO. Subject terms are assigned to each record, and using them can increase your success in getting records that contain related concepts.
1. Click on the Thesaurus button that is in the top part of the screen.
PsycINFO thesaurus
2. Look for descriptors by entering your search term into the box and then clicking on the Browse button. The default setting is to see descriptors Term Begins With. You can also select Term Contains or Relevancy Ranked.
PsycINFO thesaurus
3. Click on the terms to find the scope note and broader, related, or narrower terms.
 PsycINFO thesaurus

Visual Search

Visual Search allows you to search across broad subjects. 

Enter Your Search Term
1. Click on the link for visual search beneath the basic or advanced search box.

visual search

PsycINFO visual search

2. Your results will come in a visual map organized by topics. Click on a topic to see sub-topics.
PsycINFO visual results
3. The first three results for each topic, subtopic, etc are shown.  To see the all of the results for a given column, place the mouse at the bottom of the column.

PsycINFO visual results

4. Click on the title to open a record for a citation.
5. Once you have clicked on a rectangle to bring up a document the record will appear on the right hand side of the screen.

psycinfo visual search results

6. To print, email, or save the abstract, click on the link Add to Folder.  Click on the More link at the bottom of the abstract to see full text. ERIC visual  more button


Viewing/Printing

Opening Full Text Documents
ERIC pdf documents This link opens pdf journal articles.  The articles have the same format as print journals.
ERIC html documents This link opens html journal articles.  These articles have been recoded using html and do not have the same format as the print journal.

article linker

This button implements a process that connects the database to the journals in URSUS.  This will connect to full text articles if URSUS has access to an online journal either through a subscription or through another database. If no online source can be found, then print resources or interlibrary loan are available.
Printing or Emailing a PDF Document
1. If you article has is a pdf  document you will see icons above article
ERIC printing pdfs
2. Click on the icon of a printer to print the article.
Do NOT go to the file menu and click on print. If you do this, you will not print the article.
3. To email a copy of the article, click on the icon of an envelope.  Select the option of sending a copy, since the link will not work once you have left PsycINFO.
ERIC pdf email
Printing or Emailing an HTML Document
1. If you article is an html document you will icons above the article.
ERIC printing html documents
2. Click on the icon of the printer to print, the icon the the envelope to save and the icon of the disk to save.
Locating PsycINfO Journal Articles in Fogler
1. Fogler Library has a complete collection for all ED documents that are available on microfiche prior to 2003.  They are filed by ED number. Ask for assistance in the Microform area.
2. The journals are shelved in alphabetic order unless otherwise noted in URSUS.
  • Floor 1 contains  A -- Chemical Society Journal
  • Floor 1b contains  Chemical Society Proceedings -- Journal of Reprints for Anti-Trust Law and Economics
  • Floor 2 contains  Journal of Reproduction and Fertility -- Physical Review
  • Floor 2b contains  Physical Review A -- Zygon
3. If Fogler does not have access to an item either online or in print you can request it through interlibrary loan.


Using Folders

Saving in a Temporary Folder
Note: Documents in a temporary folder will be lost if you close ERIC or time out due to inactivity.  See the  EBSCOhost account. section for instructions on how to save permanently to a folder.
1. Click on the icon of a folder located  beneath the citation information.
folder
2. Click on the link at the top of the screen to save all of the items in a search.
send search to folder
Viewing Items in Folder
1. Click on the link Folder View in the upper right area of your computer screen to see items in folder.
viewing folder items
2. There are two ways to remove items from the folder. Either click on the icon of the folder below the citation in the results section, or click on the X in the Folder has items area.
3. Once you are in the folder area, you may email, save, print,  or export your items.
folder print, save, etc
EBSCOhost Account
1. In order to save a search, save items permanently in a folder or create a web alert on the EBSCOhost server, you must sign up for an EBSCO host account. There is a link at the top of the page called "Sign Into My EBSCOhost" which leads to an area where you can sign in or create a new account.
save searches
2. Click on the "I'm a new user" link to establish a free account.
EBSCOhost login
3. Click on the link "Search History/Alerts" link to save your search.
search history and alerts
4. Then choose the Save/Searches Alert link.  To retrieve saved searches or alerts click on the appropriate link.
save searches and alert link
5. Select either a permanent or temporary Save or an Alert. An alert can be run daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly
 PsycINFO saved search

Contact Information
Psychology Subject Specialist: Cynthia Crosser at (207) 581-3612
cynthia.crosser@umit.umaine.edu | Revised: 08/12/2008

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