Home - Psychology 533 - Intervention and Program Evaluation - Research Guides at Eastern Washington University

Basic steps of an effective search strategy

Step 1: Focus on your research topic

Think about research questions or hypotheses
Identify individual variables or key concepts from your research question
Brainstorm key terms for search (identify synonyms and related terms to broaden your search)

Step 2. Identify appropriate databases in Databases A-Z

Understand the scope and size of various databases germane to psychology
Explore database features and use limiters
Apply various search techniques such as Boolean operators, parenthesis, phrase searching, truncation

Step 3: Review and evaluate your results

Identify one relevant article to look for other key terms/descriptors within the article record for additional search
Use bibliography/references at the end of the article to identify related sources

View a Search Strategy Graphic

Finding peer-reviewed articles in Psychology databases

PsycInfo - APA (EBSCOhost) -- 1806-present
A large and comprehensive index of peer-reviewed psychology journals, plus selected book chapters, books, and dissertations, in some cases back to the 1800's. Produced by the American Psychological Association.
Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost)
Academic journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books, and videos in all subjects.
Education Databases: Education Research Complete & ERIC (EBSCOhost)
Simultaneous search option for the two most comprehensive education databases.
PsycArticles - APA (EBSCOhost)
Articles from all American Psychological Association journals. Coverage back to the first issue of each journal, for example Psychological Review goes back to 1894.
SocINDEX with Full Text (EBSCOhost)
Database for sociology, with solid coverage for social work, social psychology, addictions, and criminal justice issues. Full text for journals dating back as far as 1908, with selective text and abstracts for others going back as far as 1895, plus numerous books, conference papers, and other monographs.
JSTOR - Psychology
Access to scholarly psychology journals through JSTOR which is an online library of journals, academic ebooks, and primary sources.
Google Scholar
- This link opens in a new window
Use Google Scholar to search for scholarly articles across the Web (this can be a good complement to subscription databases). Note the citation tracking feature. This link includes Eastern Washington University indicators. You will see "Find it @ EWU" in your results, if we have the article full text in one of our databases.

APA Publication Manual Style (7th edition)

Creating an APA Style Reference List Guide

Basic Principles of Reference List Entries
Four Key Elements of Reference List Entries
In-Text Citation [Author–Date Citation System]
Reference Guide for Journal Articles, Books, & Edited Book Chapters
Examples of Common APA Style References
Sample Student Paper APA 7th Edition
The sample paper was published in annotated format in the APA Publication Manual (7th edition).
Student Paper Setup Guide
Student Title Page Guide
Six Steps to Proper Citation

Encyclopedia & reference sources

Evaluating Educational Interventions, Second Edition by Riley-Tillman; Burns; Kilgus
Call Number: Online
Publication Date: 2020
This innovative guide explains the potential of single-case design (SCD) as a critical element of data-based decision making in a multi-tiered system of support .
Single-Case Research Methods for the Behavioral and Health Sciences
Call Number: Online
Publication Date: 2008
Encyclopedia of School Psychology
Call Number: Online
Publication Date: 2005
This comprehensive guide features the latest research on school learning, motivation, and educational assessment in the field of Psychology.
Encyclopedia of Case Study Research
Call Number: Online
Publication Date: 2009
Encyclopedia of Research Design
Call Number: Online
Publication Date: 2010