PSY101: General Psychology (Devane)
Searching the Web
Research on the web takes skills in strategic searching and critical evaluation of results. Use the evaluation tips provided to get started. The handout below offers some suggestions for focused searching.
Google vs. Google Scholar
Recommended Web Sources for Scientific Research
- ClinicalTrials.govA registry and results database of publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants conducted around the world.
- National Institutes of Mental HealthLead federal agency for research on mental disorders. NIMH is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency. NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- PLOS One"The world’s first multidisciplinary Open Access journal, PLOS ONE accepts scientifically rigorous research, regardless of novelty. PLOS ONE features reports of original research from all disciplines within science and medicine. By not excluding research on the basis of subject area, PLOS ONE facilitates the discovery of connections between research whether within or between disciplines."
- Psychology Topic Pages from APA"APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. Our mission is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives. APA's…staff members track trends in the field of psychology; create content to educate the public about mental health, behavior and psychology's scientific basis; publish peer-reviewed journals, books and other products."
Website Evaluation
While conducting research on the web, it is imperative to evaluate the website in question for authority, documentation, currency, and bias. Doing so will ensure that you are using the most credible information possible to support your thesis.
Authority and Accuracy
Who produced the site? Are they a credible source? What is the purpose of the site? Why was it created? Is the person, organization, or group qualified to write this content? What is the domain of the URL?
- .com or.biz - a business or commercial website
- .edu - an educational institution
- .gov or .mil - a U.S. military or government website
- .net - a personal website
- .org - a website for a not-for-profit organization
Documentation
Is there adequate documentation for factual statements? Is the documentation reliable, verifiable from a second source? Is there enough information to cite this information in a paper (author, title, source, date)?
Currency
Is the information up to date? When was it created, or last edited? Are the links up to date or dead? Is the author using outdated statistics?
Objectivity and Bias
Is the document biased or slanted? Are there few or no logical errors such as appeal to authority or circular reasoning? If you found this information a printed source, would you trust it?