Psychology

PsycINFO.

Washington: American Psychological Association, 1927–. Formerly called Psychological Abstracts. This database provides more than 2.5 million references to journal articles, books, book chapters, and dissertations in psychology and related fields published from 1840 to the present. Most sources include abstracts; some also provide a complete list of cited works and links to publications that cite the source.

American Psychological Association

http://www.apa.org. The site for the discipline’s premier organization, providing news from the field; a roundup of selected research on topics such as anger, trauma, addictions, and depression; and information about the organization, such as the APA’s Code of Ethics. Some of the information on this site is available to members only, though some of it, such as the PsycINFO database and APA journals, is likely available through your library.

National Institute of Mental Health

http://www.nimh.nih.gov. From the federal agency charged with research into mental health and illness, this site offers useful information about health topics and statistics, with links to current research findings and clinical trials.

Psychology World Wide Web Virtual Library

http://www.vl-site.org/psychology/index.html. A directory of selected links with brief descriptions. Areas covered include psychology of religion, transpersonal psychology, school psychology, mental health, and the history of psychology. Maintained by Gene R. Thursby of the University of Florida.

Social Psychology Network

http://www.socialpsychology.org. A deep directory of resources on topics such as gender and psychology, social cognition, and interpersonal psychology as well as information on programs and organizations, research reports online, and social research groups. The site is maintained by Scott Plous at Wesleyan University.

Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science.

Ed. W. Edward Craighead and Charles B. Nemeroff. 3rd ed. 4 vols. New York: Wiley, 2001. Defines and discusses terms, theories, methodology, and issues in psychological practice and offers brief biographies of important psychologists.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

(DSM-IV). 4th ed. rev. Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. Classifies and describes mental disorders and includes diagrams to aid diagnosis as well as a glossary of technical terms. A fifth edition is in development, with publication projected for 2012.

Encyclopedia of Human Behavior.

Ed. V. S. Ramachandran. 4 vols. San Diego: Academic Press, 1994. Offers articles on a wide range of topics, such as left- or right-handedness, blushing, interpersonal communications, and intelligence. Each article provides an overview of the current state of knowledge about a topic and provides references to research.

Encyclopedia of Mental Health.

Ed. Howard S. Friedman et al. 3 vols. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998. Includes substantial articles on major disciplines in the field, research areas, and topics of public interest. Designed for both students and health professionals, this work provides current and thorough coverage of mental disorders, treatments, personality traits, and psychological aspects of such topics as television viewing, parenting, and homelessness.

Encyclopedia of Psychology.

Ed. Alan E. Kazdin. 8 vols. Washington: American Psychological Association, 2000. The most thorough and scholarly treatment of psychology topics, including methodology, findings, advances in research, and applications.

Handbook of Psychology.

Ed. Irving B. Weiner. 12 vols. New York: Wiley, 2003. A thematically arranged overview of research in the field, with volumes devoted to history; research methods; experimental psychology; and developmental, clinical, educational, organizational, and forensic psychology.

Mental Measurements Yearbook.

Lincoln: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements, 1938–. An essential reference work for those interested in psychological tests available to researchers. This work surveys and reviews tests of aptitude, education, achievement, and personality and includes bibliographies of related research.