Research Guides: Research Methods in Behavioral Sciences (ID 5015): Start Your Research Here

Subject-Focused Encyclopedias

Need to select a research topic or find background information?

The Reference Collection includes a variety of different sources, such as: subject-focused encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, maps/atlases, statistical compendiums, dictionaries, and more. Look here to find introductory articles on subject-related topics. The broad perspective offered by such articles often proves helpful for narrowing research topics before pursuing more in-depth information.

This guide provides some recommendations for encyclopedias and other reference resources that might provide helpful information relating to your topic.

Recommended Subject-Focused Encyclopedias

APA Dictionary of Psychology

Electronic Resource 2015

A Contextual Behavioral Guide to the Self

Electronic Resource 2019

Behavioral medicine: a guide for clinical practice

Electronic Resource 2020

Current Diagnosis & Treatment Psychiatry, Third Edition

Electronic Resource 2015

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5

Reference Collection (Second Floor) 2013

Dictionary of Psychology

Electronic Resource 2014

Doing Qualitative Research: The Craft of Naturalistic Inquiry

Electronic Resource 2015

Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Electronic Resource 2017

Handbook of Humanistic Psychology: Theory, Research, and Practice

Electronic Resource 2015

Psychology of aging: a biopsychosocial perspective

Electronic Resource 2018

Multicultural Perspectives in Working with Families

Electronic Resource 2020

The Psychological and Social Impact of Illness and Disability

Electronic Resource 2017

The Psychology of Self-Control

Electronic Resource 2019

SAGE Handbook of Industrial, Work & Organizational Psychology - Volume 1: Personnel Psychology and Employee Performance

Electronic Resource 2018

SAGE Handbook of Industrial, Work & Organizational Psychology - Volume 2: Organizational Psychology

Electronic Resource 2018

SAGE Handbook of Research in International Education

Electronic Resource 2015

Recommended Online Reference Databases

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.

DSM-V Online (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition; American Psychiatric Association) This link opens in a new window "This is the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-V."
Gale eBooks (Gale Cengage Learning) This link opens in a new window A comprehensive collection of reference resources such as subject-focused encyclopedias and dictionaries, available in a single database.
Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window Kean University's subscription to Oxford Bibliographies provides subject modules focusing on Criminology, Education, Psychology, and Social Work. For these modules, "leading scholars have produced a literary guide to the most important and significant sources in an area of study they know best. The guides feature a selective list of bibliographic citations supported by direct recommendations about which sources to consult."
SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window Select "Counseling and Psychotherapy," "Psychology," and/or "Research Methods & Evaluation" in the "Multiple Ways to Browse: By Subjects" section.

Multimedia Databases

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.

Counseling and Therapy in Video (Alexander Street Press) This link opens in a new window Provides access to a collection of online videos that enable students to observe the practice of social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatric counseling.
Films on Demand (Infobase Learning) This link opens in a new window Films on Demand provides access to "video and multimedia for academic, vocational and life-skills content." Click "Collections" to access videos in various subject areas, such as Art & Architecture, Allied Health, Biology, Business & Economics, Criminal Justice & Law, Education, English, Gender & Sexuality, Guidance & Counseling, Health & Medicine, History, Psychology, and more. The platform also offers Archival Films & Newsreels.
JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments) This link opens in a new window JoVE is a peer-reviewed scientific video resource featuring high-quality demonstrations and detailed protocols that support biological, medical, chemical, and physical research. The journal includes the following sections: Behavior, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Biology, Cancer Research, Chemistry, Developmental Biology, Engineering, Environment, Genetics, Immunology and Infection, Medicine, and Neuroscience. NOTE: Remote access requires creating an account using your Kean Google email credentials while you are on campus.

Recommended Statistics Databases

The following databases provide access to statistics and other kinds of data.

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.

PolicyMap This link opens in a new window Features an online GIS mapping tool that allows users to create interactive maps and plot data by geographical location. Data indicators provided include demographics, education, income, housing, employment, health, crime, and much more.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window Provides easy access to maps and reports of U.S. Census data from 1790 to the present; the Religious Congregations and Membership Study from 1980 to 2010; population, health and social care, and labor market data from the 2011 United Kingdom Census; U.S. crime data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps; European demographic data from Eurostat; population data from the 2011 Canadian census; and demographic and socioeconomic data from World Development Indicators (World Bank).
Statista This link opens in a new window Presents data as infographics and features reports on over 80,000 topics, including media, business, healthcare, politics, society, technology, and education.

Recommended Tests and Measures Databases

The following databases provide information that will help you identify psychological tests and measuring instruments.

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.

Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI) (OvidSP) This link opens in a new window Provides "information on measurement instruments (i.e., questionnaires, interview schedules, checklists, index measures, coding schemes/manuals, rating scales, projective techniques, vignettes/scenarios, tests) in the health fields, psychosocial sciences, organizational behavior, and library and information science. HaPI...[helps] identify measures needed for research studies, grant proposals, client/patient assessment, class papers/projects, theses/dissertations, and program evaluation." NOTE: Permits only 10 simultaneous users. Please Logoff when finished.
Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print (EBSCOhost) (VALE) This link opens in a new window Offers reviews of standardized tests in education, business, psychology, and leadership. Produced by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements at the University of Nebraska, Tests in Print (TIP) serves as a comprehensive bibliography to all known commercially available tests that are currently in print in the English language.
PsycTests (EBSCOhost) (VALE) This link opens in a new window “Serves as a repository for a growing selection of psychological tests and measures, including thousands of actual test instruments and test items that are available for immediate download and use in research and teaching.”

Research Methods in Behavioral Sciences (ID 5015)

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Subject-Focused Encyclopedias

Recommended Subject-Focused Encyclopedias

APA Dictionary of Psychology

A Contextual Behavioral Guide to the Self

Behavioral medicine: a guide for clinical practice

Current Diagnosis & Treatment Psychiatry, Third Edition

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5

Dictionary of Psychology

Doing Qualitative Research: The Craft of Naturalistic Inquiry

Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Handbook of Humanistic Psychology: Theory, Research, and Practice

Psychology of aging: a biopsychosocial perspective

Multicultural Perspectives in Working with Families

The Psychological and Social Impact of Illness and Disability

The Psychology of Self-Control

SAGE Handbook of Industrial, Work & Organizational Psychology - Volume 1: Personnel Psychology and Employee Performance

SAGE Handbook of Industrial, Work & Organizational Psychology - Volume 2: Organizational Psychology

SAGE Handbook of Research in International Education

Recommended Online Reference Databases

Multimedia Databases

Recommended Statistics Databases

Recommended Tests and Measures Databases

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