Pfeiffer Library: Psychology: SCS480 Immersion in Professional Problem Solving

SCS480 Resources

This page will provide you with some tips and tricks to make your research a breeze! If you still can't find what you need, please don't hesitate to contact the library! You can find our contact information and more on the Get Help page.

General Research Strategies:

Remember that keyword searches make your search larger! Using the limiter features in DragonQuest can be a huge help. You can find these on the left side of your search results.

Advanced Search features allow you to use Boolean operators to adjust your search settings

Boolean searching allows you to include or exclude specific terms from your search to help you more easily locate materials. This is done by using the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. These dropdowns are available at the top of your search results. A brief explanation of each Boolean operator:

AND – Pulls resources where all of your search terms appear. AND makes your search smaller.
OR – Pulls resources where one or the other or both of your search terms appear. Using OR makes your search larger.
NOT – Excludes a word from your search. Using NOT makes your search smaller.

Using a series of dropdown menus, you can also select which specific fields of an item’s record that you want to search, such as title or author.

Research on the Web

When browsing the web for information, consider the following search strategies:

Search for "community resources" and the name of your city, county, and state through a search engine like Google
Search social media platforms for groups and pages in your area
Locate government (.gov) websites for your city, county, and state
Consider public entities (schools, churches, shelters, food pantries, and other non-profit organizations). Review their websites and/or visit office locations locally (They are often happy to provide information!)

Recommended Reading:

Fast Track Networking by Lucy Rosen; Laura Berman Fortgang (Foreword by)
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 9781601631213
Publication Date: 2010-06-20
Whether you are looking to secure a new deal--or land a new job--Fast Track Networking gives you the tools you'll need to put the power of networking to work for you. You'll be amazed at the opportunities that will unfold once you begin to network right...and unconditionally. Through hundreds of valuable tips and dozens of networking success stories, you'll learn the "tricks of the trade" from the woman dubbed the "Queen of Networking," including how to: Grow your inner circle of 10 to an "outside circle" of 20 and learn how to turn 300 networkers into 3,000 new prospects. Make the all-important first moves that can lead to a lasting business partnership. Not only meet key decision-makers, but fold them into your trusted inner circle.

Helpful Tutorials

Try these guides as you're working through your research in this class:

DragonQuest Advanced Searching
Advanced search tab of the DragonQuest tutorial which discusses methods for focusing a search to a more specific type of item.
How to Write a Literature Review
A guide for writing a literature review, designed for a general audience in a variety of disciplines.
Locating Scholarly Material
A quick reference guide for how to locate peer-reviewed content in the library.

APA Style Help

Academic Writer This link opens in a new window
Compose papers in pre-formatted APA templates. Manage references in forms that help craft APA citations. Learn the rules of APA style through tutorials and practice quizzes.
Academic Writer will continue to use the 6th edition guidelines until August 2020. A preview of the 7th edition is available in the footer of the resource's site.

Previously known as APA Style Central.

If you'd like additional guidance on using Academic Writer, we recommend the following tutorial:

Academic Writer
Guide tutorial for Academic Writer.