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PsycINFO: Sample Searches

This guide will help you naviagte through the database PsycINFO.

Search PsycINFO

Links to PsycINFO

Please note that the links below will only work if you are authenticated to PsycINFO. For alternative methods of authentication and links to PsycINFO, please see the documents in the Additional Materials page.

Sample Searches

Basic Search      

You need to write a paper on the effect of addiction to the internet on adolescents.

  • Type internet addiction into the Basic Search box or use the widget on the left.  

Note: The widget will only work if you are already authenticated to your organization’s PsycINFO account. If it does not work, please login through your organization’s library to access PSycINFO directly. If you have questions about accessing your ProQuest databases, please contact your local librarian.

  • As we want the articles to focus on adolescents, it is a good idea to refine your results using the Narrow results by feature.
  • From the Narrow results by and the Age Group limit, select Adolescence 13-17 yrs.
  • You want to make sure that the article subject is about internet addiction and not just a passing mention in an article about something else. Select Internet addiction from the Subject facet. 
  • Also from the Narrow results by, go to the Date limit and drag the first gray handle over toward the right side of the bar chart to limit your search to more recent items. Drag the handle over to search on items published from 2007 – 2012 and click update.
  • Go to the top of the results page to the Sort results by pull-down menu (just above the Narrow results by) and resort your items by Date (most recent first) and click Sort.
  • To begin reviewing your results, hover over the Preview link available on each record to view the major fields of the record.
  • For additional record details, select the Citation & Abstract link under each record to view the full record.
  • Mark any records that interest you to save, print, email, cite, export, save to your My Research account, or to view selected items later.

Advanced Search

You want to find empirical studies on cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury published in the past 10 years.

  • From the Advanced Search page, click on thesaurus and enter the term rehabilitation and click on Find. Select Cognitive rehabilitation and click on Add to Search
  • On the second line of your search type "brain injury" (use the inverted comas to force a phrase search)
  • In the Search Options, Select Peer reviewed
  • In the Dates Range section, choose after this date and enter 2001 in the year box. (you don't need to enter a specific day or month)
  • Go to Methodology and select empirical study.
  • Click on Search.
  • From the top of the results page (under the search box) select Create alert to receive an email when new results are loaded into PsycINFO that meet your search criteria.
  • Enter your email address, choose the email format, and schedule your alert based on when you would like to receive an email of your results and how long you would like the alert to last.
  • Click create alert.