Tag: training materials

Tutorial Thursday – Using the APA Thesaurus When Searching PsycINFO

Posted on by Marta Soto in For Faculty, For Individual Subscribers, For Librarians, For Students

It’s Tutorial Thursday! In this series, we explore APA’s library of video tutorials available on the PsycINFO YouTube channel and the APA Style CENTRAL® YouTube channel. Please feel free to link to or embed our videos in your library websites or LibGuides, course management systems, or other locations where students, faculty, and researchers will find them.

Searching “All fields” or “keywords” in a database such as PsycINFO® is a simple way to get started with research. Using the indexed subject headings found in APA’s Thesaurus is a more effective way to hone in on the resources you need.

A new version of the tutorial for using the APA Thesaurus on ProQuest is now available. This three minute video has demo searches that show how using the Thesaurus’ subject headings helps you research PsycINFO with depth and efficiency.

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APA Style CENTRAL – Adding References to Papers

Posted on by Patti Avellanet in For Faculty, For Librarians, For Students

Today we’d like to highlight one of our APA Style CENTRAL handouts, “APA Style CENTRAL® Adding References to Papers” (PDF, 437K). Please feel free to link to this handout where students, faculty, and researchers will find it!

APA Style CENTRAL provides each user with a personal digital library of “My References” for saving references to cite in their papers. The APA Style CENTRAL “Adding References to Papers” handout outlines the process of adding references to your digital library, using My References to build a specific paper’s reference list, and easily creating in-text citations.

Details include:

  • The three (3) ways of adding references to your library: Searching PsycINFO, RIS import, and using one of more than 80 reference templates to ensure a properly formatted reference;
  • The Paper Reference List functionality for managing a paper’s unique reference list; and
  • Using the Find and Cite Reference tool to create properly formatted cited references.

Want to learn more? You’ll find this handout on our APA Style CENTRAL® Handouts and Guides page, where we will continue to add handouts and documentation for users and administrators as they become available.

Do you have a “how-to” question about APA Style CENTRAL or some aspect of it you’d like to know more about? Please let us know!

Spotlight: PsycINFO® Quick Reference Guides

Posted on by Patti Avellanet in For Faculty, For Librarians, For Students

Need a brief overview on how to search PsycINFO®?  We have a Quick Reference Guide for that!

Screenshot of PsycINFO Quick Reference Guide for APA PsycNET showing description of PsycINFO

PsycINFO Quick Reference Guide for APA PsycNET®

 

Learn the basics of searching PsycINFO on your platform to make your search more effective. Each PsycINFO Quick Reference Guide covers:

  • System navigation
  • Command searching
  • Correct search syntax for specific fields
  • Advanced search syntax (e.g., Boolean operators, truncation)
  • Limiting your search
  • Managing your search results
  • Platform-specific tips
PsycINFO Search Basics on APA PsycNET: Screenshot of Quick Reference Guide showing descriptions of Boolean Operators (AND, OR, and NOT), Phrases, and Truncation

PsycINFO Search Basics on APA PsycNET

 

Download or link to the PsycINFO Quick Reference Guide for your platform:

This is a perfect course handout for students who are new to searching PsycINFO, or anyone else who may want a refresher. Librarians and faculty can request pocket-size print versions to distribute: Email psycinfo@apa.org with your name, institution, mailing address, quantity needed, and specified platform.

Related Resources:

APA provides search help and training for all end-users, from novices through expert searchers. Find search guides, webinar schedules, tutorials, and more at our APA Search Help and Training Center for databases and electronic resources.

Be sure to check out our PsycINFO YouTube channel for short training tutorials and webinar recordings demonstrating how to put APA databases to work for you. View the playlist for your platform: APA Databases on APA PsycNET, APA Databases on EBSCOhost, APA Databases on Ovid, or APA Databases on ProQuest.

APA Style CENTRAL – Using Embed Links

Posted on by Patti Avellanet in For Librarians

Today we’d like to highlight one of our APA Style CENTRAL® handouts, “Embedding APA Style CENTRAL Content Using HTML” (PDF, 955K). Please feel free to link to this handout where students, faculty, and researchers will find it!

You can embed any learning object in the APA Style CENTRAL Learning Center (quick guide, tutorial, self-quiz, or sample) into any webpage where you can add or edit HTML. The available embed codes can be used with platforms such as LibGuides and WordPress, as well as your institution’s Learning Management System (LMS).

The embed code supplies a thumbnail image, summary, and direct HTML link to the specific learning object, providing flexibility in configuring access to this content for students and other users.

The handout on Embedding APA Style CENTRAL Content Using HTML covers:

  • How to access the HTML code for embedding a learning object;
  • An example of an APA Style CENTRAL tutorial embedded into a LibGuide;
  • An example of a sample paper embedded into WordPress; and
  • Details on embedding content for course instruction into your institution’s Learning Management System (LMS).

Want to learn more? You’ll find this handout on our APA Style CENTRAL Handouts and Guides page, where we will continue to add handouts and documentation for users and administrators as they become available.

Do you have a “how-to” question about APA Style CENTRAL or some aspect of it you’d like to know more about? Please let us know!

APA Style CENTRAL – Technical Requirements

Posted on by Patti Avellanet in For Librarians

Today we’d like to highlight one of our APA Style CENTRAL handouts, “APA Style CENTRAL® Technical Requirements” (PDF, 497K). Please feel free to link to this handout where students, faculty, and researchers will find it!

APA Style CENTRAL is designed to work with a wide range of technical settings within a Windows or Mac environment. The APA Style CENTRAL Technical Requirements handout will help you answer your users’ most common institutional access and technical questions. This document also provides helpful tips for the end user’s individual system configuration to ensure reliable access to APA Style CENTRAL and the best possible user experience.

Details include:

  • Operating systems, recommended browsers, and mobile access;
  • Proxy configuration, including appropriate browsers for proxy access; and
  • Contact information for APA Style CENTRAL Support plus the list of the technical information we will need from the end user to help resolve the problem.

Along with the Creating APA Style CENTRAL® Accounts handout (PDF, 296K, also recently highlighted on this blog), the APA Style CENTRAL Technical Requirements document will be a valuable resource in helping you to resolve any access difficulties for your end users as quickly as possible.

Want to learn more? You’ll find this handout on our APA Style CENTRAL® Handouts and Guides page, where we will continue to add handouts and documentation for users and administrators as they become available.

Do you have a “how-to” question about APA Style CENTRAL or some aspect of it you’d like to know more about? Please let us know!