Answers

Getting started with APA PsycInfo

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APA PsycInfo is your shortcut to high-quality research. Instead of scrolling through endless search results, use this specialised database to find authoritative evidence on psychology and behavioural sciences in one place.

Why use APA PsycInfo? 

• Unmatched Scope: Millions of peer-reviewed records across psychology, neuroscience, and social work.
• Precision Tools: Advanced filters to pinpoint specific populations, methodologies, and age groups.
• Verified Authority: High-impact content including journals, books, and dissertations.
• Writing Support: Integrated citation tools and expert-indexed abstracts to streamline your research.

How do I search APA PsychInfo

Start by entering your main topics into the search bar.  Since this is a dedicated database, your results will consist exclusively of high-quality academic journals.

• Use Keywords: Keep it simple (e.g. child development, anxiety or depression)
   
• Search for Phrases: Use quotation marks for exact phrases (e.g., "depression in children")  to get more relevant results..
   
• Combine Terms: Use AND to link different ideas (e.g., Anxiety AND Social Media).

Refining your results

On the left-hand side of the results page, you’ll see the Filters panel. This is your toolkit for narrowing down your search and finding exactly what you need. There are plenty of options to explore, but here are two of the most useful to start with:

• Subject: this is a good way of narrowing down the results to a specific topic.
• Publication Date: Set a custom date range to find the most recent research or target a particular time period.​​​​​

Saving and exporting your results

Once you've selected the results you want to save, you have a few different options: Click on the following links to view the guide for each option.

• My Research Account: Creating a free My Research account allows you to permanently save documents, searches, and alerts. Items saved here are stored in the "My Documents" area. 
• Permanent Links: Use the "Copy URL" or "Permalink" tool to save a stable link to the abstract for future reference or sharing.
• Email & Print: You can email selected articles directly to yourself, including the full text and a formatted citation, or use the print function to generate hard copies

Try Advanced Search for more control

If your basic search returns too many (or too few) results, switch to Advanced Search. You can find this by clicking the three horizontal lines (menu icon) on the left side of the page.

In this mode, you can use "Boolean Operators" to tell the database exactly how to combine your search terms:

• AND (Narrow your search): Use this to link different ideas. The database will only find articles that contain both terms (e.g., Anxiety AND Social Media).
• OR (Broaden your search): Use this to search for synonyms or related concepts. This is perfect if you aren’t sure which word an author might use. The database will find articles containing either term (e.g., Cats OR Felines).
• NOT (Exclude results): Use this to filter out irrelevant topics. The database will ignore any articles containing the second term (e.g., Depression NOT Postpartum).
• Specific Fields: Use the dropdown menus next to the search boxes to search specifically for an Author, Document Title, or Subject Heading for much more precise results.
• Limiters: filter for publication date, document type, or peer-reviewed journals  only before you even hit search.

Want to explore more?

You can find several specialised search tools positioned above the main query box on the Basic Search page:

• Publications: Access a specific publication's homepage to search or browse its archives.
• Browse: Discover research by exploring predefined topics and curated content.
• Change Databases: Select or modify which ProQuest databases (such as APA PsycInfo) you are currently searching

Check out the ProQuest help centre for guides, videos, tutorials  and more on:

• Basic Searching – Start your research with confidence
• Search Strategy Tips – Find exactly what you need, faster
• Viewing and Saving Articles – Keep your best finds handy
• ProQuest Basic Search Tutorial – Perfect for beginners
• ProQuest Advanced Search Tutorial – Take your searching to the next level

Need more help 

If you would like more help, email us at Library@arden.ac.uk or book a librarian appointment 

Related FAQs

How do I save results in the APA databases