PSY290: Research Methods

This guide is designed for psychology students in PSY290.

Search for Keywords

Does the socioeconomic status of a defendant influence jury sentencing?

Think of Synonyms

Try to think of different words that describe your topic.

      socioeconomic status = SES = social status

Use the word OR between synonyms, such as (jury or jurors)    

Broad and Narrow Terms

Sometimes you may choose a topic that little has been written about. Try to think of a broader term that encompasses your topic. The more general the search, the more likely you are to retrieve additional records.

Broad = jury bias           Narrow = jury prejudice against disabled defendants

Use the Word AND

When you enter a long phrase, some databases interpret this as if you were asking that all the words must appear in that exact order. Break up your keywords using the word ‘AND

                 sentencing and "socioeconomic status"

"Phrase Searching"

Putting “quotes” around your search words tells the database that you are looking for that exact phrase.

                “socioeconomic status”    

Truncation

Search for all alternate endings of a word. Type the root of the word and then an asterisk*
 

         sentenc*
         sentences
         sentencing