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Psychology

This Research Guide outlines information about topics relevant to the field of psychology, including information about careers.

Explore & Refine

Explore: View of Paris, France and the Eiffel Tower from afar.Before you develop your research topic or question, you'll need to do some background research first.

Find background information in:

  • Your textbook or class readings
  • Encyclopedias and reference books
  • Credible websites
  • Library databases

Try the library databases below to explore your topic. When you're ready, move on to refining your topic.

Search for background info:

Refine: Up close view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, FranceNow that you've done some background research, it's time to narrow your topic.

Remember: the shorter your final paper, the narrower your topic needs to be. 

To narrow or refine your topic, ask yourself...

  • Is there a specific subset of the topic you can focus on?
  • Is there a cause and effect relationship you can explore?
  • Is there an unanswered question on the subject?
  • Can you focus on a specific time period or group of people?

 

Try filling in the blanks in the following sentence, as much as you can:

I want to research _________ (what/who)

and ________ (what/who)

in __________(where)

during _________(when)

because _________(why).

Online Access

Paw: Indicates that a password is needed to access the resource from off campus.The username and password to access databases is the same as what you use to log in to myPittCC and Moodle. The username is your entire myPittCC email address (jdstudent000@my.pittcc.edu). 

Community logins are available to Pitt County residents with PCC library cards and others who are enrolled in or are affiliated with PCC programs and continuing education courses. Scroll down and look for the "Community Login" section.