Introduction: Reference Works and Background Information
Page Contents
About Reference Works
"The purpose of an encyclopedia is to summarize and codify knowledge in a given field. This is in contrast to a handbook, which offers essays on cutting-edge research in a field, or a dictionary, which provides short, to-the-point definitions of key concepts in a field."
Source: Sica, A. (2001). Encyclopedias, Handbooks, and Dictionaries. In N.J. Smelser & P.B. Baltes (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/00039-5. As cited in American Library Association. (2011). ALA Guide to Sociology & Psychology Reference. Chicago: Author.
Use reference materials to find background information. Reference books can help you:
- Explore a topic: find out what has been said about this subject, trends, issues, etc.
- Identify and define unfamiliar terms or people in your reading
- Find references to other books and articles on the subject
- Find specific keywords to use in online searches
Best Bets: General Psychology Reference
International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences (2nd edition) by ISBN: 9780080970875Publication Date: 2015
International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences by ISBN: 0080430767Publication Date: 2001-11-22Also available in print: Hatcher Graduate Reference Room (2nd floor North) H 41 .I581 2001
Psychology Reference Works - General
Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology, 4th Edition by Publication Date: 2010
Annual Review of PsychologyPublication Date: 1950-presentKey source of literature review articles.
Covers the significant developments in the field of psychology.
Search within just the Annual Review of Psychology or search across all Annual Review publications to include Clinical Psychology, Organizational Psychology & Organizational Behavior, Neuroscience, etc.Encyclopedia of Psychology by
Call Number: Hatcher Graduate Reference Rm. - 2nd floor N - BF 31 .E521 2000Publication Date: 2000Published by the American Psychological Association and Oxford University Press in 2000, the essays included here are written by the leading experts in their fields. Each article includes a bibliography.
21st Century Psychology by ISBN: 9781412949682Publication Date: 2008"highlights the most important topics, issues, questions, and debates any student obtaining a degree in the field of psychology ought to have mastered for effectiveness in the 21st century"
APA Dictionary of Psychology by Call Number: Shapiro Undergraduate — Basement - BF31 .A65 2015ISBN: 9781433819445Publication Date: 2015-02-01
A Dictionary of Psychology by ISBN: 9780199657681Publication Date: 2015Also available in print: Shapiro Undergraduate Reference Shelves — 1st Floor - BF31 .C65 2015
Consult Library Catalog Search for previous editions.
Psychologists' Desk Reference (3rd edition) by Call Number: Hatcher Graduate — 1A North - RC467.2 .P78 2013ISBN: 9780199845491Publication Date: 2013
Social Science Reference Works
Topical Reference Works - Overview
Topical Handbooks in Psychology
Handbooks provide essays covering recent developments in particular disciplinary sub-topics.
Search for relevant handbooks within a Reference Database (listed below), or in Library Catalog Search by entering the keyword handbook followed by your topic keywords. It may help to search for keywords in the title.
Online reference collections that specifically contain psychology handbooks include:
Oxford Handbooks Online - PsychologyPublication Date: 2007 - currentCollection of over 150 topical psychology handbooks from Oxford University Press.
- APA Handbooks of Psychology This link opens in a new windowFull text of multi-volume handbooks from the American Psychological Association.
- Routledge Handbooks OnlineIncludes over 80 titles relevant to psychology published from 2002-present.
Topical Encyclopedias in Psychology
Topical encyclopedias cover specialized fields that overlap or are closely related to psychological inquiry.
Search for relevant encyclopedias within a Reference Database (listed below) or in Library Catalog Search by entering the keyword encyclopedia, followed by your topic keywords. It may help to search for keywords in the title.
Reference Databases
Search across multiple subject specific encyclopedias and handbooks:
- U-M Library Articles Search This link opens in a new windowSearch across many reference books at once. Articles Search is a gateway to discovering a wide range of the library's resources.
***Refine search by format to "Reference"*** - SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new windowA searchable collection of e-books, reference books and documentary videos in the social sciences.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowProvides online access to over 1,500 reference works from Gale, Macmillan, and other publishers.
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new windowOver 400 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.
Biopsychology - Topical Reference Works
Hormones, Brain and Behavior (2nd edition) (encyclopedia) by ISBN: 9780080887838Publication Date: 2009
Learning and Memory: a Comprehensive Reference (2nd edition) by ISBN: 9780128052914Publication Date: 2017
APA handbook of behavior analysis by Publication Date: 2013
The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology, 2nd edition by ISBN: 9781118756027Publication Date: 2015
Clinical Psychology - Topical Reference Works
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5 (and DSM Library) by Call Number: RC455.2.C4 D536 2013ISBN: 9780890425541Publication Date: 2013Electronic access via PsychiatryOnline is to the DSM Library including: DSM-5™ Handbook of Differential Diagnosis and DSM-5™ Clinical Cases
Print copies available in various locations, check the catalog record.
- PsychiatryOnline This link opens in a new windowIncludes access to DSM-5, DSM-5 Handbook of Differential Diagnosis and DSM-5 Clinical Cases, and several psychiatry journals and ebooks.
Comprehensive Handbook of Psychopathology (3rd edition) by ISBN: 030646490XPublication Date: 2001Also available in print from Health Sciences Remote Shelving, use Get This button in Library Catalog Search.- Child and adolescent psychopathology byPublication Date: 2013
Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience - Topical Reference Works
Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science by
ISBN: 0333792610Publication Date: 2002Also available in print: Hatcher Graduate Reference Rm. - 2nd floor N - BF 311 .E53 2003- Learning and Memory: a Comprehensive Reference (2nd edition) by ISBN: 9780128052914Publication Date: 2017
MIT CogNet (Reference Works)Collection of reference works in the Brain & Cognitive Sciences from MIT Press. Includes titles such as:
-The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences
-The Cognitive Neurosciences
-Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Developmental Psychology - Topical Reference Works
Handbook of Adolescent Psychology, 3rd edition by Call Number: BF724 .H33 2009ISBN: 9780470149218Publication Date: 2009
Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science (7th edition) by ISBN: 9781118136850Publication Date: 2015
Educational Psychology - Topical Reference Works
Encyclopedia of School Psychology by ISBN: 9780761930808Publication Date: 2005There is another Encyclopedia of School Psychology, edited by Watson & Skinner (2004) in the print collection: Hatcher Graduate — 6 South - LB 1027.55 .E521 2004
Gender & Feminist Psychology - Topical Reference Works
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies by ISBN: 9781118663219Publication Date: 2016
Personality & Social Contexts - Topical Reference Works
Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational Psychology by ISBN: 9781412924702Publication Date: 2006
Social Psychology - Topical Reference Works
Handbook of Social Psychology (5th edition) by ISBN: 9780470137475Publication Date: 2010First published in 1935, The Handbook of Social Psychology was the first major reference work to cover the field of social psychology.
