Psychology Media Assignment:
Finding Primary and Secondary Resources
For this assignment, you will have to use online library resources to get both a secondary and a primary source relating to a published study.
The best strategy is to use the Media Assignment handout (PDF) in conjuction with this page and the tutorials below. If you have any questions, ask a librarian for help.
- First, you must obtain a secondary source that refers to a published study. Watch the 6 minute tutorial below. Flash is required.
- The library has access to several databases that contain secondary sources. The best one for this project is Newsbank (America's Newspapers).
- To log into NewsBank or other library resources, use your X-ID as the Borrower ID and the last 4 digits of your SSN as the PIN. Some tips to finding articles that reference published studies can be found in the Media Assignment handout (PDF).
- Once a you find the secondary source, then locate your primary source using the following tutorial as a guide.
- The journal finder tool allows you to determine where to find the journal. It will help you locate print and online magazines and journals.
- If the journal is unavailable, ask a librarian for assistance or find a new secondary source and study. Do not purchase articles online as they are free to students through our databases or our interlibrary loan service.
Next, log into the database listed in the Databases A-Z list and search for the journal article using keywords or, if the journal is available in print (i.e. New England Journal of Medicine, Science, JAMA), ask a librarian for assistance.
- Finally, both the primary and secondary sources must be cited APA style. The APA Style Guide (PDF) provides examples and instructions.
If you have any trouble or need help, ask a librarian.