Depending on your research idea, you'll want to find background information, perhaps from an encyclopedia or handbook. Why? Encyclopedias and handbooks can help you to:
Use the Annual Review of Psychology to find overview essays or literature reviews that will list all of the important articles and books on a topic. These essays are incredibly useful starting points
Also try these encyclopedia and handbook databases
You may want to get an idea of how much information exists on your research idea and what psychologists are writing about it. Do a quick search in PsycInfo and see what you find.
Books can also be good sources for overview material. Use Library Search to identify books in the SMC library.
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