Psychology Resources
Why Do I Need Background Information?
Background information can help you learn more about your topic and develop your research question. It is often found in reference works, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, or handbooks. Reference works can be general in nature, such as Psychiatry Online, but there also may be reference works that are more specific to your topic. For example, if your research topic deals with dementia, you will want to look at a resource like the APA Handbook of Dementia, which will provide more focused information and list other potentially relevant sources.
Seeking out background information is often an important early step in the research process. Watch the following video for more information on how it can help you develop your research question:
Where Can I Find Background Information?
DSM Collection:
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is the standard in psychology used by mental health professionals to provide diagnosis. It contains classification of various mental health disorders, which is information you can use to learn more about a particular disorder and to ensure you are aware of the proper terminology used in this field of research.
- PsychiatryOnline This link opens in a new windowPsychiatryOnline is a website that features the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) and the American Journal of Psychiatry as the cornerstones of a collection of psychiatric references. This resource includes books, journals, medication information handouts for patients, clinical and research news, self-assessment tools.
- DSM-5Online access to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders: DSM-5/ American Psychiatric Association.
These handbooks are available via the Library's APA PsycBook Database:
- APA Educational Psychology Handbook byPublication Date: 2012
- APA Handbook of Dementia byPublication Date: 2018
- APA Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology byPublication Date: 2011
Find even more books:
- APA PsycBooks This link opens in a new windowPsycBOOKS contains more than 25,000 chapters in PDF format from over 1,600 books published by the American Psychological Association and other distinguished publishers.
- Ebook Central This link opens in a new windowEbrary Academic Complete is a searchable and browsable collection of electronic books that encompasses a broad range of subject areas, including psychology and other behavioral sciences.
Use the main search box on the Library Homepage to find other books in our collection. General Psychology books are assigned with a call number starting with BF. They are located on the 8th floor, Blue Wing of the M.D. Anderson Library. The books that fall into the subject area of mental disorders and their treatments usually have a call number starting with RC or RJ. They are on the second-floor brown wing.