Counseling & Human Services Research Guide

Approaches to Researching Counseling & Human Services Topics

The A&M-SA Library provides access to approximately 300 databases that can be searched for information. Some of these databases cover several subject areas (ProQuest Central, JSTOR), while others are more specific to individual disciplines or groups of related fields (APA PsycInfo, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, ERIC). Some databases and search tools are best for locating materials in specific formats like books/e-books, streaming video, or news sources.

So how do you choose which databases or other tools to use in your searches?

Questions to Consider when Deciding where to Search for Information

• Topic Questions --> Can be helpful in identifying subject databases to search
  • Who are the intended clients? (families, children, military personnel, etc.)
  • What is the setting where services are to be provided? (clinics, private practice, schools, service organizations, etc.)
• Information Format Questions --> Peer-reviewed articles are not always the best place to find definitions and statistics
  • What types of information do you need? (definitions, theories, statistics, peer-reviewed articles, other)

Woman, Brain, Thinking image by chenspec is available for use under a Pixabay license

Find Answers to Library-Related Questions & Refresh Your Research Skills using the Library's FAQ Site!

Not sure what a peer-reviewed article is, or how to borrow a book that is owned by another library--We offer answers to these questions and more!