What is an Edited Book?
A book is a work that is published once, not as part of a regular series. Books can be revised and republished: each revision is considered a new edition of the same book. More specifically, an edited book is one that is divided into chapters, each of which is written by a different author or group of authors.
Edited books are valuable in that the individual chapters are generally authored by specialists. Sometimes the chapters were originally published as journal articles, and are reprinted because of their enduring importance. In other cases, the editors have asked authors with differing perspectives to state their points of view on a single topic. These multiple "takes" on a single subject can be crucial in looking at a topic's broader perspective.
Taken from APA Refernece Style by David S. Baker
and Lynn Henrichsen
Research Journal Articles
Recommended databases for original research journal articles:
Your professor may ask you to find primary research articles on a topic. These are articles in which the authors present a new set of findings from original research after conducting an experiment. These articles usually contain the following parts:
Abstract: This is an overview or summary of the research.
Methods: This section describes the techniques used to execute the experiment in detail, including the collection of data, and the statistical procedures used. This is usually full of technical jargon, so it can be difficult for non-specialists to read.
A detailed explanation of the method is necessary for two reasons:
(1) other scientists may wish to repeat the experiments to test the findings
(2) the validity of the results depends in part on the techniques and types of analyses used
Results: This section is typically a very technical presentation of the outcome of the experiment. The results are usually described with the aid of tables, statistical tests where appropriate, and figures and diagrams if necessary.
Discussion: This is where the authors interpret their results in light of previous work in the area. Here the authors must convince the reader of the validity and importance of their findings. Sometimes, ideas for future or follow-up research are included.
References cited: The authors must list all the articles they cited within their own article as the last section of the paper. This is an excellent way to find citations to other related articles.
Taken from Gerstein Science Information Center, University of Toronto
This Library Guide (LibGuide) is designed to help you with research for PSYC 370.
If you have questions never hesitate to ask a librarian. For help you can come to the research help desk on the main floor of ARC Library.
