Use Research Guides for Help with Your Research

Research Guides from Sofia Library have information to help you use the resources the library has to offer. There are guides for basic research, as well guides for certain programs, written by the Sofia University librarians. E-mail us with any questions: refdesk@sofia.edu

All of our Research Guides are available from the library Web site by selecting the green button on the right hand side of the page to Research Guides. We will be keeping these Guides up to date with any new developments. You can also go directly to Sofia Library’s Research Guides from this link: http://sofia.libguides.com/

Here is a list of our current guides with links:

1.	Databases Guide: Sofia University Library by Lucy Erman - Last Updated Apr 23, 2014 392 views this year

2.	Find What You Need: Sofia Library Research Guide by Lucy Erman - Last Updated Apr 23, 2014 169 views this year

3.	Alumni Services - Sofia/ITP Library Research Guide by Lucy Erman - Last Updated Nov 21, 2013 133 views this year

4.	EndNote at Sofia University by Lucy Erman - Last Updated Mar 25, 2014 85 views this year

5.	Sofia Library Services and Collections on Campus by Katrina Rahn - Last Updated Oct 18, 2013 69 views this year

6.	Transpersonal Psychology by Linda Magnusson - Last Updated Aug 27, 2013 67 views this year

7.	Spiritual Guidance Research Guide by Katrina Rahn - Last Updated Apr 22, 2014 27 views this year

8.	Clinical Psychology by Linda Magnusson - Last Updated Sep 4, 2013 24 views this year

9.	Faculty Library Services - Sofia Library Research Guide by Lucy Erman - Last Updated Mar 20, 2014 22 views this year

10.	Women's Spirituality Research Guide by Katrina Rahn - Last Updated Apr 22, 2014 16 views this year

APA Handbooks Trial: Now Until May 15, 2014

We are happy to announce a database trial for the entire set of APA Handbooks. The trial will last until May 15th. You will be able to download PDF chapters from any of the 26 handbooks.

The handbooks cover a variety of subfields in psychology including addiction syndrome, educational psychology and much more. Whenever we have a trial it gives our community the opportunity to evaluate resources for possible purchase or subscription in the future.

The link to the APA handbook trial is on our Access Databases page or here.

Questions or comments? Please email us at refdesk@sofia.edu

APA handbook of Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality (Vol 1): Context, Theory, and Research is Online

Check out the new APA handbook of Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality (Vol 1): Context, Theory, and Research. It is available in full text online. You can access and download each chapter as a PDF.

The goal of this handbook is to provide thorough coverage of the current state of the field: what we know about religion and spirituality and their roles in human functioning (as well as what we do not know), and how we can apply this knowledge to advance the welfare of people, individually and collectively. In addition, we hope to spur the field forward by encouraging greater coherence and integration in the field. To achieve our first goal of thorough coverage of the psychology of religion and spirituality, we have taken the ambitious approach of creating a two-volume handbook. To achieve our second goal of encouraging greater coherence in the field, we have taken two steps. First, we have developed an integrative paradigm, consisting of several guiding themes for the field. Our integrative paradigm is introduced in the first chapter of Volume 1 and elaborated further in the introduction to Volume 2. Readers are strongly encouraged to read these introductory chapters to provide them with this orienting vision for the field. We also shared the integrative paradigm with the authors of our chapters and asked them to work within this overarching perspective. Second, we have provided a strong organizing framework for these two volumes. Although both volumes integrate research, theory, and practice, the first volume places greater emphasis on research and theory, and the second volume focuses in greater detail on practice.  - APA Site

It is tremendously validating to see this work, and the Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology, to be published within a year of each other. One might say it is a trend!

Currently we have the substantial 700-page first volume, but we will be looking into getting volume two as soon as possible.

Psychotherapy.net Streaming Video Collection

We just added a new database of streaming clinical videos from Psychotherapy.net.  Please take some time to explore it.

It contains 110 titles and growing. There is no overlap between this collection and the Alexander Street Press Counseling and Therapy in Video collection. 
 

The following psychologists, and many more, are represented in the collection: 

• Insoo Kim Berg
• James Bugental
• Albert Ellis
• James Hillman
• Sue Johnson
• Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Hanna Levenson
• Peter Levine
• Marsha Linehan
• Rollo May
• Monica McGoldrick
• Salvador Minuchin
• Violet Oaklander
• Carl Rogers
• Natalie Rogers
• Ernest Rossi
• Judith Rubin
• Virginia Satir
• David and Jill Scharff
• Martin Seligman
• Irvin Yalom

The new database is full of great learning opportunities. Please let us know if you have questions or issues by email at refdesk@sofia.edu.

Films on Demand Trial: 11/6/2013 to 11/21/2013

By patron request, we have set up a database trial for Films on Demand. They are an academic streaming video database provider. The trial includes unlimited usage. Interested Sofia community members may contact us for logins at refdesk@sofia.edu

 

Films On Demand: Humanities & Social Sciences Video Collection
Start Date: 11/6/2013
Expiration Date: 11/21/2013
http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=36783

Films On Demand: Philosophy & Religion Video Collection
Start Date: 11/6/2013
Expiration Date: 11/21/2013
http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=36783

Films On Demand: Psychology Video Collection
Start Date: 11/6/2013
Expiration Date: 11/21/2013
http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=36783

Enjoy! We appreciate your feedback about these trials as it helps to give us information about what our patrons find useful and we can possibly plan to subscribe to one or more of these databases in the future.

Creating a Search Journal

Learning about library research is an ongoing and dynamic process. We find that students and faculty often find having a search journal a helpful tool for this process. Using a search journal as a regular reflective process deepens and informs your process. What works? What doesn't?  With each journalling session you can reflect on your research process, weaving together practical discoveries with your own insights and state of mind.

The journal can take any form that works: a small handmade journal for each assigned paper, a binder full of paper, a Word document, or a Google Doc that you open and maintain every time you are online.

We suggest you follow a few helpful tips if you are starting a search journal for the first time:

The most important thing is to journal about what is useful to you. If you make it a natural part of your research, you will find that searching becomes easier.  What is the search process like for you? What are you learning from it? 

Be sure to document both useful keywords and keywords that proved to be deadends. What are their definitions and are they part of the language of a particular field? You may want to create a mindmap of terms you discover so that you can see where there may be patterns or gaps.

Document relevant authors you discover along the way. They may be future peers if this becomes your area of expertise. You can watch who cites these authors for additional good content. 

Track journal titles that address your topic. You can return to these journals when you find you want to keep up with new articles in this area.

Keep a list of databases or websites that yielded the best scholarship. You may want to use them again.

New Transpersonal Psychology Book Worth Exploring

Some of you may already know about the new book about the field of transpersonal psychology:

The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology

We are so proud that so many of our faculty, alums and students contributed to this scholarly text. We have a print copy on display in the library on the table nearest the Reference Collection. We will attempt to ask all of the authors to sign it, but that may take some time.

We also purchased an e-book copy of the Handbook. This is available in the ebrary e-book collection. This is a multi-user access title, so 3 people can access it at once. Please be patient and try again if you are that 4th person. We will track usage to see if we need to purchase another e-copy.

Questions about this book? Please email us.