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Subject guide for Psychology

On this page, you will find selected resources within psychology. If you need any assistance or if you have any suggestions to the page, please do not hesitate to contact the liaison librarians.

Databases

A database is an online platform where you will find resources that are relevant to a specific academic area. See selected databases of particular relevance for psychology.

See databases

  • PsycINFO
    One of the key databases within psychology, psychiatry, and related areas.
    Covers from 1806-
  • PubMed
    One of the key databases within the area of healthcare. Covers medicine, psychiatry, and public health.
    Covers from 1966-
  • Scopus
    Scopus is a database for articles and a citation index. It is possible to perform citation searches to see the amount of references an article has received. Useful for interdisciplinary subjects.
    Covers from 1960-
  • Web of Science (WoS)
    A database for articles and citation index. It is an interdisciplinary database with a unique entryway to international academic literature, especially American. This database allows for citation and chain searches through the reference lists of the registered articles. It is possible to choose between six different databases but it may be useful to limit the search to “Social Science Citation Index”. Useful for interdisciplinary subjects.
    Covers from 1900-
  • ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)
    A key database within the pedagogical and educational field.
    Covers from 1966-
  • Embase
    A database within the field of biomedicine and pharmacology. Used especially for psychiatry and works as a key addition to PubMed although there is an overlap between the two databases.
    Covers from 1947-
  • Cochrane
    Cochrane Collaboration collects, critically assesses and summarizes information on the effect of a given treatment and prevention (evidence-based) and maintains systematic reviews. The core of this database is the collection of Cochrane Reviews, which consists of systematic evaluations and meta-analyses of medical research.
    Covers from 1996-
  • PEP (Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing)
    Text archive with full access to psychoanalytic literary classics, including Freud and Piaget’s collected works in German and in English translation.
    Covers from 1871-
  • Business Source Complete
    Key database within management and organizational psychology.
    Covers from 1866-
  • ABI Inform Global
    Key database within management and organizational psychology. This database also covers consumer behavior and corporate culture.
    Covers from 1971-
  • Sociological Abstracts
    Key database within sociology. It also covers social psychology.
    Covers from 1952-
  • ProQuest Social Sciences
    Allows for searches across several social science databases simultaneously, including PsycINFO. A search in this collection will present many references. We recommend that you use “advanced search” and “Anywhere except full text”.
    Covers from 1960-

APA referencing standard for your references

The Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences uses the referencing standard developed by APA (American Psychological Association) for written assignments.

Find resources on the APA standard

Diagnostic manuals

The library provides access to both the American diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) and the European international statistical classification of diseases (ICD). Find the available manuals - either online or physical copies.

Tips for writing assignments and searching for literature

Here you can find different links and materials that can help you along when writing papers. Find out how to carry out a systematic literature search, find former students’ theses, and a checklist for your literature search.

See resources for tips for writing assignments and searching for literature

Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish sources

Danish and generally Nordic literature can be difficult to find. Find a selection of links to search for Nordic sources.

See links for Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish sources

Denmark

  • Bibliotek.dk
    Books and journals available through Danish public and research libraries. Any registered library user is able to book materials available in the database.
  • Research Portal Denmark
    The research portal collects and organizes data about published Danish research, e.g. scientific articles, PhD dissertations, conference contributions etc.

Norway

  • Cristin
    The Norwegian parallel to Research Portal Denmark.
  • Nora
    Norwegian research publications: articles, dissertations, books, research reports, theses.
  • Oria
    Here you can search within Norwegian subject specific and research library resources: books, articles, journals, papers etc.
  • Scandinavian University Press (previously Idunn)
    Full text Norwegian journal articles.

Sweden

  • LIBRIS
    LIBRIS is the joint library database of the Swedish national library and Swedish research and university libraries with literature dating back to the 1600s. Books, journals, articles, notes, maps, electronic material etc.
  • SwePub
    The Swedish parallel to Research Portal Denmark: references to Swedish research publications (books, chapters, articles, conference contributions, reports, dissertations, articles communicating research results from the Swedish daily press etc.). The material originates from Swedish universities and other research institutions.

Scandinavia

  • NB-ECEC
    The database Nordic Base of Early Childhood Education and Care collects new, quality-assessed Scandinavian research on 0-6 year-old children in daycare. The database is updated annually.

AI tools for literature searching

AI search tools can supplement your other literature searches, for example at the beginning or the end of your search process. The tools are constantly evolving and often include both free and paid features. The AI tools search through content from open, scientific archives.

See AI search tools and open archives

AI search tools

  • Elicit
    Ask an academic question in ‘Find papers’ and get an answer based on selected sources from the open archive Semantic Scholar. The answer is supplemented by a table with key points from the sources. Requires a free user profile.
  • Perplexity
    Ask an academic question and get an answer based on selected sources. Choose ‘Academic’ and search within academic sources from the open archive Semantic Scholar and the PubMed database. Create a free user profile to make ‘Pro’ or ’Deep Research’ searches.
  • Ask.orkg.org
    Ask an academic question and get an answer based on selected sources from the open archive Core. The answer is supplemented by a table with key points from the sources.
  • Inciteful
    Enter an article title or DOI and get a network of articles that share citations with the entered article. The citation network is based on content from the open archives OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and OpenCitations.
  • ResearchRabbit
    Enter one or more articles or DOIs and get a network of articles that share citations with the entered articles. The citation network is based on content from open archives such as OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar. Requires a free user profile.

Open archives

Open, scientific archives contain titles, abstracts, and sometimes the full text of a large number of articles, working papers, etc. The content in the open archives is not selected in the same way as in established scientific databases, so reflect critically on your search results. You can search the open archives either via an AI search tool or directly in the archive.

  • OpenAlex
    Retrieves data from sources such as PubMed, arXiv, DOAJ, Unpaywall, Zenodo, and ORCID. 
  • Semantic Scholar
    Retrieves data from sources such as PubMed, arXiv, and publishers like Sage, Springer, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis.
  • Lens
    Retrieves data from sources such as PubMed, OpenAlex, Crossref, and Unpaywall.
  • Core
    Collects metadata and, in many cases, the full text of scientific articles.
  • Crossref
    Collaborates with a wide range of publishers and institutions to provide open metadata, e.g., on articles, books, preprints, datasets, etc.

Libraries within your field of study

Liaison librarians


Syllabus literature in the library

In the library you will find a course collection consisting of books that are on your syllabus. The books are intended for scan or print in the library and are not for loan.

If you would like to borrow a copy, you can check the library database for available copies.

At Bartholins Allé the psychology course collection is next to the information desk on the ground floor. The books in this collection are all marked with a pink tape. 
See all the titles in the course collection of psychology.

Video material with clinical psychological content

The library provides streaming access to a selection of videos about different therapy types and processes. These are available for both students and employees.

Psychological tests

The library keeps a collection of psychological tests for the Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences. This collection is ONLY obtainable for employees from the department at AU.

AU psychology students who participate in or have passed the course “Test- og undersøgelsesmetode” can view the tests at the library. Ask one of the liaison librarians to learn more.