MAS 280 - Social Perspectives
The following is a guide to finding and retrieving scholarly articles on the psychology of Chicano populations in the United States online and in print journals in the UA Libraries. As many of the topics being investigated by students in this class are not directly related to the study of psychology, many articles will be found in databases other than psychology databases. See the lists below before choosing a database to search.
Suggestions for Research
- Very few databases recognize "Chicano" as a subject heading. Almost without exception, the databases listed below will use "Mexican Americans" as an indexing term. Try using "Mexican Americans" in subject searches, or "Chicanos" in keyword searches.
- Begin your search with the general databases listed below, then use the additional databases listed according to the subject of your research. Think beyond the psychology and sociology databases! Depending on your research, there may well be a more useful database than the psych/sociology indexes. If you are researching a particular behavior of non-Chicanos or non-Chicano groups toward Chicanos (for example, how Anglo doctors treat Chicano emergency room patients), you should probably research Anglos as well as Chicanos.
- Be creative when choosing the terms with which to frame your research. For example, if you're looking at Chicanos and banking practices, it makes sense to use "banks," "financial institutions," etc., in addition to "banks."
- Unfortunately, a lot of research on Chicanos gets mixed in with other ethnic groups. So you might want to broaden your search to "minority" or "Latino" rather than "Chicano" for optimal results.
- FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ASSISTANCE: don't hesitate to call or e-mail me to set up a research consultation in my office at the Main Library. My contact information is below. I prefer that you e-mail me and write a detailed message so I know what you're researching before you come in.
General Databases
PsycINFO
PsycINFO contains citations and abstracts to articles in journals, dissertations, and book chapters in all areas of psychology. It also includes the full text and indexing of all articles from PsycARTICLES. Try a subject search for "Mexican Americans" or a keyword search for "Chicano."
Like PsycARTICLES and Academic Search Premier (below), PsycINFO is an EBSCO database, so it can be searched simultaneously with PsycARTICLES and Academic Search Premier. Click here for more information.
PsycARTICLES
PsycARTICLES provides the full text of over 25,000 articles from 42 journals published by the American Psychological Association and allied organizations. All of these articles are indexed in PsycINFO (above). Subject searches are not possible in this database; try keyword searches for "Chicano" or "Mexican American."
Like PsycINFO and Academic Search Premier, PsycARTICLES is an EBSCO database, so it can be searched simultaneously with PsycINFO and Academic Search Premier. Click here for more information.
Sociological Abstracts
Sociological Abstracts includes citations and abstracts to articles from an international collection of journal titles as well as abstracts to dissertations, and conference proceedings. Subject focus includes sociology, family studies, gerontology, sociolinguistics and related fields. Try a "descriptor" search for "Mexican Americans," or a keyword search for "Chicano/s."
Identifies all types of material on Mexican-American topics. Records added since 1992 have expanded the scope to the broader Latino experience, including Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Central American immigrants. The Chicano Database also includes the Spanish Speaking Mental Health Database, covering psychological, sociological, and educational literature. Citations only. DO NOT search for "Mexican Americans" or "Chicanos," as these will return too many documents.
Academic Search Complete
The world's largest scholarly academic multi-disciplinary database, and covers a broad range of disciplines including general academic, business, social sciences, humanities, general sciences, education, and multi-cultural topics.
Like PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES, ASP is an EBSCO database, so it can be searched simultaneously with PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES. Click here for more information.
For Articles on Chicanos and Business
Examples: the buying power of Chicanos; Chicano-owned small businesses; Chicanos and financial institutions
Business and Company Resource Center
For Articles on Chicanas
Examples: Chicanas and domestic violence; Chicanas and the professions; lesbian Chicanas
For Articles on Chicanos and Education
Examples: retention and graduation rates of Chicanos from high school and university; Chicanos in medical school
For Topics Related to Chicanos and Health
Examples: Chicanos and heart disease; Chicanos and nutrition; Chicanos and diabetes
***Searching PscyINFO, PsycARTICLES and ASP Simultaneously via EBSCOhost
Because PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and Academic Search Premier (ASP) come from the same publishing company (EBSCOhost), their interfaces are identical, and the three databases can be searched at the same time. To combine the databases for a simultaneous search, click here to access EBSCOhost. Once you've accessed EBSCOhost, you'll be offered four options. The first two, EBSCOhost Web and EBSCOhost Text Only, will allow you to combine PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and ASP in one search. The second option will allow you to limit your search to articles that are available full-text online; however, this is not recommended, as by doing so you may miss valuable information that is available online in other databases or in print in the UA Libraries.
Web page created by Olivia Olivares, Mexican-American Studies Librarian
Page created October 18, 2004; last update August 18, 2005
Copyright ©2004-2005 University of Arizona Board of Regents
All rights reserved.
Need Help? Contact Gaby Lopez