Psychology Research Guide

Research Literature Lifecycle

This diagram illustrates how researchers create, publish, and access information through three interconnected cycles, shown as concentric circles around a central researcher figure.

Inner Circle: Knowledge Cycle (Red) - Research Stages

Purpose: The stages researchers move through when creating knowledge

Moving clockwise from top right:

1. Develop & discuss ideas
2. Present early research
3. Report research
4. Publish research
5. Popularize ideas
6. Generalize ideas

Middle Circle: Publication Cycle (Green) - Knowledge Dissemination

Purpose: Formal presented or published scholarly communications

Moving clockwise from top right:

1. Lab notebooks, Grant proposals
2. Proceedings, Preprints
3. Dissertations/theses, Technical reports
4. Scholarly journals
5. Magazines, Newspapers, Websites
6. Textbooks, Encyclopedias

Outermost Circle: Access Cycle (Blue) - Discovery Options

Purpose: Where researchers find information

Moving clockwise from top right:

1. Selective audiences
2. Meetings, bioRxiv
3. Dissertation Abstracts, Association websites
4. Library databases (PubMed, Biological Abstracts, PsycINFO)
5. Media (paid/free), Library databases
6. Library catalogs, Library databases

Key concept: The cycles are interconnected, showing that researchers move between accessing existing information (outer cycle), consulting published works (middle cycle), and progressing through their own research stages (inner cycle). All three cycles work together throughout the research process.

Adapted from: University of Washington Libraries. (1999). The Scientific Publication Cycle. Retrieved c 2009, from http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/environment/imt220/pubcycle.jpg

If you remember only 3 things, let it be these:

• Always, always, always start your research at the NEIU Libraries home page.
  Our catalog and A-Z databases list provide special links that identify you as an NEIU student.
   
• Use your NEIU NetID and password to log in to library resources if off campus.
  UTS refers to this as your "User ID" (as opposed to the NEIU ID number, which they call the "University ID"). Neither of these is your email address. Leave off the @neiu.edu.
   
• Frustrated? Ask for help!
  Sometimes our systems can be a little confusing. Not finding what you need? Contact me!

"Database"?

NEIU Libraries subscribes to dozens of search tools that are not freely available online. We pay annual subscription fees for these resources. You can access them anytime, from anywhere with your NEIU NetID and password.

Why use these?

• The content can be limited to peer-reviewed or scholarly journals, which is what many instructors want you to use in academic papers.
• Databases offer advanced search features that make searching more efficient.
• Many of the subscriptions include full text articles.

How do I choose?

• Consider the level of the course.
• Consider the type of information you want.
• Consider how many references you need.