Welcome to the new library homepage for students who enrolled through Northcentral University. To access the old NCU library homepage, click here. If you enrolled through National University, click here. Please be aware that the NU and NCU students have access to all of the same resources, and we will be merging library homepages by next year.
Welcome to the new library homepage! If you are looking for the old homepage, click here.
Click here for a transcript of this tutorial video.
The tutorial above will show you how to search CREDO Reference and Gale eBooks to find background information. You can find links to those databases (and a few other interesting resources) below.
CREDO Reference is great for finding credible background information on a person, theory, or historical moment. It contains full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works.
Watch a quick tutorial on using CREDO here.
Gale eBooks contains an extensive collection of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works. It's helpful for finding credible background information on a wide variety of topics.
Psychology dictionaries
Use these to find brief definitions of psychology-related terms.
Psychology encyclopedias
Use these to find longer explanations for psychology-related terms, often with historical or theoretical context.
The DSM
The DSM-5-TR is used by health professionals, social workers, and forensic and legal specialists to diagnose and classify mental disorders.
Other resources to try
These are collections of specialist dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks. Use them to find more definitions and background information on your subject.
Content: Reference sources, primarily books but also videos and business cases.
Purpose: Use for finding reference sources like encyclopedias and handbooks that provide contextual or explanatory material.
Special Features: Includes Sage Navigator
Finding information about methodologies
SAGE Research Methods
When to use it: Use SAGE Research Methods to search a collection of handbooks and other online resources that'll explain and describe quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods for social science research, including psychology.
Publication types: Handbooks and other ebooks
Where to find help using it: SAGE has a collection of tutorial videos available here.
Help with citing from it: Find the guidance for online encyclopedia entries here.
Gale eBooks
When to use it: Gale eBooks includes specialist reference materials for psychology and social sciences. Try searching for the name of a methodology to find books on it.
Publication types: Encyclopedias and handbooks
Where to find help using it: Watch this video tutorial to learn how to search Gale eBooks.
Help with citing from it: Find the guidance for online encyclopedia entries here.
Finding information about theories and theorists
The Biographical Dictionary of Psychology
When to use it: This ebook provides biographical information and critical analysis of the influences and reception of people who have made a significant contribution to the field of psychology.
Publication types: Dictionary with biographical information
Where to find help using it: See the Dictionary's how-to page here.
Help with citing from it: Find the APA's guidance for citing dictionary entries here.
Elsevier’s Dictionary of Psychological Theories
When to use it: Use this resource to discover psychological theories; especially helpful if you're trying to brainstorm theories that you can use for your own project.
Publication types: Dictionary with biographical information
Where to find help using it: See the Dictionary's how-to page here.
Help with citing from it: Find the APA's guidance for citing dictionary entries here.
Gale eBooks
When to use it: Gale is a collection of ebooks that includes specialist reference materials for psychology and social sciences. Try searching for the name of a theorist or theory to find biographical and background information.
Publication types: Encyclopedias and handbooks
Where to find help using it: Watch this video tutorial to learn how to search Gale eBooks.
Help with citing from it: Find the guidance for citing online encyclopedia entries here.
Tip: Visit the Finding Books page to search the Library's general catalog for biographies and histories.
When you click on the link for any of our online resources, you'll be asked to log in.
Click on the blue Single Sign On button and use your usual SSO credentials (just like you would to log into SOAR).
You can find more help for logging in here.
The Library's interlibrary loan service allows you to request books (and articles) from other lenders. This service is free, but please allow time for processing and delivery. We're unable to process requests for class textbooks through interlibrary loan.
You can learn more about the interlibrary loan service, and find the request form, here..
Please note that, due to COVID-19-related campus closures, we aren't currently able to process requests for physical materials..
Books Direct is a book delivery service for the National University community. We'll ship books from our Library to other National University campuses, or to home addresses outside of San Diego, for free. Learn more about the Books Direct service, and fill in the request form, here.
Please note that, due to COVID-19-related campus closures, we aren't currently able to process requests for physical materials..
