Psychological & Brain Sciences

Guide to best UMass Library resources for research in psychology

Databases

A database is an electronic collection of information organized to help patrons access relevant information. Unlike search engines, databases are extensively tagged to help patrons find information and include citations. This list is automatically generated by finding all of our databases that list psychology as an area of coverage from the publisher. Many of these databases are not psychology- or health-specific. Databases like Academic Search Premier aggregate articles from many different subjects, but do include some content specific to psychological and brain sciences.

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Journals

There are many, many journals that publish peer reviewed research articles in the psychological and brain sciences. Here are a few big names to watch, as they are highly regarded and widely read in the discipline. Depending on your area of interest, a more specific journal may be a better fit for content relevant to your research.

American Psychologist The flagship peer-reviewed scholarly journal of the American Psychological Association, American Psychologist publishes current and timely high-impact papers of broad interest. These papers include empirical reports, meta-analyses, and other types of scholarly reviews. Topics cover psychological science, practice, education, and policy. Contributions often address issues of national and international significance, both with regard to the profession of psychology and its relationship to society at large.
Journal of Applied Psychology Emphasizes the publication of original investigations that contribute new knowledge and understanding to fields of applied psychology (other than clinical and applied experimental or human factors, which are more appropriate for other APA journals). The journal primarily considers empirical and theoretical investigations that enhance understanding of cognitive, motivational, affective, and behavioral psychological phenomena in work and organizational settings, broadly defined.
The Lancet Psychiatry Publishes original research that advocates change in, or illuminates, psychiatric practice. Topics considered by the journal include psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and psychosocial approaches to all psychiatric disorders, across the life course. We cover innovative treatments and the biological research underpinning such developments, novel methods of service delivery, and new ways of thinking about mental illness promoted by social psychiatry.
Nature Neuroscience Publishes molecular, cellular, systems and cognitive neuroscience, as well as psychophysics, computational modeling and diseases of the nervous system, with emphasis on research that provides fundamental insights into the functioning of the nervous system. Covers primary research, news and views, reviews, editorials, commentaries, perspectives, book reviews and correspondence.
Neuron Publishes articles on interdisciplinary strategies which integrate biophysical, cellular, developmental, and molecular approaches with a systems approach to sensory, motor, and higher-order cognitive functions.

Some journals focus exclusively on review articles. These are invaluable in offering a comprehensive synthesis of the state of research on a particular topic, outlining our current knowledge and the gaps in our understanding.

Review Journals

Psychological Bulletin The APA's flagship review journal, publishes evidence syntheses of research in scientific psychology. Evidence syntheses may take many forms (e.g., systematic reviews, meta-analyses, meta-reviews). Evidence syntheses that develop connections between areas of research are particularly valuable.
Clinical Psychology Review Publishes substantive reviews of topics germane to clinical psychology. Papers cover diverse issues including: psychopathology, psychotherapy, behavior therapy, cognition and cognitive therapies, behavioral medicine, community mental health, assessment, and child development. Papers should be cutting edge and advance the science and/or practice of clinical psychology.
Annual Review of Psychology Covers the significant developments in the field of psychology, including: biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, cognitive processes, animal learning and behavior, human development, psychopathology, clinical and counseling psychology, social psychology, personality, environmental psychology, community psychology, and more.
Annual Review of Neuroscience Covers the significant developments across the entire field of neuroscience, including molecular and cellular neuroscience, neurogenetics, development, plasticity and repair, systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, behavior, and neurobiology of disease, with occasional reviews in history of neuroscience and ethics.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences Brings together research in psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, philosophy, computer science and neuroscience. Provides overview of current thinking for scientists, students and teachers who want to keep up with the latest developments in the cognitive sciences.