Collins Memorial Library: NEUROSCIENCE: SUBJECT GUIDE: Getting Started

Selected Print Reference

Developmental Psychopathology by Dante Cicchetti (Editor)
Call Number: RC454.4 .D483 2006 Reference (Main Floor)
Publication Date: 2006
Contains current research on every aspect of developmental psychopathology and addresses theoretical perspectives and methodological issues, including cross-cultural perspectives, developmental epidemiology, self determination theory, and gender issues.
Encyclopedia of the Human Brain by Vilanayur S. Ramachandran (Editor-In-Chief)
Call Number: QP376 .E586 2002 Reference (Main Floor)
Publication Date: 2002
Article topics include anatomy, physiology, neuropsychology, clinical neurology, neuropharmacology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and behavioral science.
Handbook of Developmental Social Neuroscience by Michelle de Haan (Editor)
Call Number: QP363.5 .H366 2009
Publication Date: 2009
Recent years have seen an explosion of research into the physiological and neural bases of social behavior. This state-of-the-science Handbook is unique in approaching the topic from a developmental perspective. Exploring the dynamic relationship between biology and social behavior from infancy through adolescence, leading investigators discuss key processes in typical and atypical development.
The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences by Robert A. Wilson (Editor)
Call Number: BF311 .M556 1999
Publication Date: 1999
Each article provides an introduction to an important concept in the cognitive sciences, as well as references or further readings. Six extended essays provide overviews of each of six major areas of cognitive science: Philosophy; Psychology; Neurosciences; Computational Intelligence; Linguistics and Language; and Culture, Cognition, and Evolution.

Recommended Starting Points: Subject Encyclopedias

Subject Encyclopedias are scholarly works written by experts on a variety of topics. The articles are typically longer and more detailed than general encyclopedias. The background information provides a good starting point as you begin the research process. Subject encyclopedias can help guide you with:

Understanding the scope of a topic
Suggesting ideas for narrowing a topic
Identifying key concepts, terms, dates and names
Listing subject areas related to a topic
Recommending sources for further exploration

Selected Online Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Neuroscience by Marc D. Binder (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2009
Experts have contributed detailed introductory chapters to each of 43 topic fields ranging from the fundamentals of neuroscience to developments in the inter-disciplinary fields of Computational Neuroscience and Neurophilosophy. Some 1,000 multi-color illustrations enhance and expand the writings.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development by Brian Hopkins (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2005
Covers everything from prenatal development to education, pediatrics, neuroscience, theories, and research methods to physical development, social development, cognitive development, psychopathology, and parenting.
Oxford Companion to Consciousness by Tim Bayne (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2010
Covers both fundamental concepts related to the study of consciousness as well as recent advances in this rapidly changing domain. The Companion reflects the profoundly interdisciplinary nature of the domain by including contributions from philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, experimental and clinical psychology, ethology, and neuroscience.
The Oxford Companion to the Mind by Richard L. Gregory (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2004
Discusses concepts such as language, memory, and intelligence, and includes three 'mini symposia'--on consciousness, brain scanning, and artificial intelligence--with contributions from a number of specialists, and encompassing a range of approaches. Topics include, artificial life, attachment theory, caffeine, cruelty, drama, extra-terrestrial intelligence, genetics of mental illness, imagination, lying, puzzles, and twins.
Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by Richard Cammack (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2006
Provides a comprehensive and 'encyclopaedic' survey of modern biochemistry and molecular biology. The entries are short but informative, providing up-to-date information on a broad range of topics, including definitions for terms from the fields of Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Systems Biology, and Toxicology.

What's a tertiary source?

Tertiary sources are excellent starting points! They consist of information synthesized from primary and secondary sources. Examples include:

Almanacs
Chronologies
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Directories
Fact books
Guidebooks
Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies used to locate primary and secondary sources
Manuals
Textbooks

These resources give you succinct overviews of your topic, explain scholarly arguments, point out interesting questions, and refer you to especially key sources.

Need help?

This guide highlights only a small portion of the many resources available to you. If you're not finding what you need, don't hesitate to contact Andrea!

Andrea Klyn
Social Sciences Liaison Librarian
email: aklyn@pugetsound.edu
tel: (253) 879-2875
office: Collins Library 141

Request an Appointment with Andrea