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SPCE 290: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders

Provides specific suggestions to help with assignments requiring research in SPCE 290.

What you need to do...

The "research" part of this assignment:

The PowerPoint presentation should provide a detailed overview of one of the topics listed in Appendix F of the syllabus that you have been assigned...The presentation should help provide parents, other professionals, and/or individuals with autism with current information on the topic.  Students should incorporate current research into the presentation."

Clearly, you'll need to do research to find current information on your topic.

Choose your database

Since you need to provide a detailed overview of your topic, you're likely to want to consult more than one database to be sure you're finding good, current research.  Also, depending on your topic, you may really need to look outside of the field of psychology.

Suggestions:

Choose your search terms

The standard reminders apply:

  • It can be helpful to put quotation marks around phrases. 
    • Ex. "joint attention"
  • Remember to think of other ways to describe your topic, or look at other ways it's described in good articles, and then use OR to search for those synonyms or related terms.
    • If I were researching a topic of repetitive behaviors in PsycINFO, I should look at good records and/or the Thesaurus to see that the phrase "repetition compulsion" is used as well.  Then in my search box, I should type:
      • "repetitive behavior" OR "repetition compulsion" in order to search for both phrases.