Psychology & Counseling Research Guide
E-books
APA PsychBooks
This database is a full-text collection of over 1600 books published by APA. Classic books from other publishers are also included, along with over 1,500 authored entries from the APA/Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Psychology.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5)
Find more e-books related to psychology in this guide from the DTL.
Find more e-books related to pastoral care & counseling in this guide from the DTL.
Journal articles
Use these databases to search for articles related to psychology & counseling topics.
ProQuest Psychology Journals
This database provides abstracts and indexing for key Psychology titles, many which are available in full text. Coverage ranges from behavioral, clinical, cognitive, developmental, experimental, industrial and social psychology, along with personality, psychobiology and psychometrics.
APA PsycTests database
This database provides access to information and research about psychological tests from the early 1900s to the present. Test records include descriptive summaries of the test and its development and administration, mostly drawn from articles in peer-reviewed journals or books, with downloadable tests. 75% of the test records contain the actual test or test items. Links lead to articles about the tests.
PTSDPubs
This database, formerly called PILOTS, is produced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD. The database provides citations and abstracts to the worldwide literature on PTSD and other psychological effects of trauma.
Find more journals & databases related to psychology in this guide from the DTL.
Find more journals & databases related to pastoral care & counseling in this guide from the DTL.
You can also find more articles using the article finder search at the DTL.
Reference Works
Encyclopedias and dictionaries are a great place to start a research project. They will help you get an overview of your subject, and many cite other sources you can use in your own research.
Oxford Dictionary of Psychology (4 ed.)
by Andrew M. Colman
The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science
by Edward W. Craighead; Charles B. Nemeroff
Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling
by Rodney J. Hunter; Nancy J. Ramsay
See also this list of reference works related to psychology available through the DTL.
See also this list of reference works related to pastoral care and counseling available through the DTL.
APA style
The resources below provide information for using APA style.
     This link will take you to the APA style manual available from the DTL
- APA Style & Grammar Guidelines from apa.org
     See especially the reference examples for sample citations
- APA Style from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Need some help with your research?
Library
Welcome to the Missio Library
Missio offers students a robust library accessible through the online Digital Theological Library (DTL).
DTL is a digital library of religious and theological studies. It can be found at https://libguides.thedtl.org/home, or by following the links below.
To access the DTL:
- Click here for the library catalog. With this click, you can search for anything!
- Click on a resource and you will arrive on the DTL authentication page.
For information about how to authenticate, place see the “Kairos Library Toolbox” in your Pathwright account. The toolbox can also be found through the Pathwright menu under “Student & Mentor Resources”.
Accessing library materials
Online resources are always available to current students, faculty and staff through the Digital Theological Library (DTL). You can find instructions for how to access the DTL in the menu of your Pathwright account. Look for “Student and Mentor Resources” and then “Library Toolbox”.
Biblical Languages Research Guide
Hebrew
Brown, Driver, and Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament
by Francis Brown; S. R. Driver; Charles A. Briggs
The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament Online
by Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner
Find more online resources in this guide from the DTL.
Greek
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
by Johannes P. Louw; Eugene A. Nida
A New Reader’s Lexicon of the Greek New Testament
by Michael H. Burer; Jeffrey E. Miller
Find more online resources in this guide from the DTL.
Need some help with your research?
Alumni Access Guide
Print resources: Missio alumni may check out print books by visiting the library in person. See the full policy here. If you can’t come to the library in person, please contact us to see if we can send books to you through your local public library’s interlibrary loan service.
Electronic resources: Unfortunately, it isn’t possible at this time to make our subscription electronic resources available to alumni. Our access to the Digital Theological Library is currently limited to enrolled students only. Alumni may access all of our electronic resources, including the complete Digital Theological Library, by coming to campus with a personal computer. We will provide a temporary password for use while studying in the library.
Free electronic resources available through the Open Access Digital Theological Library (OADTL):
The OADTL currently provides access to over 190,000 ebooks and thousands of journals. The collection is continually growing. The OADTL is owned and maintained by the staff of the Digital Theological Library.
Biblical Studies Research Guide
Commentary Series
The following series are available online through the DTL or in print in the library.
Word Biblical Commentary Series
The New International Commentary on the Old Testament Series
The New International Commentary on the New Testament Series
The New American Commentary Series
NIV Application Commentary Series
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Series
The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Series
Databases for Biblical Studies
Use these databases to search for articles related to Biblical Studies topics.
You can find more articles using the article finder search at the DTL.
Reference Works
Bible encyclopedias and dictionaries are a great place to start a research project. They will help you get an overview of your subject, and many cite other sources you can use in your own research.
The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible
The Baker Illustrated Bible DictionaryÂ
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
The IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch
The IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books
The IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets
The IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry, Writings
The IVPÂ Dictionary of New Testament Background
The IVP Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels
The IVP Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
The IVP Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Development
Zondervan Essential Atlas of the Bible
Credo Reference Christianity Collection
See also this list of major Bible encyclopedias and dictionaries available through the DTL.
Need some help with your research?
Research Guides Home Page
Research Guides by Subject
Use the research guides below to quickly identify library resources for your next project.
More guides coming soon!
Print Materials Borrowing Request
Request Print Items for Pickup or Mailing
Start by putting the item(s) on hold within the library catalog. The catalog will ask you to login if you haven’t already. (If this is your first time logging in, you’ll need to set a password.)
Once you’ve reserved the items, complete and submit the form below.
Please note that it may take several days for mailed item(s) to reach you.
If you can’t return your books directly to the library, you can mail them back to us:
(we recommend using library or media rate)
Missio Seminary Library
421 N. 7th Street, Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Please email us (library@missio.edu) with the tracking number.
Partner Libraries
Request Direct Borrowing Letter for Partner Libraries
Whether our library at Missio Seminary is a bit of a drive for you or you need a book we don’t have, we’d be happy to help you find what you need from one of our partner libraries.
Missio’s library is a member of ATLA, SEPTLA, and TCLC, which means that as a student at Missio, you can borrow books from and study at 50+ academic libraries in the tri-state area and 70+ across the country. All you need is your student ID and a letter from us confirming that you’re a student in good standing.
To request a letter of confirmation, please fill out the form below:
Citations and Plagiarism
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is theft.
It is using someone else’s material without giving him or her credit. Whether it’s in an essay, part of a class presentation, on a poster you hang up at school, in a video you share online – trying to pass someone else’s ideas off as your own is stealing. It doesn’t matter if your friend said you could use his ideas … you still have to quote him. And it doesn’t matter if you didn’t know you were using someone else’s ideas. It’s still your fault for poor research practices.
Consequences of plagiarism…not even famous people can escape
Turnitin, an online service for plagiarism prevention and proofreading, lists the following types of plagiarism, from most severe (Clone) to least severe (Re-tweet):
For the image above, if I hadn’t referenced Turnitin or included the download information and URL, I would have been plagiarizing. Even if I had renamed the types of plagiarism and used my own clever icons but didn’t reference Turnitin, it would still be plagiarism because the basic idea came from there.
A famous instance of “Find – Replace” plagiarism occurred a few years ago, when noted historian Stephen Ambrose was found to have borrowed key phrases, syntax, and ideas from other historians. For example, in his book The Wild Blue (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001), Ambrose wrote, without quotation marks or referencing,
“No amount of practice could have prepared the pilot and the crew for what they encountered – B-24s, glittering like mica, were popping up out of the clouds over here, over there, everywhere.” (164)
Six years earlier, another historian, Thomas Childers, had written in his book The Wings of Morning (New York: Perseus Books, 1995),
“No amount of practice could have prepared them for what they encountered. B-24s, glittering like mica, were popping up out of the clouds all over the sky.” (83)
Coincidence?
While Ambrose’s reputation was long solidified as a popular historian, his legacy was tarnished and he died a year later, as further cases of plagiarism surfaced. While you may not die as a result of plagiarism, the point is that even famous people get caught stealing words and ideas. It’s a serious matter.
Why and when do I have to cite?
Proper citation is essential for academic writing integrity. Citing sources serves three important purposes:
It acknowledges that others have contributed valuable information to a given subject, and it also shows that you have the skills and ability to work with a variety of ideas.
Section 8 of the First Article of the United States Constitution grants Congress the power “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries”. In other words, the United States government has the power to make and enforce patent and copyright laws.
The copyright law of the United States is embodied in Title 17 of the United States Code. For specific details, see Copyright Clarity by Renee Hobbs, or Copyright Basics, which is made available by the U.S. Copyright Office.
Assume that everything is copyrighted except United States government publications. However, even references to US government publications should be cited properly. This includes unpublished works, which have the same copyright protection as published works. Copyright law also governs the making of photocopies of copyrighted material (which is why you can’t copy an entire book).
Properly citing sources legitimately adds your own work to the body of knowledge out there in the world. It’s like being part of a huge conversation. This means that someone may one day cite YOU as a source.
As a rule of thumb, if an idea originates with another person or your original thought is a response to another’s idea, you must use a proper citation to credit the people who influenced your thinking, whether the idea is published or not.
Where citation gets a little fuzzy is the gray area of “common knowledge,” things like historical events, factoids that “everyone knows,” or observations about people, for example. But even learned scholars differ on what can be called “common knowledge.” Generally, if you find the same piece of information in multiple, varied sources (three or more is a good rule), or a wide range of people know it, then it is common.
Below are some essential things to keep in mind as you are researching and writing your coursework. This is obviously not an exhaustive manual on academic writing, but it covers some important recommended standards.
Keep full references of everything you read
Keep them from the beginning and update them as you go. Not only does this help you keep track of what you’ve read, but it can easily be turned into your formal bibliography/works cited list.
Read Widely
The more you read, the better idea you will have about what you are studying, and the more you will be able to formulate your own thoughts rather than rely on one or two sources to say what you need to say.
Keep your notes and writing separate
Put all your notes in one document or file folder, and your actual writing in another. This will help prevent you from copying directly from a source and pasting into your writing. When you do consult your notes for information, look at them side by side with your writing so you are working from them, not just using them.
Save each draft separately
Every time you do major editing or revising, use the “Save As” function to save the draft as a new document. Use a numbering system like “Dissertation draft_v.01” This helps you keep track of when and where you made changes.
Contextualize long quotations
Even when you put long quotes in your notes, be thinking about how they will fit into your arguments and how you will use them to reach your conclusions. It may be helpful to write interpretive notes alongside a quoted passage, so you are already working with the material before you even start writing your actual text. Include what you think the passage is about, how the author uses it, how you will use it, and where it fits into your overall research plan.
Check and double-check your references
As soon as you incorporate a quotation or paraphrase into your thesis, go over the reference to make sure you have written the correct wording, denoted exactly where the quote begins and ends, and marked the appropriate page number(s).
Speak for yourself
Your sources are meant to substantiate what you say, but not to say everything for you. Yours should be the primary voice in the text. It’s okay to use someone else’s ideas as a springboard for your own, but you should always make it clear that you did this.
Ask for help
When in doubt about how you have used source material, speak to a professor or librarian. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to plagiarism.
Try to paraphrase and summarize whenever possible. Paraphrasing means to rewrite something in your own words. Obviously, you would still have to reference the source, because the ideas aren’t yours. But the syntax (arrangement of words), emphasis, and especially interpretation, should be original.
Example: Original passage:
“It has to be said that many leaders, not least Christian leaders, even when they do not succumb to this degree of malevolence, fill the positions around them with less competent people, thinking that they thereby preserve their own image or authority. They don’t of course; they simply become masters of incompetent administrations. On the long haul, their own reputations are diminished. But jealousy is such a blind sin that such obvious realities cannot be admitted.” D. A. Carson, “August 26,” For the Love of God Vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), n.p.
“It has to be said: many leaders, not least Christian leaders, even when they do not succumb to malevolence, fill positions around them with less competent people, thinking they thereby preserve their image and authority. They don’t—they simply become masters of incompetent administrations. In the long run, their own reputations are diminished. However, jealousy is such a blind sin that such obvious realities cannot be admitted.”
Why it’s bad: a few words were changed or deleted (“this degree,” “the,” etc.) and a couple punctuation marks were changed. But the passage was copied almost verbatim.
“Carson (1998) says we must recognize that many leaders, even Christian ones, may not give in to the kind of malicious behavior that Saul exhibited towards David. But they still surround themselves with less competent people, hoping to keep up appearances and maintain their positions of authority. Of course they don’t, because they just become leaders of incompetent administrations. The end result is that their own reputations are tarnished, not just by association, but also because they end up approving decisions that are foolish or even wrong. Sadly, such people cannot acknowledge even obvious truths like these, because jealousy is such a blind sin.”
Why it’s still bad: larger chunks of text were rewritten or reorganized, a little summary of Carson’s earlier material was included, and a few original thoughts were added. There is even a reference. But the ideas and conceptual structure remain the same, and there is next to no original interpretation.
“In the devotional for August 26, Carson discusses how Saul’s selfish jealousy of David had tragic consequences, not the least of which was the destruction of Saul’s own reputation. We naturally want to make ourselves look good, and when we are threatened by others’ successes, we think our own self-images are thereby weakened. So we surround ourselves with people who appear less smart or capable or beautiful. The pride that results from this only serves to make us the ugly ones. But “jealousy is such a blinding sin” (“August 26”) that we do not recognize it in ourselves, leading us, like Saul, to do angry, hateful, and even violent acts against the people we perceive as hurting our reputations.”
Why it’s good: it references where the discussion originated, as well as the direct quotation (using the entry title because there were no page numbers). It reinterprets and re-contextualizes the source material. Though it still reaches the same conclusion (jealousy blinds us), it has a different application for people in general, not just leaders.
How to Format Citations
Most of the programs at Missio prefer, but don’t require, Chicago style. The MA in Counseling (MAC) program requires APA format. The ThM and DMin require Turabian (which is essentially Chicago … see below). When in doubt, check with your professor. We highly recommend that you keep a copy of the latest edition of the appropriate style guide on hand while writing your papers, or use the listed online guides. You can use Citation Machine or the built-in citation option in later versions of Microsoft Word for all styles except SBL.
Below is a quick guide for the different citation styles you may encounter at Missio. Also check out our Citations Handbook, a comprehensive manual for understanding and constructing proper citations. It includes numerous examples of the most common types of sources, using the Turabian, SBL, and APA citation styles.
Citation example: Hanneken, T. (2014). The watchers in rewritten scripture: The use of the book of the watchers in Jubilees. In A. Harkins, K. Bautch, and J. Endres (Eds.), The fallen angels traditions: Second temple developments and reception history (pp. 25-68). Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America.
– Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.
– APA Style Guide FAQs
– Citing eBooks in APA style
– Video tutorials from MU
Citation example: Hanneken, Todd R. “The Watchers in Rewritten Scripture: The Use of the Book of the Watchers in Jubilees.” In The Fallen Angels Traditions: Second Temple Developments and Reception History, ed. Angela K. Harkins, Kelley C. Bautch, and John C. Endres, 25-68. Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 2014.
– The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.
– Chicago Manual of Style Online Quick Guide
– Video tutorials from MU
Citation example: Hanneken, Todd R. “The watchers in rewritten scripture: The use of the book of the watchers in Jubilees.” The Fallen Angels Traditions: Second Temple Developments and Reception History. Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 2014. 25-68. Print.
– MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed.
– The MLA Style Center
– Everything You Need to Know About MLA Citations (EBSCO eBook)
– MLA video tutorials from MU
Citation example:Â The Turabian manual is actually a version of Chicago tailored for student papers as opposed to published works; the example citation is identical to the one for Chicago.
– A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 8th ed.
– Turabian quick guide
– eTurabian.com
Citation example:Â Hanneken, Todd R. “The Watchers in Rewritten Scripture: The Use of the Book of the Watchers in Jubilees.” Pages 25-68 in The Fallen Angels Traditions: Second Temple Developments and Reception History. Edited by Angela K. Harkins, Kelley C. Bautch, and John C. Endres. Washington, D.C.: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 2014.
– The SBL Handbook of Style, 2nd ed.
– SBL’s Student Supplement to the SBL Citation Style Guide
– Pitts Theology Library SBL Citation Builder
Further reading on plagiarism, writing, citing, and other matters academic
- Missio LIB 101 – For Missio faculty & students: information on using the Missio library, but includes sections on citations, bibliographies, and academic research and writing
- IUB Writing Guides – The formatting’s a little odd, but they cover some very useful topics
- Neville, Colin – The Complete Guide to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism
- Pecorari, Diane – Academic writing and plagiarism : a linguistic analysis – An excellent look at how and why students accidentally commit plagiarism
- www.plagiarism.org – A good overview site that covers paraphrasing, citations, bibliographies, footnotes, and more
- Purdue Online Writing Lab – Lots of helpful stuff related to academic writing, including resources on plagiarism and citations
- turnitin.com – Tips on improving your writing and avoiding plagiarism
Library Policies
The Missio library functions primarily as an online library providing e-resources to our students. We hold a small print collection that’s available to seminary students and staff. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to provide library services to community patrons.
Need to provide: Library card (or some form of photo ID)
Borrowing limit: 25 items
Interlibrary loans: Yes
Access to digital resources: Unlimited
Borrowing rights at partner libraries: Yes (request form)
Can have items mailed to home: No* (request form)
—-*Borrowed books may be returned by mail
Need to provide: Library card (or some form of photo ID)
Borrowing limit: None
Interlibrary loans: Yes
Access to digital resources: Unlimited
Borrowing rights at partner libraries: Yes (request form)
Can have items mailed to home: No* (request form)
—-*Borrowed books may be returned by mail
Need to provide: Library card (or some form of photo ID)
Borrowing limit: None, for duration of teaching semester
Interlibrary loans: Yes, for duration of teaching semester
Access to digital resources: Unlimited (please contact the library for details)
Borrowing rights at partner libraries: Yes, for duration of teaching semester (request form)
Can have items mailed to home: No*, before and during teaching semester (request form)
—-*borrowed books may be returned by mail
Need to provide: Library card (or some form of photo ID)
Borrowing limit: None
Interlibrary loans: Yes
Access to digital resources: Unlimited (Board members, please contact the library to activate this)
Borrowing rights at partner libraries: Yes (request form)
Can have items mailed to home: No* (request form)
—-*Borrowed books may be returned by mail
Need to provide: Library card (or some form of photo ID)
Borrowing limit: 15
Interlibrary loans: Available for local alumni by special arrangement with the library
Access to digital resources: Only when on campus
Borrowing rights at partner libraries: No
Can have items mailed to home: No
Unfortunately, Missio Seminary is not currently able to provide library services to patrons from outside the seminary community.
All circulating materials may be renewed two times for a period identical to the initial borrowing period.
- Course reserves: Materials may be borrowed for 1 week and renewed for 2 additional weeks if no one else has reserved it.
- Reference: Materials may not be borrowed. They may be used on campus during library hours
(Exception: faculty may check out reference material for 1 week / 2 weeks with renewal.) - All other items: 6 weeks (18 weeks with renewal)
We don’t charge fines for overdue items. Instead, you’ll receive email notices with an overdue warning and will have one week to return any relevant item(s). After one week, your account will be locked until all overdue items have been returned. Library blocks placed on your student account for long overdue books may prevent you from receiving grade reports, transcripts, or diplomas.
Also, please keep in mind that other patrons may request items you have checked out to be recalled. If this happens, you have 1 week to return the recalled item, after which it will be treated as an overdue item.
The service not currently available due to COVID-19 restrictions
The library offers free test proctoring for local residents during regular library hours. Please contact us at least one week in advance so that we can assure staff coverage.
While we can provide periodic and irregular check-ins with the student and a publicly-visible location for taking the exam, we can’t guarantee continuous monitoring or that a single staff member will be available the entire time. The student must make all arrangements for the test materials to be delivered from and returned to the testing institution.
There is no fee to use ILL. However, the Missio library will charge fees in the following cases:
- Patrons receive an email notification when a borrowed book arrives at the Missio library. A $5 fine is incurred if books are not picked up within 2 weeks.
- Patrons will be assessed a $.25 per day fine for overdue ILL books.
- If an ILL book is damaged or lost, the patron is responsible for the replacement cost as determined by the lending library.
Patrons are responsible for items in their possession. Existing damage to an item is noted in the inside cover. If an item is returned with new damage, the patron is responsible for the cost of repair or replacement. An item will be considered lost when it has been overdue for 4 weeks.
The library will issue a bill for the replacement cost of lost or damaged items. This cost will reflect the purchase price of a currently available edition and format, along with applicable shipping costs. Every effort will be made to ensure that replacement fees are reasonable and transparent. The patron’s library account will be blocked and a hold placed on class registration until this bill has been paid.
Additional Services
Research Help
Struggling with a research assignment? Don’t know the difference between “APA” and “MLA”? Not sure whether you have too many citations or too few? We’re happy to help:
- Fine-tune a topic
- Develop a strategy for finding the resources you need
- Make sure your citations are in order
Study Space
No matter your studying style, Missio has something to offer: a study booth for individuals needing a quiet place to focus, large tables to spread out on, and conference rooms for study groups. (If you’d like to reserve a conference room, please let us know at least one day in advance.)
We also have free, password-protected WiFi. Ask the library circulation desk for help getting logged in.
Photocopier/Scanner
The library has a black-and-white copier/scanner available for public use, although we request 10¢ per page to cover costs. While the machine produces high-quality copies, it is not high-speed so we suggest taking any large job somewhere else.
The scanner mode automatically saves to multi-page PDFs. Library patrons may borrow USB sticks if needed.
