PsycLIT, the optical disc counterpart of Psychological Abstracts, has greatly enhanced access to the world's psychological literature. Because researchers often do not fully understand indexing techniques and system protocols, however, retrieval via PsycLIT can be inconsistent. This article makes suggestions for improving search outcomes. Recommendations include knowing the scope of the data base, distinguishing between keyword and controlled vocabulary searches, using indexing principles to improve retrieval, and constructing reliable search strategies.
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