Note:
Below you will find a few suggestions for searching this topic. These suggestions aren't the only way to find materials, but they may help to get you started.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
I. Find Background
Reference Sources:
- International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences
You may also wish to browse through successive editions of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders). - Start with DSM V, the latest edition.
Previous Editions of the DSM: Has the description (our understanding) of the condition changed over time? This page includes links to all previous editions of the DSM. Download the pdfs and use the key command, "CTRL F", to search the term obsessive.
For more historical background:
- Database: History of Science, Technology and Medicine.
II. Search the library catalog
- Open library catalog
- Type in: obsessive-compulsive disorder and use the pull-down menu to select Subject
- In the left-hand column, under Limit Your Search, select Subject.
- Click more to see all of the headings, and then page through the different subject subheadings to find relevant material.
III. Find scholarly journal articles
- Database: Psycinfo
This is a major database for articles in the field of psychology. A search for "obsessive compulsive disorder" returns over 14,000 references! Yikes. You'll have to think about what aspects of this disorder interests you most, based on the background reading you have already done, in order to add terms and narrow this down a bit.
Search example:
- On the first line, type in "obsessive compulsive disorder"
- On the next line, add "biological factors" or treatment or mediation
You can also use the Limits, to narrow to peer-reviewed (scholarly), full-text, etc.
IV. Find current and historical popular (written for the general public) magazine articles and newspaper articles
For current articles:
- Database: Proquest Research Library
Add your search terms;
Under Source type, select Magazines;
Under Publication Titles, select "more" to select specific magazines.
If you wish, use the date limits to restrict to a particular date range. - Database: Access World News
Select a geography, e.g. United States;
Add some topic terms;
You may wish to use the pull-down menu to limit your topic terms to the Lead/First Paragraph.
For historical articles:
Here's where you have to get creative. Was it always called "obsessive-compulsive disorder" or were there other terms (e.g. "monomania")?
- Database: Proquest Historical Newspapers
Select the Advanced Search.
Add your search terms
Scroll down to choose Document types.
If you wish, use the date limits on the right to restrict your results to a particular date range. - Database: American Periodicals
This database contains periodicals published between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines and many other historically-significant periodicals. Search tips:
Select the Advanced Search;
Add your search terms;
Scroll down to choose Document type(s);
Adjust date ranges, if desired.