Additional introductory information

Psychology: Debates · Journals · Psychologists

The Psychology Wiki is an academic site modelled on the popular Wikipedia site, which is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. The Psychology Wiki was started by a group of professional psychologists who decided that a single reference site containing all of the information within the discipline of psychology would be an invaluable tool to clinical professionals, academics, students and other interested parties.

The site aims to provide an up-to-date, authoritative statement of knowledge, theory, and practice in the whole field of psychology. It is written to serve academic needs at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, to inform professionals, both in training and in the field, and to provide information for the people we seek to help.

Using the same software as the Wikipedia site, the Psychology Wiki is intended to slowly develop through contributions from its users. Initially much of the information will be similar to that on the Wikipedia site; however it is envisaged that the Psychology Wiki will go into much greater depth and providing full academic referencing of each area.

As the intended users of the Wiki are professionals and students within Psychology, there is much greater potential for the articles and information to be of a higher standard than is the case in Wikipedia, due to a greater level of expertise. Another aim of the site is allow users of psychology services to comment on their experiences in seperate discussion areas, linked to each article.

The Psychology Wiki is intended to link to every significant academic paper referenced, either on-site (elsewhere in the Psychology Wiki) or off-site (to external sources, eg. PubMed). This was the original intention of the world wide web at Cern in Geneva, allowing scientists to quickly cross reference papers with their colleagues in related fields.

Finally, the Psychology Wiki will have extensive indexing, allowing easy navigation from one subject to another, as well as extensive cross-linking of keywords to different subjects, which will be familiar to users of wikipedia.

For more information, see Our Vision.

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How do I use the Psychology Wiki?

Terms and keywords can be searched for in the search box (to the left side of the screen). It is also possible to search for terms using the sites indexing, for example:

Index Page

Category:Applied psychology:
Category:Clinical psychology
Category:Clinical:Types of problem
Category:Depression
Clinical Depression Article

Depression:Risk factors

Depression:Depression in women

Depression:Depression in men

Depression and physical illness

The site index is easily accessible via the Psychology Wiki navigation box (on the right hand side of most pages).

Highlighted words will take you to a page within the Psychology Wiki, related to that word. For example, here the word Depression will take you to the main page for clinical depression. Highlighted words with an arrow next to them [1] will take you to an external site elsewhere on the internet, for example The British Psychological Society.

If you were looking for it, here is an Introduction to Psychology.

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How do I contribute to the Psychology Wiki?

Guide Page

WELCOME!

We are happy to see that you have found us, and hope that you will consider contributing to this great resource. For those of you who are not familiar with editing, etc. don't worry! While it can be intimidating at first, you will find all of the resources you need here, along with administrators, and many other users that are more than happy to assist you. Please don't hesitate to contact an administrator at any point by leaving a message on their talk page or sending an email if you have any questions or concerns.

If You Are New to Wikis

Please take some time to view the following resources. Others have found them to be very helpful during the learning process. Once you have become more familiar with the editing process, etc. you can move on to the next section and begin contributing.

One of the best resources is the new user's tutorial. Take a look, remembering that there's lots of information. Don't feel like you have to memorize every fact... There's no test at the end.
For more information, you may want to check out Psychology Wiki For Beginners or the Orientation section.
Last (but not least) is the help table of contents. A complete index of all of our resources designed to help YOU.

Remember that YOU are cordially invited to contribute to this collaborative project.

If You Are Familiar With Wikis

If you are already familiar with editing using Wiki-based software, then you can begin contributing by:

Creating an account.
Then, please check the Tasks To Do Portal for a general list of things to do.
Another great way to begin is to go to the General Discussion Forum to take part in discussions about the specific goals we're currently working towards at the Psychology Wiki.

Keep in mind that in the discussion pages for any particular topic, we encourage constructive criticisms, alternative opinions, scholarly discussions, etc. The fresh, new views and opinions you bring to these forums are appreciated and welcomed!

A Note about Adding Material and Referencing:

All information must be factually correct and properly referenced. The Psychology Wiki uses the American Psychological Association format for referencing. For example:

Henriques, Gregg (2003) The Tree of Knowledge System and the Theoretical Unification of Psychology. Review of General Psychology, Vol. 7, No. 2, 150-182. Fulltext.

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What if I am a user of Psychology / Psychiatric services?

Personal Experiences Page

As someone with personal experiences of Psychology or Psychiatric services you can contribute to this site in meaningful ways. It is intended to be a source of information for all people with an interest in Psychology, and this includes people who may be undergoing counselling, therapy, or treatment currently, or have in the past.*

Whilst the main content pages are mainly edited by Academics, Professionals, Students and Trainees in Psychology, there is also a unique way in which you can contribute. Personal Experience pages are a place for those who have gone through a mental illness to share their story. This includes people who are still dealing with an illness, and those who have overcome it. Close relatives and friends of someone with a mental illness are also welcome to share their experiences.

The purpose of the Personal Experiences is to share our stories relating to mental health with others who may have had similar experiences. It is encouraging for someone dealing with depression, for example, to read another person's experience and relate. Perhaps someone will read your story and realize that they're not alone in their struggle. They are also very useful for psychologists to try and gain insight into peoples experiences.

They will be 100% anonymous and confidential, and can be removed at any time should the contributor wish it so. All personal experience pages will be a rose colour, meaning they are (1) not necessarily written by an expert, and (2) not have a neutral point of view (NPOV), which is the standard for all other pages. These pages will be protected from editing by other users. Click here to read what one user wrote on a personal experience page. Or,

Click here to learn more about how to share your experience.

*Please Note: The information given on this website, is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical or psychological problem, or are taking prescribed medication, please consult with your doctor.

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The Site Index

Index Page

The Index Pages of the Psychology Wiki follow on from the links on the front page, and generally follow the headings used by PsychINFO as approved by the American Psychological Society.