Where to Go From Here: Online Resources

While I wish I could say that this blog holds all of the information there is to offer concerning psychology, I must concede that there are places on the internet that have far more to offer. Therefore, this week I probed the internet for pertinent resources of which I have added to the linkroll on the right side of my blog. I have striven to filter out the tangential and irrelevant content in an attempt to produce a list of resources of only the highest quality and authority based on the criteria of The Webby Awards along with Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) guidelines for blog evaluation assessment.

To start with the broad but highly authoritative, the information base and influence of the American Psychological Association is unsurpassed in this domain. APA's website can be used as a starting point for any endeavor into psychology of any discipline considering its adept structure in which you can start in the topic directory and proceed to narrow in on your area of interest with ease. A strong aggregation of psychology news and headlines is backed up with a wealth of literature and databases to further any scholarly pursuit. Psychology Matters, a site produced by the APA, organizes a multitude of psychological research studies that are directly relevant to daily life making it a considerably effective and efficient site for the kind of issues and news that this audience is interested in. Another official and authoritative website I included is that of the National Institute of Justice. Considering that the NIJ is a program devoted to the research, development, and evaluation of the U.S. Department of Justice, the site makes contains ample psychological research that is highly relevant to public policy. The site layout is very organized and utilizes branching subdirectories for almost every topic you click on making it very easy to hone in your search. Continuing with the theme, The National Institute of Mental Health is a good place to stop if you are interested in clinical research that has influenced public policy or government positions on mental health issues. The site is a good resource and its simplicity is a plus but as such, it lacks in visual appeal. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers website is a great place to check out if you are more concerned with the legal side of a psychological issue or legislative implications of current research. Most helpful here are the News & Issues along with the Federal Legislation sections of the site.

To move on to more exclusively psychology related content, PsychCentral is a excellent website with perhaps the most all-encompassing collection of resources from news and research to medication information along with a highly regarded blog, all in a easy to navigate package. An unceasingly updated site that was recognized by a Best of the Web-Blog award for its quality is Furious Seasons. The blog focuses on the state of mental health in the United States and contains one of the most prolific and expansive linkrolls available itself. Cognitive Daily is another eminent blog maintained by an acclaimed professor of psychology and her experienced writer husband. The blog reports daily on peer-reviewed psychological literature but in a language that anyone can understand. Another long-established blog is Mind Hacks. This blog caters to the curious mind who seeks a very current analysis of the neuroscience and psychology's most interesting discoveries and studies. The psychology section of Research Blogging is only one blog in a conglomeration of blogs of various topics all devoted to discussing and creating peer-reviewed research. Because of this designation and purpose, the site is scholarly yet entirely accessible as blog format. These ten websites are superlative in the realm of issues that Grey Matters is devoted to, and exploring them will lead to an education and understanding of the issues to a degree far greater than I can offer.