Find background information on the theory through reference works, books, and websites.
Look for references to theorists names. For example:
"Social cognitive theory(SCT) is an account of human behavior and learning developed during the last half of the 20th century by Albert Bandura..."
Martin, J. (2014). Social cognitive theory. In D.C. Phillips (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Theory and Philosophy (759-762). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Proceed to Step 2.
There are different ways to find articles written by a specific author/theorist.
Try doing an internet search for the author's name and terms such as bibliography, publications, or CV. You may find online bibliographies for well known authors, and current scholars often put lists of their books and articles online on university faculty pages or personal websites.
For example:
If you cannot find a good publications list, search for the author by name in catalogues and databases such as:
Identify relevant books and articles and proceed to Step 3.
Once you've found a citation, search for a copy of the publication that you can access. For example:
Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective: Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1-26.
Find an article from the citation
Search for the article title using Omni or Google Scholar.
If you cannot find a full-text copy of the article, search for the journal title in the Ontario Tech Library Journals A-Z search. Navigate to the appropriate year, volume, issue and article.
If the library does not have a copy of the article you are looking for, request it through interlibrary loan.
Find a book
Search Omni for eBooks and print books. Use Worldcat to locate copies at a library near you.
Books and book chapters can also be requested through interlibrary loan and mailed to registered distance borrowers.
