Welcome, CO 309!
This is the research guide for the Communication Research Capstone course. My name is Miguel García and I am the research librarian teaching your research class. Please feel free to contact the library throughout the semester if you would like to schedule an appointment to talk about research strategies and locating sources for your final paper.
Below, you will find some database suggestions (on the left) for locating scholarly journal articles to support your research paper.
In the right-hand column - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
These are the slides from the library class. It may help to review them to refresh your memory on tips to make your searches more efficient.
Selected Databases
Use databases to find articles on your topic. These databases are the best place to start.
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Communication & Mass Media CompleteOffers full-text and indexing for journals covering communication, mass media, and other related fields.
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CQ ResearcherReporting and analysis of domestic and international issues in the news. Reports include background and chronology; tables and maps; and a pro-con debate.
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Global Issues in ContextProvides access to international newspapers, primary source documents, country information, statistics, background sources, and videos that support global awareness to help with understanding current world issues.
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Academic Search PremierThis multidisciplinary database contains peer-reviewed journals, magazines, newspapers, ebooks, and videos.
Databases for Business
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ABI/INFORMComprehensive selection of key business journals, trade publications, conference proceedings, market and industry reports.
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Business Source EliteProvides access to popular and scholarly articles on a variety of business topics. Contains Harvard Business Review, American Accounting Association journals, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.
Databases for Psychology
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PsycInfoProduced by the American Psychological Association (APA), PsycINFO is the definitive resource for the study of psychology and related disciplines. It includes access to journal articles, books, and more. Also includes full-text content from PsycARTICLES.
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Psychology DatabaseProvides access to articles in journals, magazines, dissertations, and trade publications in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and social work.
Databases for Sociology
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SocINDEX with Full TextA comprehensive collection of sociology journals covering the areas of gender studies, criminal justice, social psychology, racial studies, social work, and more.
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Social Science DatabaseProvides access to articles in journals and magazines in the various social science disciplines, including anthropology, economics, education, political science, social work, and sociology.
Databases for Education
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ERICProvides coverage of journal articles, conferences, meetings, government documents, dissertations, reports, books, and more in education and related fields. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.
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Education DatabaseProvides access to articles in journals, magazines, dissertations, and trade publications in education and related fields.
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Educator's Reference CompleteProvides access to articles in magazines, journals, and reports in the fields of education.
Evaluate Your Sources
The video below recaps the peer review process, which you are probably already familiar with. The following are additonal important criteria to consider as you complete your literature reviews:
- become familiar with the major scholars working on your research topic
- keep an eye out for bias, errors, contradictions, or misinformation
- research the sponsorship of the research study
- consider intercultural, political, international, and ethnic influences or perspectives
- visit this guide made by librarians at UNC for more in-depth information on evaluation
Finding a Source from a Citation
- When searching databases, use AND, OR, and parentheses to focus your search.
- The asterisk * symbol will search for all variations of a word. For example: basket* will search for baskets and basketry. Using quotes will search for a phrase.
- Combine synonyms with OR and put them inside parentheses, like this:
femini* AND (film OR "motion picture")
| Already have the citation? Find an article with citation linker! |
Watch this tutorial below to learn how to find full-text articles.
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