Communications Quiz 2:
PI's
Abstract services are very useful for the research process. Full-text databases: article text can be easily viewed and printed, but do not have accompanying graphics Full-image databases: usually in PDF and includes all graphics and images
Annual Reviews and series
Communication Yearbook (annual review) https://www.icahdq.org/pubs/commyearbook.asp Progress in Communication Sciences (annual review) Sage Annual Reviews of Communication Research (series, no longer in publication) Media and Society (series) LEA's Communication Series (series) http://ase.tufts.edu/gdae/CS/Subliminal.pdf SUNY Series in Communication Studies (series)
directories
Directories: provide basic information about people, companies, organizations, and publications Good for locating materials from newspapers and news programs Great for finding educational media when pursuing research topics dealing with media such as historical or critical studies of film http://socm.hss.kennesaw.edu/about/faculty-staff/
common mistakes in papers
Titles and capitalization Not including publication information in reference citations Incorrect indention with reference citations Incomplete in-text citations Running head mistakes Writing with bias/making assumptions Not writing in third person
Annual Reviews and Series
Annual Review: provide yearly summaries of current research activities in a particular discipline Great for communication studies and keeping up to date with current research Gauge the level of research activity in various areas of communication Series: examine new topics each year and focus on research related to those specific subjects Helpful in identifying research topics, finding information, providing background and perspective, and broadening your research strategy
Media Collections: Broadcast and Electronic Media
Broadcast indexes: useful for ascertaining perspectives on current events and conducting content analyses of new programs Researchers often need to examine original broadcasts or scripts. LexisNexis Academic (KSU database) Newspaper Source (KSU Database) Factiva http://www.dowjones.com/products/product-factiva/
collections and archives
Collections: compilations of similar documents that are gathered together in one location (archives) or published in periodical, book, microform, DVD, or Web Speeches, editorials, historical documents, media transcripts, etc. Allow access to sources and information that may be difficult to obtain in library databases Enable researcher to use materials as examples of communication events for support arguments in a position paper
Legal Encyclopedias
Corpus Juris Secundum American Jurisprudence Second Legal Collection database in KSU Library database
Books
Edited Books (primary source): books in which editors solicit chapters from experts or knowledgeable writers in a particular area of expertise Monographs (primary source): books an author has written in an entirety Edited books and monographs are considered scholarly because the discipline addressed is either defined or extended; the authors have credentials to write about a specific topic (experts). Textbooks (secondary source): survey information about a field of study and present the fundamentals of a subject Great for defining and refining research topics and basic concepts of your topic Make sure the textbook is recent E-books: text is downloaded into an electronic display; Oxford
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedias: all-embracing compilations of information that provide a multifaceted approach to a subject. Essays within encyclopedias generally have bibliographies that may also be used to find other sources. Legal Encyclopedias: a subject encyclopedia that is useful for topics in communication law, First Amendment issues, and debate; best serve as case finders and starting points in searching the law. Bibliographies are particularly useful and can be used to refine topics or research the narrower aspects of your topic. Using a general encyclopedia may not be very helpful.
Scholarly Journals (cont.)
Fairly standardized, specifically the quantitative research. Quantitative studies generally have the structure we are learning in this class (Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Conclusion/Discussion) Qualitative studies do not have a standard format; the format depends on the study. Quantitative methodology: deductive, statistical methods of scientific inquiry Qualitative methodology: inductive, interpretive methods of scientific inquiry Keep in mind that while most articles and scholarly journals keep up to date, there is typically a delay between when the study was conducted and when it was published. The lag time can sometimes be up to two years (even longer in some situations). Familiarize yourself with the list of scholarly journals in communication on pp. 141-144.
Speech Collections
Good for critical or historical research Useful for evidence in your own speeches Contain speeches that are not published elsewhere National Archives and Records Administration: www.archives.gov National Gallery of Spoken Word: www.ngsw.org Internet Archive: www.archive.org Presidential Libraries
Useful Guides
Guide to Reference (general) Helps locate a listing and evaluation of reference works and are arranged under broad headings such as "General Reference Works", "Humanities", "Social Science", etc. http://www.guidetoreference.org/HomePage.aspx The Social Sciences: A cross-disciplinary Guide to Selected Sources (social sciences) Interlibrary loan CQ Researcher (Congressional Quarterly, speech topics) Identifies topics of national concerns http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
Guides
Guides to the Literature: broad bibliographies made up primarily of reference works and periodicals available in a given subject field(s). Describe the basic organization of a field's literature and the processes and techniques of literature searches specific to that field May lead you to sources you might otherwise not consider or be able to find Many list and describe organizations the can lead to sources and information outside the library
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Database
How often is the database updated? What access points are available? In what ways can searches be limited? Does the database index have primarily scholarly journals, trade publications, popular magazines, or a mixture? Does the search interface offer other useful special features?
Useful Encyclopedias
International Encyclopedia of Communication Contains over 1,300 original essays in 29 editorial areas of communication (media, technology, developmental, educational/instructional, gender, information, intercultural, international, interpersonal, journalism, organizational, political, rhetorical, strategic-PR, and visual communication). http://www.communicationencyclopedia.com/public/ International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Contains over 4,000 authors covering hundreds of topics in social and behavioral sciences (family and generations, gender studies, global/international studies, health, industrial and organizational psychology, information science and technology, language, linguistics, management, and organization and management. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/referenceworks/9780080430768#ancpt1430
Manuals
Manual: fact book and quick-reference handbook about a broad subject area Present generally accepted data rather than the most recent information (like yearbooks and directories) If you are interested in publishing, writing, or editing you will use a manual of some kind
More Guides
Mass Communications Research Resources: An Annotated Guide (mass communication) Presents selected publications and research sources in mass communication https://www.questia.com/read/10087484/mass-communications-research-resources-an-annotated Business and Technical Communication: An Annotated Guide to Sources, Skills, and Samples (business or organizational communication) Provides academic and practical sources for business communicators Useful for academics and for learning skills used in business relationships (interviewing, newsletters, telephone skills, listening, conducting meetings, etc.) Interlibrary loan
measurment collections
Measurement collections: compilation of measures of communication attitudes and personality Eg. Myers-Briggs Personality Test http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/ Useful when conducting experimental research Provide scale items and information on validity and reliability of the instrument Communication Research Measures II: A Sourcebook Profiles more than 60 often-used research measures in instructional, interpersonal, mass, and organizational communication.
Media Indexes
Media index: helps you find newspaper materials, specific media sources, and reviews Provide access to media collections (newspaper articles, television broadcasts, etc.)
Disciplined-based Periodical Indexes
Most in communication studies can be found in one of three databases: ComAbstracts 55,000 articles in over 70 communication journals Communication Abstracts One of the most widely used abstracting services in communication Comprehensively inspects the field of communication and published 6 times a year Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCO) Access to 285 journals and even more articles Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (CIOS) Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) Covers over 800 periodicals, journals, documents, and reports Sage Full-Text Collection (Communication Research, European Journal of Communication, Management Communication Quarterly)
Getting Started with General Sources
Now that we've learned about systematic research strategies, we're shifting our focus to specific communication sources and their uses. General sources are great for developing and refining research topics. Seeking out general sources in the preliminary stages of research can save a lot of time. General sources such as handbooks, subject encyclopedias, and subject dictionaries summarize generally accepted knowledge, findings, and practices in a field at a particular time.
Professional and Trade Magazines
Often important sources of information and insight in the communication field. Emphasize news of events, issues, and innovations in the field. Publish articles on new audio and video campaigns, advertising campaigns, marketing and management strategies, communication and corporate training programs in industry, public relations cases and techniques, and in-house organizational publications. Will often publish news about people in the industry, upcoming professional events (networking), and job opportunities. Advertising Age and Columbia Journalism Review http://adage.com/ http://www.cjr.org/
Handbooks
Often used to categorize two distinct publications: Manual: a compact book of facts Scholarly/Subject Handbook: provides a comprehensive summary of past research and thematic viewpoints in a particular discipline; generally broad-based and covers many topics; provide good background information but are often out of date due to the breadth of topics in the publication
Media Collections: Print
Particularly useful for media studies and journalism Daily and weekly newspapers Publish up-to-date information on current issues on a local, national, and international scope Newspapers have historically been difficult to research; Microform and CD-ROM have changed this in recent years Many major newspapers print online and offer select archives. Can research on the Web or in library databases Newspaper indexes: identify and find pertinent articles Good list of newspaper databases on pp. 161-163.
Periodical Index
Periodical index: primary purpose is to provide access to articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers; most are available online. Occasionally includes other types of publications such as government reports, dissertations, and book chapters. These are typically the databases you will use through your library (EBSCO, ProQuest, Cengage, etc.)
Handbooks on sage
SAGE Publication Handbooks in Communication: Advertising Conflict Communication Film Studies Gender and Communication Media Studies Nonverbal Communication Organizational Discourse Organization Studies Performance Studies Political Advertising Public Opinion Research
Scholarly journals
Scholarly journals: major vehicles for reporting current studies conducted by academic and professional researchers. Usually edited and published by a learned society, a professional association, an academic institution, or a commercial publishing firm. Concentrate on original theory and research articles. Articles: written by specialists and usually are critically evaluated by other scholars before being accepted for publication (peer-reviewed) Primarily publish unsolicited reports of research studies (blind review) Articles are generally rewritten once or twice before published.
statistical sources
Statistical sources: collections of numerical data compiled into comprehensive tables. You will often need to find statistics and data for background information or to even support an argument or perspective. Best to use for up-to-date information and data PEW Research Center: http://www.pewresearch.org/ Census Bureau: census.gov; factfinder.census.gov Other good sources on pp. 167-169.
Bibliographies on the Web
Students and scholars will frequently publish bibliographies online. Are useful but need to be evaluated carefully Can use general search engines such as Google or Google Scholar Poynter Institute http://www.poynter.org/ Great for bibliographies and general information on journalism-related topics
Dictionaries
Subject dictionaries: concentrate on one specific topic or discipline; list and define basic and specialized terms in a particular field Very useful when conducting research on a topic that crosses into other disciplines you may not be as familiar with Do not confuse with subject dictionaries, language dictionaries, or foreign language dictionaries
Index
These can include specific indexes such as discipline-based indexes (Communication & Mass Media Complete), media indexes, book review indexes (how the source is evaluated by other scholars), and citation indexes. Typically include the following: Author Title Subject headings Periodical title Volume Date of publication Page numbers Abstracts/summaries
government documents
This involves federal statutes, congressional hearings and reports, census materials, and government agency regulations and reports. Detail the laws, rules, and regulations of the United States. Important for preparing for debate cases, analyzing media policy, understanding political campaign regulations, and comparing the demographic composition of a sample. Help researchers keep abreast of the law Most can either be found in the government documents section of libraries, www.access.gpo.gov, and LexisNexisCongressional. FCC Rules and Regulations deals with commission operation, frequency allocations, broadcast services, satellite communications, and cable television services. Federal Register https://www.federalregister.gov/
full text database
Three of the most common full-text databases: Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCO) Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (CIOS) Sage Full-Text Collection (Communication Research, European Journal of Communication, Management Communication Quarterly)
Handbooks
USEFUL HANDBOOKS (pp. 98-100) The Handbook of Social Psychology (valuable for general or background information) The New Handbook of Organizational Communication: Advanced Theory and Practice (organizational) The Persuasion Handbook: Development in Theory and Practice (interpersonal, small group, media, and campaign communities) Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication (intercultural) The Handbook of Group Communication Theory and Research (group) Hand book of Interpersonal Communication (interpersonal) Handbook of Public Relations (organizational, advertising, public relations
Finding Additional Bibliographies and Guides
Use WorldCat Remember subject headings Keyword searches in the library database: communication AND bibliography mass media AND reference books telecommunications AND bibliography radio AND bibliography "television violence" and bibliography
Legal Research Guides
Used by students of debate, media policy and regulation, freedom of speech, and conflict Bibliographies and research guides provide the means of locating primary sources such as legislative statutes, court decisions, executive orders, administrative agency decisions and rules, and treaties. Good for finding secondary sources that describe the legal process, legal procedures, and standard legal and citation forms Fundamentals of Legal Research http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2591470
information complications
Used for recent facts in research reports, speeches, news stories, and presentations on current events/topics Facts to support viewpoints Sources of information outside the library Current online information related to communication
Book review indexes
Useful for when you need to determine the quality of a source Lets you know how communication professionals and academics evaluate a particular work
yearbooks
Yearbooks/Annuals: contain current information on yearly developments in a specific field Provide great background information, statistics, narrative explanations, and listings
Biblography
annotated bibliography: gives a brief summary of the content of the article or book, possibly commenting on its quality History of Telecommunications Technology: An Annotated Bibliography Contains more than 2,500 entries concerning the history of technology in communication over the past 175 years. Writing an annotated bibliography for your sources will help you with your literature review!
more biblography
appended bibliography: attached at the end of an article, chapter, book, or Web document Are often selected topical bibliographies compiled for research papers and literature reviews Also found in encyclopedias, handbooks, and yearbooks
Biblography
bibliography: a list of citations to sources. selective topical bibliography: carefully chosen list of materials on a given topic—what will be on your final paper May find it helpful to explore bibliographies in related disciplines such as business, political science, philosophy, sociology, and psychology. WorldCat
Even more
general bibliography: book-length bibliographies Mass Media Bibliography: An Annotated , Selected List of Book and Journals for Reference and Research Contains 2,100 sources in mass communication and covers topics such as theory, structure, economics, and effects. A Preview retrospective bibliography: appear at one point in time and are NOT updated Gives historical context and perspective The Handbook of Social Psychology current bibliography: published regularly (monthly, semiannually, or yearly) Lead to contemporary investigations and writings Communication Booknotes Quarterly: CBQ
