Resources for Communication 150: Communication Research

This is a guide to help students conduct a literature review.

1. What is a literature review?

A survey of current scholarly research on a particular topic or theory.  It is not simply a summary or description of the research but also offers critical analysis as well.

Further information on how to structure and construct the literature review.

• UW-Madison Writing Center on "How to Write a Literature Review?"
• Univ. of California at Santa Cruz Library  on "How to Write a Literature Review?"

2. Getting Started - Selecting your topic

• Take time to spend 5 minutes with a few reference sources to help define your topic and give you a better idea of what you are looking for and how to search for it.  It will save time versus starting with Google.
  • The SAGE handbook of nonverbal communication - REF BF637.N66 S24 2006
  • The SAGE handbook of conflict communication: integrating theory, research, and practice - REF HM1126 .S24 2006
  • The SAGE handbook of gender and communication - REF P96.S48 S34 2006
  • Handbook of family communication - REF HQ519 .H36 2004
  • Encyclopedia of communication and information - REF P87.5 .E53 2002

3. Remember to evaluate your sources.  Good research comes from using scholarly sources.  Use these tips to help you select your sources.

• Authority - Are the authors experts in the field? What are their credentials? (Check to see if the author has a higher degree in the field as well as checking the publisher to see if it is peer reviewed. 
• Currency - Make sure the work has been published within the last 10 to 15 years.  At least to start with. 
• Relevance - Does this source answer your research question? If not, keep looking.
• Accuracy - Is the information accurate? Are there additional sources (reference books, other authors)  that confirm what you have found? Are there footnotes and/or a bibliography?
• Purpose and Intent - Is the material written to a particular audience? Is the source informing, persuading, selling? Is the source biased? (Stay away from opinion pieces) If so, does it affect the quality of the information? Is the information a primary source, presenting original research, or reports of those participating themselves (diaries, memoirs, letters)?

4. Searching for articles on the subject:

• Com Abstracts (all scholarly)
  The Com Abstracts database contains abstracts of articles published in more than 40 journals in the communications field.
  Tip: use only one keyword at a time
• Communication & Mass Media Complete (use the peer reviewed option)
  This database merges two popular databases in the fields of communication and mass media studies -- CommSearch and Mass Media Articles Index.
• PsycInfo (use the peer reviewed option)
  Indexes journals, dissertations, books and book chapters in all areas of psychology; with abstracts. Now includes PsycArticles, full text articles from selected journals.
• PsycArticles (use the peer reviewed option)
  Online access to more than 25,000 searchable full-text articles from 42 journals published by the APA and allied organizations from 1988 to the present, with earlier years in production. Covering general psychology and specialized basic, applied, clinical, and theoretical research in psychology.
• Academic Search Premier (use the peer reviewed option)
  Academic Search Premier provides full text for nearly 4,700 publications, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed journals. PDF back files to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.
• Business Source Elite
  This business database provides full text for nearly 1,100 business publications, including full text for nearly 500 peer-reviewed business publications. Search this database for more information relating to advertising and the business of journalism or publishing.
• Sage Journals Online
  Indexes and provides full-text journals in the fields of Business, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology and Medicine from 1999 to the present.

5. Searching the library for books:

• Keyword search.  This is a good search to start with.  It will include chapter titles as well as main titles, authors, subject headings and book summaries.
• Subject Headings: If a book fits your topic well use the subject headings listed in the catalog to search for similar books.
• Title or Author Searching: If you have come across a great article that fits your research search for other articles or books by the same author.  Also, check their citations for relevant materials and look them up.

6. Expanding your search:

• Still not finding what you are looking for ... try:
  
  • BadgerCat - to search libraries in Wisconsin
  • WorldCat  - to search libraries throughout the U.S. and World.
    
• Google Scholar
  Searches the Web for citations of scholarly published works.  Note its is still in beta testing so evaluate the results carefully.

7. Citing your sources:

• APA (American Psychological Association) Style Guide
  APA style is used by Psychology and some of the other sciences.  Check with your professor.
• MLA (Modern Language Association) Style Guide
  MLA style is typically used in humanities fields – Art, Music, English, foreign languages.  Check with your professor.
• Ref Works
  A citation management database can store, arrange and export your citations in a preferred style to Microsoft Word.

Please contact Librarian Katie Sanders with questions.