1

Communication Studies 200

Research Guide
The Research Basics
Get to the databases:
http://www.csulb.edu/library > database by topic> communication
studies
Get to the Slides: http://csulb.libguides.com/communication

Terminology
Citations Article Title, Author, Journal Title, Volume Number, Issue Number, Page
Number, Date
Abstract Summary of article, tells what the article is about
SFX Links you to the full text of the article if its available
Article Reach allows you to order articles the library doesn’t own in two easy steps

Before you get to the computer…

1. Start with a Research Topic
2. Identify keywords & synonyms
3. Create search statements using And, Or, W1

AND narrows a search.

example: television AND viewing

OR broadens a search.
example: viewing OR watching

W1 makes your terms appear together as a phrase

example: reality w1 television

Helpful Search Tips

Truncation *
Allows you to include all possible word-endings
Theor* looks for theory, theories and theorize

Parenthesis
Can be used to greatly expand or restrict a search
(internet or online) and social w1 interaction

Tips for Reading Scholarly info

• Carefully read the abstract and the literature review
• Pay close attention to the theory applied
• Read the methodology and look for any possible problems with the methods
• Look closely at the results and conclusion section

Rhetoric Research
 2

Useful Resources
Communication and Mass Media Complete
• Click on the Scholarly Peer Reviewed option
• Will format your article citations in APA or MLA
MLA International Bibliography
Covers all types of criticism specifically film, literature and rhetoric
• Uses w to connect terms
• Click on SFX only if it is a journal article!
• Click on “search CSULB library” for books or book chapters
Academic Search Complete
Contains citations to popular and scholarly publications in different disciplines
• Click on “scholarly peer reviewed” box to get rid of popular stuff
• Use “more like this option”
• If it is a journal article click on SFX
• Will format your article citations in APA or MLA
COAST the library catalog
• Only things we have at CSULB
• Find books, e-books and more!
• Find out if CSULB owns a particular journal title (not article title!!)
• sort results by year (most recent first)
• search for videos, DVDs and audio books

Other Useful Databases > databases by TITLE alphabetically

listed
Film Literature Index (1976-2001)
Movie reviews, Criticism, Interviews with directors etc.

Lexis Nexis
Book, movie reviews

Newspapers
Reviews, commentary, editorial
Will format your article citations in APA or MLA

Humanities and Social Science Index

Scholarly and popular sources for film, literature and music
Will format your article citations in APA or MLA

Websites
Great American Speeches
http://www.pbs.org/greatspeeches/

Research Guide: Speech, Argumentation & Debate

http://www.csulb.edu/library/subj/commstudies/speeches.html
 3

Social Sciences

Psycinfo Search tips

• Use subjects to narrow your search
• Use publication type, methodology or age group to make your search
smaller
• Type the word communication in the “journal articles” box to eliminate
psychology journals
• Email using APA format

Communication and Mass Media complete

• ALWAYS click on the Scholarly Peer Reviewed option
• Try the “more like this option”

Review the TWO step process for getting journal

articles
Step ONE
• Get citations from index
• Author, title, journal title, volume, page number year
Step TWO
• If you are using a research database click on the SFX link if it is available
• If there is no online full text and print is not available in COAST then click on the
ArticleReach link and get the article emailed to you for FREE!!

Citing sources
Owl Purdue MLA Guide http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
Owl Purdue APA Guide http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

How to Get a Library Password

Go to Coast https://coast.library.csulb.edu/patroninfo
Type in your name, CSULB I.D. #, and a Password number of your choice
Confirm Password by typing it twice more
If the screen just shows your name- it worked!

Still Need Help? Tiffini Travis ttravis@csulb.edu

Twitter: Csulb_Library Yahoo/MSN IM: csulb_librarian AOL and GoogleTalk:
csulblibrarian
 4

Worksheet: Identifying Key Words, Synonyms, and Key Phrases

Research question (circle one)

Rhetoric Social Science

Go back and circle the keywords in your research question.

List keyword variables here List synonyms here
1.
1. 2.

1.
2. 2.

1.
3. 2.

1.
4. 2.

Write 4 search statement variations using library connectors (AND/OR) and proximity/expanders
(W1/*)

1.

2.

3.

4.