Cofrin Library

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Human Communication Theory -- Communication 445 Professor Adolfo Garcia

The purpose of this guide to assist you in using Library databases to find scholarly journal articles and other materials to support the theory project. Also in this guide you will find links and information to finding books in the Library, APA style guides, public Internet resources, and website evaluation.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact a reference librarian. For our contact
information including phone and email connect to the Research Assistance page at: http://www.uwgb.edu/Library/research/assistance.html

Note that all links open up a secondary browser window. Just close the window to return to this page.

APA Source Citation Reference

In addition to the APA style materials you work with in class you may find the following guides to be useful as you create your works cited page:

Finding Journal Articles

Why use a database in the first place?

Like anything else, or most anything, information is not free. Think of the web as two distinct entities. First, we have the public web or the stuff that you can get for free from a Yahoo or Google search. Next we have the private web or the stuff in magazine, journals, and newspapers that libraries pay big bucks for. What does this mean for you? Well, if you need to find scholarly content you might as well start with the things the Library offers since most scholary content is not available for free on the web. It also means that you can trust the information you find in the databases. This is not always the case on the public web.

Website Evaluation

Never take information you find on the public Internet at face value. For more information on how to evaluate websites and other sources of information connect to http://www.uwgb.edu/Library/research/guides/evaluate.html.

Plagirarism http://www.uwgb.edu/Library/SearchPath/mod6/04-plagiarism.html

FIND IT!

When searching in databases you will quickly find out that not everything is in full text. If you find just a citation (no electronic full text) click on the title of the article, and then the FIND IT button to determine if the article is in full text in another database, in our print journal collection on the fourth floor, or available for one dollar through interLibrary loan. If you have questions don't hesitate to contact the reference desk.

Most Reliable Sources

There are numerous sub-areas of communication. These include interpersonal, intercultural, small group, organizational, and mass communication. You will find the most credible communication related sources here.

  • PsycArticles
    Description:     PsycArticles contains full text journal articles in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines, such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology,
    business, and law.
    Coverage: 1985-present (unless otherwise noted)

  • PsycINFO
    Description: PsycINFO (R) contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, and technical reports, as well as citations to dissertations, all in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines, such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology, business, and law.
    Coverage: 1872 -

    Communication and Mass Media Complete (CMMC)
    Description : CMMC incorporates CommSearch (formerly produced by the National Communication Association) and Mass Media Articles Index (formerly produced by Penn State) along with numerous other journals to create a research and reference resource of unprecedented scope and depth in the communication and mass media fields.

  • Social Sciences Full Text
    Description: Indexes and abstracts over 400 English language periodicals. Topics include anthropology, area studies, community health and medical care, criminal justice and criminology, economics, family studies, geography, gerontology, international relations, law, minority studies, planning and public administration, policy sciences, political science, psychiatry, psychology, social work and public welfare, sociology, urban studies, women's studies, and related subjects.
    Coverage: 1983 -

  • Social Sciences Citation Index
    Description: Search for references and cited references in Social Science Citation Index.
    Coverage: 1987 -
         Online tutorial

  • ABI/INFORM Global
    Description : Indexes and abstracts over 1300 scholarly and trade business journals. Popular magazines such as Fortune, Forbes and Time are included. Full-text articles for over 600 journal titles are available online.
    Coverage: 1971 -

InterLibrary Loan

ILL is a valuable service for getting journal articles that are not electronic in the databases or available in print in the Library. If after selecting the button you discover that there is no full text and the Library does not have the article in print you will see a link to ILLIAD, the Library's interLibrary loan service. Simple click on the "GO" button to be taken to a screen where you can log in using your last name and 16 digit ID number. The Library will have the article photocopied or scanned at a Library that has it and it will be sent in paper or in electronic format. You will receive an email to your campus account in 3-7 days letting you know in what format it is in. All articles are one dollar regardless of length.

You can also access interLibrary loan directly at:
https://wisconsin.hosts.atlas-sys.com/illiad/GZW/logon.html

Finding Books

Although using books is not required you may find them useful for getting background information or for finding journal articles using a books bibliography. To search for books owned by the Cofrin Library, connect to the Cofrin Library Catalog's Basic Search Screen. When doing a "keyword search" make sure that you put phrases in quotes. For example you would need quotes around "audience awareness " to generate a result list.

To search for items owned by other UW libraries and libraries worldwide and to have them sent here in 2-4 days free of charge use WorldCAT to search for and request materials.

If you are unable to identify a needed title you can connect directly to InterLibrary loan and request it that way.