Subject Guides: Communications: COMMS 302

Where to Search

EBSCO Databases

Communication Source (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Includes Communication & Mass Media Complete. Provides the most robust, quality research solution in areas related to communications and mass media. Offers full text for over 600 titles and contains citation coverage for additional sources.
Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window This multi-disciplinary database provides full text for more than 10,000 journals, including over 9,000 peer-reviewed titles. Academic Search Ultimate offers access to resources cited in key subject indexes. The combination of academic journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos meets the needs of scholars in virtually every discipline ranging from astronomy, anthropology, biomedicine, engineering, health, law and literacy to mathematics, pharmacology, womens studies, zoology and more.
Humanities Source (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window The collection includes full text for more than 1,400 journals, with citations to over 3.5 million articles, including book reviews. Coverage in Humanities Source includes worldwide content pertaining to literary, scholarly and creative thought.
MLA International Bibliography (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window MLA International Bibliography offers a detailed bibliography of journal articles, books, book chapters and dissertations about literature, language, linguistics and folklore. Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains over 1.8 million citations from more than 4,400 journals & series, and 1,000 book publishers.
Film and Television Literature Index (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Film & Television Literature Index is a comprehensive bibliographic database covering the entire spectrum of television and film writing. Publications include Film Journal International, Journal of British Cinema & Television, Film Criticism, Post Script, Variety, and more as well as technical publications such as SMPTE. Mirroring the international film & television industries and cultures, FTLI also includes publications such as Cahiers du Cinema, Filmihullu, SegnoCinema, and Kinetoscopio. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews.

How to cross-search EBSCO databases:

1. Select one database to start.
2. Look for the "Choose Databases" link above the search box.
3. Choose additional databases.
4. Click "OK" (at the top or bottom of the database list) and start searching!

Does your topic include gender? Add Women's Studies International. Does your topic include sociology or psychology? Add APA PsycINFO.

Check the subject guides for more discipline-specific databases.

ProQuest Databases

ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window Alternate title: Research Library (ProQuest). This multi-disciplinary database includes more than 4,050 titles - nearly 2,800 in full text - from 1971 forward.
ProQuest Sociology This link opens in a new window This database covers the international literature of sociology and social work, including culture and social structure, history and theory of sociology, social psychology, substance abuse and addiction and more. This collection provides full-text coverage of many core titles included in Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts.
Gender Watch (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window A full-text collection of international journals, magazines, newsletters, regional publications, special reports and conference proceedings devoted to women's and gender issues. Contains archival material dating back to the mid 1970s.

How to cross-search ProQuest databases:

1. Select one database to start.
2. Look for the "Change Databases" link above the search box.
3. Choose additional databases.
4. Click "Use Select Databases" (at the top or bottom of the database list) and start searching!

Gale Databases

Gale Pop Culture Collection This link opens in a new window Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines that both analyze and contribute to popular culture. The database offers useful information for researchers in social science, history, art or liberal arts courses.

Looking for more? Try the Popular Culture research guide.

How to Search

1. Use AND to connect ideas in an advanced search.

2. Think of synonyms for your keywords to develop a more complete search. Use OR to add these synonyms.

3. Use an asterisk * to search for multiple endings/suffixes for a word and quotation marks " " to search for an exact phrase.

Example: Searching for advertis* will help you find results for advertising, advertisers, advertisement.
Example: Searching for "family man" will return results with that exact phrase.

4. Narrow your search by limiting results to:

Peer-reviewed sources
By publication date

5. Find the full text of an article by looking for:

Get It! @ BYU
PDF Full Text
HTML Full Text

Ideas for Working in Teams

1. Use RefWorks to create a shared folder for scholarly articles.

2. Create a shared "Research Notes" Google doc to keep track of keywords, the databases you've searched, new ideas to pursue, etc.

Get Help

Humanities Reference
Level 5
Hours: M-Th: 8am-9pm;
F: 8am-6pm; Sat:10am-6pm

801.422.4006
humref@byu.edu

Librarian

Robert Means

Email Me

Contact:

5524 HBLL

(801) 422-6117

Subjects: English Literatures, Humanities, Languages & Literature

Librarian

Elizabeth Smart

Contact:

On professional development leave through December 2024 (returning January 2025). For research assistance, please contact my colleagues listed on this page.

Subjects: Communications, Global Women's Studies, Humanities, Media Arts