How to Find Scholarly Articles in Communication
To locate scholarly articles communication-related articles on language and gender or language and culture, start by looking in one of the following research databases/indexes:
What's in these databases?
The Libraries provide hundreds of indexes, each focusing on different sets of journals. In Communication and Mass Media Complete and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts, you'll find articles written by
researchers in the fields of communication studies, linguistics, or related fields. Below are some examples of journals indexed in these:
Communication and Mass Media Complete
- Communication Studies
- Discourse Processes
- Journal of Pragmatics
- Journal of Sociolinguistics
- Media, Culture, and Society
- New Media & Society
- Research on Language & Social Interaction
- Text
- Complete list of journals and magazines indexed (650+)
Communication and Mass Media Complete also has indexes to articles from magazines, and other non-scholarly articles.
Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts- Language in Society
- Women and Language
- Complete list of journals indexed (1,500+ journals; text file)
Should I browse a journal or search an index/database?
Because an index/database indexes many similar journals, both well-known as lesser known journals, an index/database search is much more powerful than simply searching or browsing individual journal titles.
So how do I effectively search an index/database?
It depends somewhat on the database, but here are some basic rules of thumb:
- Remember that there is more than one way to describe an issue.
- Have some basic understanding of the index you are searching. For example, what years does the index/database cover?
- Use Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT, if possible. For example: (men or male or man) and culture and language.
- Use truncation/wildcard techniques to account for different word endings. Example: cultur* finds culture or cultural.
- Consider your topic. Create questions that you will be seeking answers to.
- Don't waste time capitalizing search words.
- Do spend time making sure you are spelling words correctly.
- Explore any dropdown menus in a database. For example in Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts, do the following search:
- Descriptors: sociolinguistics
- Abstract: cultur*
- Anywhere: male* or men*
- Limit to: Journals and English
- Try variations on one search, changing one variable at the time.
- Realize there are differences between databases. For example, descriptors may be called subjects, or truncation may be done using a question mark instead of an asterisk.
- To learn about the quirks of a particular database, consult the Help link that is usually available in a database.
- Example of a search in Communication and Mass Media Complete:
- Geographic Terms: united states
- Subject Terms: Television
- Abstract Terms: female* or women*
- Check the box for searching only academic/scholarly journals.
Are all articles available online?
Far from all articles are available online. Some databases provide full-text (meaning text without images) or replicas (PDFs) of print articles online, others are only an index with metadata (i.e. information about articles).
Why are there articles listed in an index when the entire article is not online?
The Libraries may still have the article in print in one of the campus libraries. If it is not available in print in a campus library, current faculty, students or staff can request a copy from another institution via the Libraries interlibrary loan request system called Illiad.
Can I use the Find It button to find an article online?
Yes, the Find It button checks in other library databases to see if an article is available online. Please see the image below for an example:
Can I use the Find It button to see if an article is available in print in a campus library?
Yes, if Find It says that no electronic version is available, click on the link that says "Check for print/other electronic holdings in MNCAT -- U of M Catalog - Go". Example:
Why does MNCAT have a record for a journal online when Find It said it was NOT available online?
Find It is correct in most cases. Check the years available online. Most likely, the article you need is outside of the range of years available online.
Are there other databases that are useful for communication research?
Yes, but choosing the right database will depend on your focus. For example, researchers focusing on interpersonal communications may prefer to use PsycInfo, the premier index/database in the field of psychology. To find a list of resources, please see the Libraries Communication Studies' subject page, talk to your advisor, or contact the librarian for communication studies.