Ingram Library-Mass Comm 3350

COMM 3350 Telecommunication and Electronic Media Industries

Please keep in mind, when doing any sort of research, the librarians in Ingram Library are here to help you. A reference librarian is on duty whenever the library is open. If you need help, visit the reference desk, or give us a call at 770 836-6495.

Finding Research Articles

You should use at least 10 sources, which MUST include at least 5 empirical studies published in academic journals, preferably communication journals. Empirical studies involve original, peer-reviewed research typically reported in distinct sections that reflect the stages in the research process, i.e. introduction, literature review, method, results, discussion.

The availability of the communication journals listed in your assignment is listed below. The databases Academic Search Elite and Periodical Abstracts II carry most of the journals on your list of journals fulltext.

Academic Search Elite	Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (abstract only) Mass Communication and Society (abstract only)
Periodical Abstracts II	Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media Journal of Communication (NY & UK) *Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly To search these specific journals in Periodical Abstracts: Use the "advanced search" option. Type the journal title in one of the search boxes. Use the drop down menu to specify that you are searching the title of the publication. Then type your topic in another search box.
The journals below are not available in Ingram Library nor any of the fulltext databases. You must either use the Interlibrary Loan Service or go to a library that owns the journal, if you need an article from these titles.
	Journal of Public Relations Journal of Radio Studies Mass Communication and Society Television Quarterly
Searching tips	the ampersand (&) and the word "and" are not interchangeable. to access the "full page" image, you must have loaded Adobe Acrobat on your computer. Library computers already have this software loaded. "Full page" means it looks exactly like it appears in the journal. "Fulltext" or "fulltext plus graphics" is a modified version of the article which can be accessed more easily. *look for the holdings statement in the citation to see if Ingram Library owns the journal.

Finding Articles in Other Journals

Use the same databases above or choose another database appropriate for your topic. [Note: to learn what subjects and formats any GALILEO database covers, click on the Scope icon (i) at the end of the database name. Click on the Back button to return to the list of databases.] To be sure you get scholarly or research articles on your topic, click on "peer-reviewed" or "scholarly" in the "Academic Search Elite" database; all journals in PA Research II - Peer-Reviewed are scholarly.

To access GALILEO	Go to the Library's website at www.westga.edu/~library Click on the GALILEO link from the yellow bar at the top of the Ingram Library homepage.
To search GALILEO	You must first choose a database to search within GALILEO. The first screen has Academic Search Premier and Research Library listed under the earth icon. These are good general databases to start with.
To get full text of an article, mark records, print, or email	Each database is a little different. If you have problems, you can use the help feature or contact a reference librarian at the library.

Finding Books and Videos

At the Library's Home Page, click on "Search for Books" or go directly to the page using the URL (http://gil.westga.edu) You can then choose your search strategy i.e. author , title, keyword, or subject search. The keyword search will probably be the most useful for you, unless you know of a specific book or source you want. Be sure to read the search tips at the bottom of each search screen.

Finding Newspaper Articles and Legal Research

To find a wide range of newspaper articles from all over the country and world, you can use Lexis-Nexis, a news and information service that provides access to newspapers, magazines, transcripts, business and legal information, and more. Most, though not all, articles in Lexis-Nexis will be fulltext.

To access Lexis Nexis	Go to the Library's website at www.westga.edu/~library Click on the Databases link from the yellow bar at the top of the Ingram Library homepage. From the resulting page, scroll down and click on the link for General Interest/Cultural Events. From the resulting screen, click on Lexis-Nexis Academic.
To search Lexis Nexis	Enter words and phrases into the Quick News Search box.
To get full text	Click on the title of the article.
To mark records	Click on the square box to the left of the title on the results list. There's no way to mark it from the full text display.
To print or email	Choose either Print or Email from the two red tabs in the upper right hand corner.

Accessing GALILEO from a Remote Location

Use the URL's above. To get into most of the GALILEO databases, you will need the password for this semester. To access the password, first go to GIL, the Library catalog. Click on "Get GALILEO Password" in the bottom lavender square. Enter your social security number, where it asks for your barcode. Enter your last name in the box below. Then click on OK. The screen that follows will have the password.

APA Style

Your abstract must adhere to APA guidelines when referencing your article. We have four copies of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition. Two copies are at the circulation desk on reserve, another copy is in the reference ready reference section (Call number BF76.7 .P83 2001), and another is in the reference stacks (Call number BF76.7 .P83 2001).