COMM 1018 RESEARCH & RESOURCES
Megan Lowe, Coordinator of Public Services
Where to Begin? At the Beginning!
Let’s say you need some research resources for a class
you’re taking, like this one – “Interpersonal
Communication.” You know you need a few articles, but
you aren’t sure where to start.
Your impulse would be to start with Google or Bing, but
instead, first consider what you need to find:
quality, credible articles on some aspect
of interpersonal communication
Narrowing What You Need
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“Interpersonal communication” is a very, very broad
topic, and trying to research a very, very broad
topic is very, very difficult.
You need to narrow the topic down to something
more specific – you can narrow the topic by asking
yourself questions about the topic, such as…
Need to Narrow? Ask These…
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What do I find interesting about the topic?
What might I find useful to learn?
What personal experiences have I had that relate
to some aspect of the topic?
What misconceptions do people have about the
topic that I’d like to clarify?
What myths exist about the topic that I’d like to
dispel?
What would I like to learn more about with regard
to this topic?
Some narrower concepts: PICK ONE
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couple conflict
dating expectations
expectations
interpersonal attraction
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 parents
 siblings
 friends
 physical
 doctors
 personality
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attractive body odors
self-disclosure, between
 both
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the workplace
the classroom
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the impact of cohabitation
conversation styles
NEXT STEP: *NOT* Searching YET
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That’s right – we’re not searching yet. Hold your horses!
There’s something you need to know.
Know how most professors (and librarians) cringe when
you use Google and Bing and rely too heavily on
websites for your research?
The reason for this is that the Internet is NOT
moderated or quality-controlled, and there’s a lot of
GARBAGE and RUMOR and outright MISINFORMATION
floating around.
*NOT* Searching YET
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You don’t want to write a paper or conduct research
with GARBAGE, RUMOR, or MISINFORMATION, do
you? OF COURSE NOT!
You wouldn’t feed a baby GARBAGE, would you?
OF COURSE NOT!
You would feed a baby healthy, safe, clean food,
right? RIGHT!
Think of your research like a baby – you want to fill
it with healthy, safe, clean things!
*NOT* Searching YET
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“healthy, safe, clean things” = scholarly, peerreviewed, research-oriented resources
There ARE scholarly, peer-reviewed, researchoriented resources on the Internet – but it usually
takes extra effort and time to find them
However, starting with the Library’s resources means
that you’re heading straight for those resources
right out of the gate – the Library is CHOCK-FULL
of scholarly, peer-reviewed resources!
So…what are scholarly resources?
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Written by experts
Focuses on a particular field, topic, or discipline
Intended for others in that field or career
“Proper” language, technical vocabulary
No ads
RESEARCH ORIENTED
* Journals are scholarly
POPULAR resources are the opposite
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Written by journalists
Usually covers broad topics, fields, issues, or
disciplines
Usually appeals to a wide audience
Everyday language, slang, even profanity
LOTS of ads
NOT RESEARCH ORIENTED
* Magazines and newspapers are popular
Just a few tips before we search…
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Keyword searching is how you’re going to be
conducting most of your searching. Keyword searching
is the combination of key words (get it?) with operators
(AND, OR, and NOT) to produce search strings
Those narrower concepts we looked at earlier are
actually keywords
When using phrases – like couple conflict – you need
to put the phrase in quotation marks:
“couple conflict”
Search string: examples
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“interpersonal communication” and conflict
“couple conflict” and “interpersonal communication”
couple and conflict and communication
“interpersonal communication” and couple OR partners
couple and conflict NOT divorce
* Use AND not + or &. Pay attention to number (singular
vs. plural) and spelling.
A few more tips…
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DO create a list of keywords
DO underline/highlight/bookmark
DO take notes/sticky notes
DO get organized
DON’T multitask
DON’T procrastinate
DON’T plagiarize
LET’S DO THIS
We know we need scholarly resources on interpersonal
communication, specifically the topic couple conflict.
We know the keywords and search strings we can use.
We have the skills we need to get started.
So we start with the Library’s website
http://www.ulm.edu/library
After the Searching’s Done…
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You have the resources you need, either digitally or
physically, if you’ve printed them out
This is when underlining/highlighting comes into play, as
well as notes and sticky notes
Documentation is also important, in order to avoid
plagiarism – several of our databases (like Ebscohost) will
generate citations for you
Need a Hand?
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If you need help with the research process – at ANY
point in the research process – you can ask the
librarians for assistance – that’s what we do!
We also check documentation (quotations and
citations) for accuracy.
If you’d like someone to check your writing (grammar,
spelling, and syntax), you can go to the Write Place
on the 1st floor of the Library.
RECAP
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When doing research, make sure you have a
manageable (narrow) topic.
Create a list of keywords and search strings.
Bear in mind that you need scholarly resources,
which can be found in the Library.
Search the Library’s resources using the keywords
and search strings, bearing in mind the tips we
discussed.
Make sure you document your resources!
RECAP
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Select databases based on your research needs –
for a class like this, communication databases work
well, but so do psychology databases (think outside
the box)!
Use parameters like “scholarly/peer-reviewed” and
“full text” – and even publication date – to make
the results lists more manageable
Some databases will create citations FOR you –
take advantage of that for accurate citations!
RECAP
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The librarians can help you with research, from start
to finish!
The librarians can also help you with citations and
documentation.
The Write Place can help you with writing – they
can check spelling, grammar, and syntax.
All of these services can be found on the 1st floor of
the Library (that’s also where you check out books,
study rooms, and make copies).
RECAP: Library Databases Covered
EDS – comprehensive search of electronic
resources
 Ebscohost
 Academic Search Complete
 Communication and Mass Media Complete
 Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
 JSTOR
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Question & Answer Time!
Thanks for your cooperation!
Remember, if you need research help, all you have
to do is ask the librarians. You can…
Visit the Reference Desk, Library 1st floor
 Email us at reference@ulm.edu
 Call us at (318) 342-1071
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