CMNS 260
research guide
SYLVIA ROBERTS
LIAISON LIBRARIAN, COMMUNICATION
SROBERTS@SFU.CA
Assignment
 "general research topic---attitudes and practices related
to the ethics and to etiquette in media use in
communication....narrow the topic and develop specific
research questions, conduct bibliographic research about
scholarship related to your specific topic, design ways of
collecting information and present an analysis of
information you collect."
CMNS 260
Assignment
 "general research topic---attitudes and practices related
to the ethics and to etiquette in media use in
communication....narrow the topic and develop specific
research questions, conduct bibliographic research about
scholarship related to your specific topic, design ways of
collecting information and present an analysis of
information you collect."
CMNS 260
Cell phone interruptions
CMNS 260
Sample research question
 What factors impact whether people interrupt
conversations with another person to answer their
cell phones?
 Is the age or status of the parties a factor?
 Or the context?
CMNS 260
Assignment
 "general research topic---attitudes and practices related
to the ethics and to etiquette in media use in
communication... narrow the topic and develop specific
research questions, conduct bibliographic research about
scholarship related to your specific topic, design ways of
collecting information and present an analysis of
information you collect."
CMNS 260
Finding research articles:
1. Identify search terms to describe the focus of
2.
3.
4.
5.
CMNS 260
your research
Select appropriate search tools
Use search syntax effectively
Assess your search results to select scholarly
research publications
Capitalize on your findings and/or modify your
search strategy for better results
Terminology
 Cell phones
 Social
 Cellular telephones
 Interaction
 Mobile phones
 Interpersonal
 Mobile communication
 Behavior / behaviour
 Public space?
 Observation?
 Etiquette?
 Library / libraries
 Privacy?
CMNS 260
Search for research articles
 CMNS article indexes
 Communication & Mass Media Complete
 Sociological Abstracts
 Business Source Complete
 Education Complete
 Geobase
CMNS 260
Characteristics of scholarly literature
 Use to communication research results and ideas to other
scholars around the world
 Written by experts, uses language and theoretical approaches
familiar to those in the discipline
 PEER REVIEWED
 Typically, research articles include:



Research affiliations of authors
Literature review and sources consulted
Research methodology
CMNS 260
E.G. peer-reviewed articles
 Humphreys, L. (2005). Cellphones in public: social
interactions in a wireless era. New Media &
Society, 7(6), 810-833.
doi:10.1177/1461444805058164
 Campbell, S. (2008). Perceptions of Mobile Phone
Use in Public: The Roles of Individualism,
Collectivism, and Focus of the Setting.
Communication Reports, 21(2), 70-81.
doi:10.1080/08934210802301506
CMNS 260
Can’t find anything on topic?
 Cutting edge topic?
 Too narrow a focus?
 Maybe it’s not an area worthy of research or not
trendy
 Think of related literature that you can use
 Consult reference librarians (use Ask Us for options)
or contact me
CMNS 260
CMNS 260