Communication
Learn about the research databases available at the library.
Databases by Sub-Topic
Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, the following databases are relevant to the subject of Communication:
Multidisciplinary Databases
- Academic Search Complete
- Why search here? This database contains peer-reviewed articles on almost every academic subject.
- What’s included? Content includes over 5,000 full-text journals and over 200 full-text magazines, as well as full-text monographs and conference proceedings. Additional content includes citations and abstracts for many more journals and other publications.
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Why search here? This open-access database contains a wide array of peer-reviewed journals on almost every subject.
- What’s included? The DOAJ contains over 20,000 full-text, open-access journals.
- ScienceDirect Open Access
- Why search here? This collection of open-access journals covers almost every subject.
- What’s included? Included are over 1,300 peer-reviewed journals and books published by Elsevier.
- JSTOR
- Why search here? JSTOR is a large, full-text database covering a wide range of academic subjects, including biology, history, law, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, political science, psychology, social science, and social work.
- What’s included? JSTOR contains the full text of thousands of journals, and its collections are especially strong for older or historic journals.
- Retraction Watch
- Why search here? Retraction Watch is a database of peer-reviewed articles that have been retracted because of plagiarism, fraud, or error. It also indexes articles about which “expressions of concern” have been made—that is, concerns that may eventually lead to retractions. This database can assist students in avoiding poor research.
- What’s included? The database contains thousands of entries. Each entry includes title, place of publication, author, reason for retraction, and other relevant information.
Communication Databases
- Applied Science & Technology Source
- Why search here? This database contains wide-ranging, full-text coverage of applied science and technology, including computer science, engineering, and aeronautics. Many resources also discuss the business and social implications of emerging technologies.
- What’s included? Contents include trade journals and conference proceedings in addition to peer-reviewed journals. These resources cover engineering as well as business and social-science research related to technology.
- Communication & Mass Media Complete
- Why search here? This is the most important database for the subjects of mass communication and speech communication.
- What’s included? It includes the full text of 450 peer-reviewed journals and citations for an additional 320 journals, as well as 5,400 author profiles.
- Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts
- Why search here? This database indexes journals on librarianship and library science.
- What’s included? Contents include citations and abstracts for over 735 journals, as well as books, research reports, and proceedings.
News & Current Events
- MasterFILE Complete
- Why search here? This collection contains a wide selection of popular magazines, reference books, and primary-source documents on many subjects. It is especially useful for researching business and current events.
- What’s included? The collection includes over 2,300 magazines, 1,100 eBooks, 55,000 primary-source documents, and 75,000 Associated Press videos, as well as an image collection.
- Newspaper Source Plus
- Why search here? This database curates content from a wide array of newspapers and radio and television news programs. Newspaper Source Plus focuses on recent and current news rather than on historical newspapers.
- What’s included? The database contains over 1,100 full-text newspapers and over 100 full-text newswires.
- Newswires
- Why search here? This database aggregates syndicated news from the previous thirty days. This database supplements Newspaper Source Plus and Regional Business News Plus.
- What’s included? Newswires of the last thirty days are included. Most are from the Associated Press.
- Regional Business News Plus
- Why search here? This database contains full-text newspapers and regional business publications.
- What’s included? Contents include over 1,300 full-text newspapers, 72 regional business publications, and more than two million television and radio news transcripts.
- TOPICsearch
- Why search here? This database is focused on current events. It will be most useful for classes or writing assignments focused on contemporary issues or news items.
- What’s included? The database contains over 98,000 full-text articles from newspapers, magazines, biographies, book reviews, government publications, and opinion polls.
Legal Information
- Legal Collection
- Why search here? Legal Collection contains full-text, peer-reviewed law journals covering a wide array of legal topics.
- What’s included? The collection includes over 300 full-text journals.
- Legal Information Source
- Why search here? Legal Information Source contains legal forms and legal information aimed at the layman rather than the specialist. Topics include family law, property law, and business law, among others.
- What’s included? The collection includes legal reference books from Nolo and thousands of legal forms.
eBooks & Reference Works
- Directory of Open Access Books
- Why search here? The Directory of Open Access Books contains freely available, peer-reviewed academic eBooks on a variety of subjects.
- What’s included? The Directory’s content is eclectic and covers a wide range of academic subjects.
- eBook Academic Collection
- Why search here? This database contains most of the library’s academic eBooks. It is also searchable through our catalog system.
- What’s included? This collection contains over 240,000 eBooks covering a wide range of academic subjects.
- eBook Collection
- Why search here? This is EBSCO’s eBook portal, which has its own unique interface. This collection is also searchable through our catalog system.
- What’s included? All of the eBooks we receive from EBSCO are included here.
- MAS Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements MAS Complete. Although intended for high school students, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 370 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference collection supplements MasterFILE Complete. Although intended for public libraries, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Almost 780 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
Theses & Dissertations
- EBSCO Open Dissertations
- Why search here? This open-access database can direct you to the full text of theses and doctoral dissertations on almost any subject.
- What’s included? This collection contains over one and a half million dissertations from 320 universities worldwide.
- Open Access Theses and Dissertations
- Why search here? This database links to full-text graduate theses and doctoral dissertations on every academic subject.
- What’s included? The database includes over seven million theses and dissertations from over 1,100 institutions.