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Communication 485: Research Methods

This guide lists recommended resources for Communication 485 research projects, along with some search tips. Other resources may be appropriate, depending on research topics.

Looking Up a Citation?

If you have found (or been given) a book or article that is very relevant for your topic, review the list of references (the sources used by the authors). Some of these cited works may be helpful to you also. To find cited books or articles, where you look depends on what it is:

Is it a book (or book chapter or government document or videorecording)?

  • Search Research@UWW's "Books, Media & more (UW Whitewater)" for the title or author. To find a chapter in a book, look for the BOOK's title. Put titles in quotes, as for a phrase, e.g., "war and peace"
  • Search other UW libraries using Research@UWW's "Books, Media & more (UW System)" for the title or author. If it's at another UW library you may be able to request that it be sent to your UW-Whitewater campus library for your use.

Is it an article (in a journal, magazine, or newspaper)?

  • Search Research@UWW "Everything" and put all or part of the article title in " " as a phrase. If there are too many results, add limiters on the left, such as date or select Resource Type Articles. You can also add the author's last name to the search.
  • Use the Journal Search for a particular journal, magazine or newspaper's title. UW-Whitewater's libraries have access to thousands of titles, some online and some not. Check the dates for which full text access is provided, if this is displayed.

The "How to Borrow from Other Libraries" guide explains how to get materials unavailable online or in Andersen/Lenox (Rock campus) libraries.

Example: Finding a cited article

Suppose you need to find this:

Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., and Gurevitch, M. (1973). Uses and gratifications research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 37, 509-523.

You can find it by searching Research@UWW "Everything" for "Uses and gratifications research"  or by doing a journal search for "public opinion quarterly." In either case,  click "Online Access" to get a link to the full text article in JSTOR (under "View Online").