Search vs. Research
Search Versus Research
Research Tips
Research Tips
- Generate a list of your search terms and any synonyms
- Search for each term in databases or InfoHawk+
- If searching for a phrase, insert quotation marks around the phrase
- Limit your search by a date range if you want results from certain years
- Try your search terms in multiple databases
- Look at the footnotes and bibliography of scholarly articles - they can lead you to related sources!
- The first sources that you find may not be the best. Keep looking!
InfoHawk+ for Finding Articles
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More Help with Research
More Help With Research
- SEAM - Students Engage At MainWorking as part of the University of Iowa Libraries, "We provide resources, assistance, and services that support undergraduate research, learning, and student success. The SEAM hosts extended research assistance hours and other programs that help undergraduate students develop and improve research skills and critical thinking."
Contact a Librarian
- Chris Ortega (Communication Studies librarian)
- Email a librarian (web form)
- Search our Frequently Asked Questions
Books of Interest
The Craft of Research by
With more than three-quarters of a million copies sold since its first publication, The Craft of Research has helped generations of researchers at every level--from first-year undergraduates to advanced graduate students to research reporters in business and government--learn how to conduct effective and meaningful research. Conceived by seasoned researchers and educators Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, this fundamental work explains how to find and evaluate sources, anticipate and respond to reader reservations, and integrate these pieces into an argument that stands up to reader critique. The fourth edition has been thoroughly but respectfully revised by Joseph Bizup and William T. FitzGerald. It retains the original five-part structure, as well as the sound advice of earlier editions, but reflects the way research and writing are taught and practiced today. Its chapters on finding and engaging sources now incorporate recent developments in library and Internet research, emphasizing new techniques made possible by online databases and search engines. Bizup and FitzGerald provide fresh examples and standardized terminology to clarify concepts like argument, warrant, and problem. Following the same guiding principle as earlier editions--that the skills of doing and reporting research are not just for elite students but for everyone--this new edition retains the accessible voice and direct approach that have made The Craft of Research a leader in the field of research reference. With updated examples and information on evaluation and using contemporary sources, this beloved classic is ready for the next generation of researchers.
ISBN: 9780226239569Publication Date: 2016-10-19
Research Resources
Where to Find Advertisements
Where to Find Speeches
Where to Find Context Sources
- The Perch The Perch is "a curated collection of current literary journals and magazines of news, commentary, and opinion," including digital access to the publications.
- U.S. Archives - a select listing Select listing to some of the largest collections of archival resources in the country. Consult the Iowa Archives tab for local resources.
- CQ Researcher Written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. CQ Researcher provides in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day.
Recommended Databases
- Academic Search Elite This link opens in a new windowThis multi-disciplinary database offers full text for nearly 2,000 scholarly journals, including more than 1,500 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as 1985. This database is updated on a daily basis.
- Communication and Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new windowRECOMMEND USING CHROME; Combines CommSearch (formerly produced by the National Communication Association (NCA)), and Mass Media Articles Index (formerly produced by Pennsylvania State University).
How To Read a Scholarly Article
How to Read a Scholarly Article
Reading a scholarly article can be a little intimidating! They follow a unique format and can be quite lengthy. Use this guide to help get a quick understanding of the article before you invest your time in reading the entire piece.
Source: ESL Undergraduate Student Guide, Undergraduate Library, University of Illinois