Databases, Journals, and Google Scholar
The University of Iowa has access to over a thousand databases! That's great, but also a little intimidating when starting your search. Starting with a search in InfoHawk+ is a great place to start.
You will see certain journal names appearing again and again in your searches. Those titles will be relevant to your topic. Some of the most common journals for Organizational Communication and Communication Studies are listed in the box below.
Google Scholar can be utilized as a database as well. Make sure it is linked through your library account! For more information on the differences between Google, Google Scholar, and databases, check out the infographic below!
Recommended Databases
To find Databases specific to Communication Studies, you can select the Databases button on the library homepage or in InfoHawk+, then select Communication Studies for your subject. That will highlight the databases most relevant to the subject.
- 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).
- 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.
- JSTOR (Journal Storage) This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Provides image and full-text online access to back issues of selected scholarly journals in history, economics, political science, philosophy, mathematics and other fields of the humanities and social sciences. Consult the online tables of contents for holdings, as coverage varies for each titles. Journals may be searched across multiple titles as well as by the individual titles below
Note that this database comprises mostly back issues: for most titles the JSTOR database does NOT include full text of the most recent 3 to 5 years. - CIOS Journal Index This link opens in a new windowThis system allows you to perform electronic searches of 58 core serials and annuals in the discipline of communication studies and related fields (e.g., journalism, rhetoric, mass communication, and social linguistics).
- ComAbstracts This link opens in a new windowThis database contains abstracts of articles published in the discipline of communication studies and related fields (e.g., journalism, rhetoric, mass communication, and social linguistics).
- IngentaConnect This link opens in a new windowingentaconnect offers one of the most comprehensive collections of academic and professional research articles online - some 4.5 million articles from 13,500 publications. ingentaconnect provides researchers with online access to the full text of electronic articles, through online purchase of individual articles, or through subscriptions to publications.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowClick on the "ViewIt@UILink" in your results list for UILink services including full text (when available), links to the InfoHawk+ Catalog, Interlibrary Loan requests and more. [TO USE THIS OPTION FROM OFF-CAMPUS: Additional information about Google Scholar]
Can't I just Google it?
Google is a familiar tool but there are other options that will make collegiate-level research much easier (and instructor-approved!). This infographic charts the pros and cons of Google, Google Scholar, and library databases. Each one is useful in its own way. This course guide will help make you more comfortable with doing non-Google research.
Created by McMaster University Library. Used under Creative Commons license. Original found at https://library.mcmaster.ca/research/how-library-stuff-works.
Encyclopedia of Communication Theory
Click on the Encyclopedia of Communication Theory, edited by Littlejohn and Foss, to access this text.
Communications Journals
Google Scholar Profiles
It may be useful to look up the author in Google Scholar to determine their credibility as a Communications scholar. You can find an article in InfoHawk+ or a database, then look it up in Google Scholar. If the author's name is underlined (see red arrow), you can click to view their profile and see what else they have published and what disciplines they write about (see second photo). If you are in Google Scholar, your best bet is to look at articles with the UILink (see gold arrow) listed - we should have full text of those articles. You can also always request an article through Interlibrary Loan if we don't have access to it!
