Communication Studies

Cicero's First Oration against Catiline Obama's First State of the Union Address

Book, Media & Web Resources

In the Library and on the Web

Books--Media--Web Sites

Databases: Journal, Magazine, News Articles

Preamble

There is no way to anticipate the topic you may choose or be assigned for either a speech or a research project in communication, psycholinguistics, or sociolinguistics. Below is a selection of databases that should be useful across a wide variety of subjects, and under each I have supplied some sample Subject Headings for Speech Communication. If your topic clearly falls under some other discipline (Anthropology, Environmental Science, Psychology, Sports, Television), also check for a more targeted "Research Guide" on the Library's home page.

Journals by Title

Note: The databases below allow you to search by topic for articles in thousands of newspapers, magazines, and journals. If you wish to see full-text availability for a particular publication, use the Journal Titles search on the Library home page. You can also use the following links to browse full-text journals in English Language and Philology & Linguistics.

General Onefile

   General OneFile : is the most user-friendly of our comprehensive databases, covering almost any topic from a wide range of disciplinary angles and offering lots of full text. Use the default Subject search to find the best subject heading for your topic (and when you find a good one be sure to look at the "Related Subjects" to see if there's something even better). Among the Subjects available here are Oral Communication, Public Speaking, Communication Apprehension, Conversation, Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, Linguistic Analysis, Forensic Oratory, Political Oratory, and Rhetoric.
   When you settle on a subject heading, open the "Subdivisions" link below it. Most General OneFile subject searchs produce very large retrievals and the "subdivisions" help you narrow your search to a particular aspect: "Economic aspects," "Ethical aspects," "Forecasts and Trends," "History," "Media Coverage," "Political aspects," "Psychological aspects," "Social aspects," and "Statistics," to name only a few.
     If the best available subdivision is still too broad, open it and add your own Keywords in the "Search within these results" slot at the upper left.
     And note: If yor're looking for the transcript and/or audio of a speech by a particular person or on a specific topic, search the person (last name first) or topic in the initial Subject slot, then open the "Subdivisions" and see if there's one for "Speeches, Lectures, and Essays." If there is, open it and look for transcripts (also note that under "Content Types" at the upper left there may be link to "Audio").
   User Advisory: When first viewing your retrievals in General OneFile, note that you are seeing onlythe "Magazines" (popular articles) and must click on the tabs for "Academic Journals" (scholarly articles) or "News" (newspaper articles) to see those results.

Academic Search Premier

Academic Search Premier Comprehensive subject coverage with considerable full text. Note that there is a “Subject Terms” link just above the search boxes, allowing you to search the index of Subject Headings--often a good first stop for more efficient Subject searching whereby you are guaranteed that your topic is indeed a main subject of the articles retrieved.
If you're looking for a speech transcript for a person or on a particular topic, set the "Document Type" limit--below the search slots on the left--to "Speech," and then search the person in the "PE People" field, last name first, or enter the topic in the Keyword or Subject field.

A good initial strategy in this database is to search a likely topic in the Subject Terms and when you find it “explode” the term by double clicking it--this brings up a list of related Subject terms. You can check as many terms as you like before "adding" them to your search by AND-ing or OR-ing them together. Among the Headings available here are Oral Communication, Public Speaking, Speech Anxiety, Speech Acts, Psycholinguistics, Communicative Competence, Language & Emotions, and Intercultural Communication. And try exploding Interpersonal Communication to see the vast range of related Subjects.

User Advisory: For any retrieved set of articles, there will be a box displayed on the left that will limit the articles to “Scholarly” journals—just check the box and click the “Update Results” button below.
And note that on the initial search screen you are offered a "Document Type" limit that can be set to "Speech" or, if you are researching an issue, "Editorial."

Communication & Mass Media

Communication and Mass Media Complete (CMMC) : Like Academic Search Premier, this is an Ebsco database with most of the features described above. Use the Thesaurus above the search slots to browse available Subject Headings. Once you find one, "explode" it by double clicking and scan all the related Headings. Among those available here are Oral Communication, Conversation, Interpersonal Communication, Public Speaking, Verbal Ability, Communication Competence, Sociolinguistics, Language & Culture, Discourse Analysis, and Oratory.

Communication Studies

Communication Studies: a SAGE Full-Text Collection : As compared to Communication and Mass Media above, this database is more exclusively focused on media and culture in relation to communication. The Descriptors (Subject Headings) may be browsed in advance if you click on "Browse" above the search slots, then choose "Browse/Search by Descriptor," and then choose "Communication Studies" as your collection. Among the available Descriptors are Oral Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Conversation, Discourse Analysis, Rhetoric, and Cross Cultural Communication.

ProQuest

ProQuest : is a comprehensive database with substantial full text. Use the "Thesaurus" (above the search slots) to preview what Subject Headings are available. Subect searching can be a more efficient way to search than with only Keywords, since it guarantees that the articles retrieved actually be about the Subject--not just use a particular word. The Headings here include Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Conversation, Psycholinguistics, and Sociolinguistics.
   Note that to the right of your search results you can limit your retrieval by "Source Type" (including Magazines, Newspapers, Scholarly Journals), "Document Type," (including Cover Story, Editorial, or Interview), "Document Feature" (including Photographs, Illustrations), and "Location."
   Above each set of articles you retrieve ProQuest will display related Subject searches to help either broaden or narrow your focus.
     User Advisory: ProQuest is fussy about entering Subject searches in the designated search slot. If your subject is a person, enter the name--last name first--in the "Person" slot; if a named group of any kind--Microsoft, the Catholic Church, Radiohead, the New York Mets--enter it in "Co/Org"; if a place enter it in "Location."

PsycINFO

   PsycINFO :  The American Psychological Association use their own Subject vocabulary , so a visit to the "Thesaurus" above the search slots is a good idea. If you find an article on exactly what you want, be sure to check the assigned "Subjects" for more ideas about useful search terms. Among the Subjects available here are Oral Communication, Public Speaking, Speech Anxiety, Interpersonal Communication, Speech Perception, Psycholinguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, and Metalinguistics.
     PsycINFO deals only with scholarly literature, much of it assuming a graduate-level understanding of the discipline. But among these you may find interesting, accessible articles on your topic.
     User Advisory: If what you're searching for are "journal articles only" in "English," it's a good idea to check those boxes (below the search slots).

SocINDEX

SocINDEX with Full Text : As the name implies, an excellent database for social issues. Click on the "Subject Terms" link above the search slots to find which Subject Headings will work here. Double click any Heading for a list of broader, narower, and related Subject Terms. And note that you can check the boxes to select as many Headings as you like and then "add to search using or" and run the search--all without even retyping the terms back on the home page. In addition to the usual Headings for Oral Communication and Public Speaking, you'll find Sociolinguistics, English Language--Social Aspects, Speech & Social Status, Racism in Language, Language Minorities, Language Policy, and Intercultural Communication..

JSTOR

   JSTOR : covers a wide range of scholarly journals in most disciiplines, always beginning with the first issue of each one. This provides 100% full text access to articles from not only the first half of the 20th century but even the second half of the 19th. Be aware, however, that at the other end of the date range articles don't appear in JSTOR until at least 2-3 years after publication. Also be aware that for 100% full text you must change the setting from "include links to external content" to "include only content I can access."
   JSTOR offers only a Keyword search of its complete full text, so retrievals are large, but the relevancy ranking does a good job of putting the strongest matches on the first few pages. This relevancy ranking does not weigh date, however, and will display a mix of articles written decades apart. So if your topic is time sensitive, be alert to publication dates.
     User Advisory: The academic journals covered here feature numerous book reviews, so it's a good idea to tic the "Article" limit below the search slots so you won't be overwhelmed by book reviews on your topic.
   Also note the "Date Range" limit, which in a database with an archive this deep can be very useful.

ScienceDirect

ScienceDirect : Don't be misled by the name: ScienceDirect covers both the Sciences and Social Sciences. Because it’s a large database with a great deal of full text, the absence of Subject searching means that your Keyword searches will often retrieve large sets of articles, many of which mention but don’t discuss your search term(s). One way around this is to limit your initial search to the “Abstract Title Keyword” field. Once you have found an article that sounds on-target, click the “Related Articles” link beneath the citation This will open a range of articles on the same topic. For a glimpse of the kind of resources you can find here, try--communication and (sex or gender)--in the AbstractTitleKeyword field.
User Advisory: Don't settle for the default "Quick Search"--open "Search" for the full range of options. Among thse you can uncheck "All books," which is recommended if you're looking for articles. And if you open the "Dates" drop-down menu you'll find a much wider range of options than the default 10 year span.

Polling the Nations

Polling the Nations : Polling data can be useful in making a persuasive argument, and this database provides a wide range of sources from 1986 to the present. Click on "Begin Search" and then take advantage of the drop-down menu of available "Topics." You can also specify the "Universe" or geographic location of the poll, but the bulk of the polling information here is from North America and Western Europe.

User Advisory: Begin by searching on a Topic without place or date limits--to see the full extent of available data. If this proves sufficiently large, then add desired limits by location, date, or pollinng source. All these limits can dramatically reduce your retrievals--which is why it's a good idea first to establish the full extent of polling data on a given topic.

ArticleLinker

Most of the IC Libary databases listed above contain only some full text. If the article you want is not availabe full text from the database you are searching, check below the citation for one of the images above. This is ArticleLinker and if available it will search a wide range of other IC Library databases, retrieving links to any full text it finds.

Articles: Gauging the Slant

Some research topics involve politicized public policy debates, so remember that magazines are more likely than either scholarly journals or newspapers to have distinct political affiliations, of which you should be aware to critically evaluate your sources. Below are some broad categorizations of my own:
Liberal journals include Mother Jones, Village Voice, The Nation, The Progressive, Washington Monthly, Utne Reader, Tikkum, Dissent, American Prospect, New York Review of Books, New Leader, Rolling Stone, Z Magazine, New Statesman (British), Guardian Weekly (British).

Conservative journals include American Spectator, National Review, Weekly Standard, American Enterprise, Commentary, American Outlook, Policy Review and The Spectator (British).

And if you don’t believe me, take a look at Yahoo’s lists of “conservative” and “progressive” magazines.