University Library at St. Cloud State University

CMST 192: Introduction to Communication Studies

Fake news vs. legitimate sources
The Problem With Fake News (and how our students can solve it)

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/xf8mjbVRqao
 
Search tips for library databases
  • Search by concepts, taking out common words like effect, affect, good, bad, etc.
  • Using AND focuses or limits your search (you get fewer results). Using OR broadens or expands your search (you get more results).
  • Use * to search for different word endings (child* searches child, child's, children, children's but also childbirth) and plurals.
  • Use quotation marks around phrases.
  • Try the Advanced Search. Change the "field" you are search using the pull down menu (for example, search for keywords only in the "Title" of an article).
Finding legitimate sources
Select at least two different databases to search for resources on your topic. Use the limits within the databases to sort your results by article type or year of publication.

Peer-reviewed journal articles (use the limit function of the database):
Academic Search Premier (all topics) Restricted Resource Some full text availablefindit elm database
Full-text articles in biology, chemistry, education, engineering, humanities, physics, psychology, religion and theology, sociology, etc. Tip: Click the check box to limit to Academic (Peer Reviewed) Journals.

Communication & Mass Media Complete Restricted Resource Some full text availablefindit database
The main database for Communication Studies and Mass Communications. Searches over 600 journal titles that support research in communication, mass media, linguistics, language learning and related fields of study.

Ethnic NewsWatch Restricted Resource Some full text availablefindit database
Articles from over 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Provides in-depth coverage of a wide range of current and historical topics. Limit the Source Type to "Scholarly Journals" for peer-reviewed articles.

Health Source: Nursing/Academic Restricted Resource Some full text availablefindit elm database
Index with fulltext for 550 scholarly journals covering many areas of medicine. Include the Lexi-PAL Drug Guide covering 1300 generic drug patient education sheets with more than 4700 brand names.

APA PsycInfo Restricted Resource findit database
PsycINFO is the premier source for finding scholarly articles and other information relating to all aspects of psychology and related fields.

Sociological Abstracts Restricted Resource findit database
The primary database for scholarly articles in sociology, anthropology, social work, and related topics of study.


Books:
Books and More (Library Catalog) Unrestricted Resource database
Search for books, ebooks, video, government publications, recordings, music scores, and other materials available through the library.  
COVID update: If you locate a book that you want for your research, click on the link for the item, Sign in from the yellow box, and click on REQUEST: Place a hold with Husky Fetch. We will pull the book and have it ready for you to pick up at the Circulation desk.
References and in-text citations in APA
When searching library databases for your sources, use the Cite tool and select APA to copy and paste the citation for that source.

NOTE: You must always double-check the formatting that the database provides. It is not always accurate. Look over the format of the authors' names and capitalization in particular.

Tools for using APA Style, 7th edition:

APA Style -- Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL)

APA Sample Paper (Charles Darwin University)
 

In-text citation information:

An in-text citation allows your reader to track down a specific source you use in your paper. The in-text citation should provide enough information to point your reader to the full citation in your reference list. An in-text citation must be included when you quote or paraphrase information from one of your sources.

In APA Style, an in-text citation typically includes the author's last name and the date of publication, in parenthesis. If you use a direct quote, include the page number for the reference. For works by more than two authors, cite the first author's last name followed by et al., and the date of publication, i.e. (Ramirez et al., 2020).

In-text examples from OWL at Purdue and APA Style Blog:

After the intervention, children increased in the number of books read per week (Smith & Wexwood, 2010). 

Smith and Wexwood (2010) reported that after the intervention, children increased in the number of books read per week. 

According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).

Johnson (1998) argued that...(as cited in Smith, 2003).
Scholarly vs. popular periodicals
Scholarly vs. Popular Materials Guide (NCSU)
Guide to distinguishing between scholarly journals, popular magazines, and trade journals/magazines.
____________________________
 
Activity: Compare and contrast the following articles. How do you know if they're scholarly or popular?

Dingman, D. A., Schulz, M. R., Wyrick, D. L., Bibeau, D. L., & Gupta, S. N. (2014). Factors related to the number of fast food meals obtained by college meal plan students. Journal Of American College Health, 62(8), 562-569. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2014.945456

Botelho, S. (2014). Hungry, but hurried. University Business, 17(7), 37–40.
Locating full text articles
When searching library databases, you will sometimes see a direct link to the PDF version of the article. If you don't see this link, look for the Find It! button.

Find It iconThis button will take you to a screen that shows you how to get access to the full text of the article you need. You will see one or more options:
  1. A link to another online source with the full text available,
  2. A link to the Library Catalog to check for a print copy in the library, and/or
  3. A link to Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Example:
 

If you see a link to Request through Interlibrary Loan, click it and then click Send Request. You will need to be logged in with your StarID and password. You will receive an email with a link to the full text of the article, usually within two days.
Subject Specialist
Picture: Robin Ewing

Robin Ewing
Professor, Research Librarian
MC 204F
(320) 308-2093
rlewing@stcloudstate.edu

Picture: Melissa Prescott

Melissa Prescott
Professor, Diversity and Inclusion Librarian
MC 204E
(320) 308-4751
mkprescott@stcloudstate.edu


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