Databases - COMM 3315 - Research Methods - InfoGuides at Cornette Library

How to Get to List of All Databases

For a list of all databases available through the Cornette Library, go to the library's home page. Click on the blue button for "Databases A-Z."

Best Databases

Communication Source This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
The most comprehensive research database in the field of communications, this resource results from a merger of EBSCO’s Communication and Mass Media Complete with SAGE's Communications Abstracts. It indexes and abstracts over 1000 core journals, nearly 400 more than in CMMC, and its active full text for more than 600 journals includes 150 full-text titles not available in CMMC.

It also has a subject-specific, browsable thesaurus featuring 4,528 preferred and 8,528 non-preferred terms and coverage dating back to 1915.

Coverage includes advertising, rhetoric, communication disorders and much more.
Coverage: Varies, mostly mid-1990s forward, Truncation and Wildcard: * and ?, Search Tips: Use quotation marks to phrase search. Allows Boolean AND, OR and NOT searching. May limit to full-text.
Taylor & Francis Online This link opens in a new window
Multi-disciplinary full-text database with an international perspective. Numerous specialized journals especially in education, social and behavioral sciences, communication, and business, but also otherwise across the arts and humanities, physical and life sciences, health sciences, and engineering, More than 1400 journals are available.
Format: Full-text, Coverage: Varies by title, many are 1997 to present, Truncation and Wildcard: Select 'stemming' and n/a, Search Tips: Be sure to check 'Only content I have full access to' to limit to items immediately available in full-text.

Other Databases

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
** Expanded access continues as we work to implement a new contract for JSTOR's new all-access model, which will provide access to all archival journals and primary source content. **

Back volumes for 2,890 journals from the very first issue but usually excluding the most current 2-5 years, though almost 100 with coverage through the most recent issue. General subject areas include art & architecture, Asian studies, botany, ecology, economics, education, finance, history, language & literature, mathematics, music, philosophy, political science, population studies, sociology and statistics.
Format: Majority full-text; some additional full-text via link resolver, Coverage: Dates vary with beginning date of journal., Truncation and Wildcard: + and ----, Search Tips: Boolean commands are supported. Use quotation marks to search keywords as a phrase.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Full-text of more than 175 journals, focusing primarily on humanities and language. Some coverage for the performing arts, social sciences, and education. Almost all publications are scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. 25 journals continue the JSTOR coverage of the publication.
Format: Full-text, Coverage: Varies, begins as early as 1995, Truncation and Wildcard: * and None, Search Tips: Use quotations for phrase searching. Supports Boolean AND, OR and NOT. Group complex search strings with parentheses. Browsable help section and journals list. Use advanced search to specify field types for search string. E-mailed articles are sent as a URL link to the individual article.
Sage Journals Online This link opens in a new window
Full-text from 860+ scholarly journals, with excellent coverage for criminology, psychology, sociology, health sciences and the humanities. Numerous journals also cover education, general and international business, and management.
Format: Full-text, Coverage: 1999-present, Truncation and Wildcard: * and *, Search Tips: Search results may include material earlier than our subscription. DO NOT pay for articles: use our Interlibrary Loan
ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Broad science coverage, emphasizing life sciences, health sciences, engineering, earth sciences, agriculture, and pharmacology. Full text from over 3800 journals and chapters from over 5300 books. Also includes business, management and accounting; economics, econometrics and finance, and social science.
Format: Full-text, Coverage: Varies by title, most 1990-present, Truncation and Wildcard: ! and *, Search Tips: Default search assumes entered term is a phrase. Can search for terms in abstract/title/keywords, full-text , author, journal title, etc. Use singular for terms that form regular plurals. For irregular plurals, combine both terms with OR. Greek letters are spelled out in English. Super and subscripts appear inline. Browsable help lists. Journal list.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Google scholar is a specialized Google service that searches the web for journal articles, books, and other material that MAY be scholarly. Use the special link above for authenticated access to full text articles when off campus.
Format: , Coverage: Varies, mostly mid 1990s - present, Truncation and Wildcard: None and None, Search Tips: To search specifically for an author, use the format author:"j smith" or author:smith. The "Advanced Search Page" allows greater specificity. Words can be searched as exact phrase, without a specific word, in specific publications, with specified authors, and within a specified time frame. Google Scholar will also search within subject areas. Using a + in front of a common word (such as the, and, or) makes sure the term is included in the results. Using a - in front of a term excludes items containing the word.

Google Scholar:

is not a database
not always scholarly resources
can point you to scholarly databases in the Cornette Library
wonderful search engine for a hard-to-research topic

Be sure to go to Google Scholar via the Databases A-Z button on the Cornette Library homepage:

Important: By using this link you will be able to click on any Full Text items that are available by database subscription via the Cornette Library.

Communication Source - Search Tips

Communication Source This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Communiation Source is the most comprehensive research database in the fields of communication.
Coverage: Varies, mostly mid-1990s forward, Truncation and Wildcard: * and ?, Search Tips: Use quotation marks to phrase search. Allows Boolean AND, OR and NOT searching. May limit to full-text.