 |
Research and Writing Methods
Dr. Ruma Sen
May 23, 2007
Guide for finding sources at the George T. Potter Library
Leigh Keller
x7316
- Library Homepage
- Find Books
- Reference Material
- Find Articles (Databases)
- Interlibrary Loan/Journal Finder
- Bibliographies
- Websites
- Provides access to the catalog (OPAC), databases, interlibrary loan forms, etc.
II. Finding Books at the Potter Library
- Catalog: use this to find books, journal titles NOT ARTICLES, government documents, reserve items, music,and movies owned by the Library. You may limit a search by language, year(s) of publication, type of material, etc. This may take a few seconds to load.
- Search the catalog using Keywords to find material
- For example: search for communication research to locate a broad range of material and look for ideas for your project
OR
Search the catalog using Subject Browse feature ONLY if you know the Library of Congress Subject Headings
- For example:
- Start with broad searches. It is much easier to discard too much rather than start with too little.
- If you don't know the Subject Heading, use the Related Records tab located on the top of a catalog record to get to the headings. This will help you focus in on more relevant material.
- Can "virtually" browse the shelves by clicking on the call number in a record.
Mass Media
Communication
Tips
III. Reference Material
- The reference stacks are located on the 3rd floor (this is also the library's entrance).
- Some useful materials for your projects:
| The sourcebook of nonverbal measures: going beyond words | Ref P 99.5.S58 2005 |
| The handbook of group communication theory and research | Ref HM 133.H3541999 |
Tips
- Use reference books to browse for project ideas and to get started on your research.
- Use the Bibliographies at the end of encyclopedia entries to find more information on your topic.
IV. Electronic Resources
- Some useful Databases for your projects:
| JSTOR Complete | Comprised of the full-text of more than 500 academic journals. |
| Communication and Mass Media Complete | Offers full text for over 200 titles and contains citation coverage for additional sources. NOTE: When only a citation is included, click on the Check availability at Ramapo link to see if the full text of the article is available in our collection. |
| Lexis-Nexis | Offers full-text newspaper and journal articles on foreign language news, general news, transcript news, and more. |
| Academic Search Premier | A multidisciplinary database that contains many full-text articles. May also limit to scholary (peer-reviewed) journals.NOTE: When only a citation is included, click on the Check availability at Ramapo link to see if the full text of the article is available in our collection. |
| Project Muse (trial access) | Full-text access to over 300 high quality humanities, arts, and social sciences journals from 60 scholarly publishers. |
(Scholarly/Peer Reviewed/Refereed articles have been reviewed by a selected panel of experts in the discipline covered by that journal).
Tips
- Always switch to the Advance Search page in a database. This will give you more control over your results.
- Always use Boolean Operators-AND, OR, NOT when running a search. For Example: women and "political communication "
- Always check your Spelling if the database results are Zero.
.
V. Interlibrary Loan
Both of these links can be found under QUICK LINKS on the library's homepage.
- Interlibrary Loan: allows students to borrow a book or article that the Potter library does not own. There is a link from the Journal Finder page.
- Journal Finder: this provides information regarding if a journal is available full-text online, in print in the library, or available on microfilm.
VI. Bibliographies
- Use Citing Sources for examples of "In-Text Citations" and "Works Cited"
- Use the Citing Websites and Print Sources to get call numbers for paper copies of syle manuals.
Need more help? Visit or call the Reference Desk: 201.684.7574
Use QandA NJ a 24/7 virtual chat with a reference librarian.