COM 6400 Introduction to Graduate Study in Communication
Library Resource Page
Librarian: Ken Frankel

Search the Catalog to look for books, journals, magazines, DVDs, VHS tapes, and more. Do NOT use the Catalog to look up articles.

I. Locating books in the Library: FAU Library Catalog: click on “Catalog” or “Books”.  The following types of basic searches are available:  A.   Search for Keyword(s): Searches for terms anywhere they appear in the catalog record. Search terms can be truncated with a ?  e.g. addict? will search for addicts, addiction, etc.  B.   Browse Organized Lists: Use this search when you already know an author, title or subject heading. Some of the available options include: Author’s Name: last name first, you don’t need to capitalize Title: if a title starts with “The,” “A,” or “An,” omit that and skip to the next word Subject, LC: must be entered in a very specific manner. You may get a cross-reference, suggesting an alternate search term to use.  If you’re not finding anything with a subject search try a keyword search instead.  C.   Journals/Serials: This search lets you know if the Library has a certain journal or magazine. However it does not search for articles in journals. To do this use a database instead (see below). After searching for a journal title, click on the "Location" line to see which dates the Library owns. (Note: not all electronic journals are listed in the online catalog. There is also a link to a separate list of all electronic journals available at FAU.)  The Advanced search screen allows you to combine terms using “and, or, not” (aka Boolean logic) as well as limiting a search by location, date, format, or language.

II. Helpful Databases

EZproxy is necessary to access databases and electronic journals from off-campus.

Alternative Press Index and Alternative Press Index Archive (Some Full Text)
Indexes 300 alternative, radical, and "left" magazines, periodicals, and newspapers. Articles cover cultural, economic, political, and social change

Communication Abstracts
Covers the recent literature in communication studies including mass, interpersonal, and new communication technologies.

Communication Studies: A SAGE Full-Text Collection (Full Text)
Provides full-text access to 16 communication journals published by SAGE and participating societies. Covers journalism, public opinion, mass communication, intercultural communication, media studies, rhetoric, and more.

Expanded Academic ASAP (Some Full Text)
Access articles in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and technology.

GenderWatch (Full Text)
Search for journal, newspaper, and magazine articles, newsletters, and special reports related to gender roles and the women's movement.

Ethnic NewsWatch/Ethnic NewsWatch: A History (Full Text)
Access articles from journals, newspapers, and magazines published by the ethnic, minority, and native presses.

Film & Television Literature Index  
A comprehensive bibliographic database covering the entire spectrum of television and film writing. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews. 

Humanities Full Text (Some Full Text)
Subject areas include archaeology, art, classical studies, communications, dance, film, folklore, gender studies, history, journalism, linguistics, literary and social criticism, literature, music, performing arts, philosophy, religion and theology.

LexisNexis Academic (Full Text)
Provides access to magazine and newspaper articles, news wires, and transcripts from news outlets such as CNN and ABC News, and NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

For LexisNexis searches, click on the Guided News Search tab, then for...
•Magazine articles - Step 1 = General News > Step 2 = Magazines and Journals
•Newspaper articles - Step 1 = General News > Step 2 = Major Papers
•News wires - Step 1 = News Wires > Step 2 = All available wire reports
•Transcripts - Step 1 = News Transcripts > Step 2 = All Transcripts (or select a a specific source)

NewsBank Newspapers (Full Text)
Access newspapers from all over the world. Popular papers: The Palm Beach Post, Sun-Sentinel, The Miami Herald, The Orlando Sentinel, St. Petersburg Times

ProQuest Newspapers (Full Text)
Access articles from major U.S. newspapers: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor.

Social Sciences Full Text (Some Full Text)
Subject areas include anthropology, economics, ethics, gender studies, international relations, law, minority studies, policy sciences, political science, sociology, and urban studies.

Web of Science
Search for cited references. For better results limit searches to the Arts & Humanities and /or Social Sciences Citation Indexes.

WorldCat/FloridaCat
Catalog of books in libraries throughout the world (WorldCat) and in Florida libraries (FloridaCat).

Others:
Book Review Digest Plus (Some Full Text)
Access book reviews or citations to book reviews that are indexed in Social Sciences Index, Humanities Index, Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, and more.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 
Search for citations or abstracts to every dissertation or thesis in the U.S. completed at accredited institutions. The full text of most recent dissertations and theses is available.

 

III. Visit these FAU Libraries Research Guides:

• Film & Video
• Intercultural & Organizational Communication
• Journalism
• Media Studies
• Rhetoric
• Women’s Studies
• Or click here to see more

IV. Interlibrary Loan - ILLiad

• ILLiad is the online interlibrary loan (ILL) system for FAU. It allows you to request items that the library does not have in its collection. You will need to create an ILLiad account before you can request any items, and setting it up only takes a few minutes. Visit the ILL website for more information.

• You can request many circulating items that are held at the Jupiter and Port St. Lucie branches through ILLiad. Near the bottom of the ILL request form, indicate that it is at one of these libraries.

• ILL requests take time to process, so do not expect your book or article request to arrive right away.

• Note: Because they cost a lot to purchase, most libraries are reluctant to lend materials from their audio-visual collections. Non-FAU dissertations are also difficult to obtain because the degree-granting institutions are often the only places that house them. You can, however, purchase dissertations with your credit card. Visit the ILL website for more information.

For more research assistance, please feel free to visit the Reference Desk during its regular hours, or set up an appointment with a librarian for a research consultation. We’re here to help!