Research Guide for Communication 130

Return to Table of Contents

FINDING PERIODICAL ARTICLES

Periodical Indexes and Abstracts

Articles

Periodical articles are an excellent source for detailed analysis or up-to-date information on a topic. These articles are from materials that are published "periodically" or in daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual or even irregular intervals. They are found in newspapers, magazines, journals, yearbooks, and other sources.

Periodicals are available in several formats: bound paper volumes (like books), microfiche or microfilm, and increasingly as electronic text.

Indexes and Abstracts

Periodical Indexes and Abstracts are Reference resources that identify and locate articles in periodical publications. They are often subject-oriented and list author, title, name of periodical, volume, pages and date of publication in entries called bibliographic citations. For information about bibliographic format and how to cite resources that you use in your research, go to Citing Sources.

Abstracts are specialized indexes that also include summaries of the content of the articles with their citations.

Periodical Indexes and Abstracts also come in several formats: traditional and historical bound paper volumes, stand alone CD-ROM computer workstations, and more recently as networked databases available via the Internet.

Networked indexes and abstracts come in a variety of versions and interfaces: telnet, Web, InfoShare (linked to the Catalog), and full-text, to name a few. For more information about finding Networked Resources available through the Cornell University Library, go to Finding Networked Resources.

Linked Indexes

InfoShare indexes are directly linked to holdings in the library catalog. This means your search will yield two kinds of information: 1) It identifies articles on your topic. And 2) It tells you where that source is in the Cornell Library system.

When using indexes and abstracts linked to the catalog, look for the message: Held by library--type HOL for holdings information. This note will appear in the lower lefthand corner of the screen in records where the Cornell Library has the journal or magazine listed as the source of the article. Typing HOL will take you to the Holdings information detailing what libraries on campus have the journal, what volumes they have, call numbers and special locations, and the circulation status of the material.

When using unlinked indexes (essentially all non-InfoShare indexes), search the Cornell Library Catalog (CU) by the title of the periodical (i.e. Time, Scientific American, etc.). If you have questions, ask at the Reference Desk.

Full-text Articles

An ever growing number of periodical indexes offer access to the full-text of articles electronically. Use the Library Gateway to find full-text resources.

Return to Table of Contents

• Applied Science and Technology Index. New York: Wilson, 1913-. (Library Gateway; printed editions in Engr. Ref Z 7913 I7; also Mann, Phys. Sci. & Hotel)

  More than 350 international English-language periodicals, covering engineering, mathematics, physics, and computer technology. Includes articles, interviews, meetings, conferences, exhibitions, new product reviews/announcements, and more. Coverage from October 1983 to the present with abstracts beginning March 1993. Updated monthly.

• Communication Abstracts. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1978- . (Mann Ref P 87 C73)

  Covers major communication-related journals, reports, and books from a variety of publishers, research institutions, and information sources--providing coverage of recent literature in the areas of general communication, mass communication, advertising and marketing, broadcasting, communication theory, interpersonal and intrapersonal communication, small group communication, organizational communication, journalism, public relations, radio, public opinion, speech, and television. Published quarterly, each issue has approximately 250 abstracts. The fourth issue contains the cumulated annual index.

• Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. Dates of coverage vary.

  A web-based database providing access to full text resources on topics including current and general news; business and financial information; newspapers; company directories; government and politics; medical and health topics; accounting, auditing, and tax; federal and state laws; legal cases; and regulations. Resources include TV and radio news transcripts. Updated daily.

• MLA International Bibliography. New York: Modern Language Association, 1963- .
  (Cornell Library Gateway; also in print at Olin Ref)

  An international index and database providing references to scholarly articles from over 4000 journals dealing with languages, literature, folklore, linguistics and film. It is useful for finding literary criticism of a particular author or work, as well as articles on literary theory, women's studies, popular culture, and performing arts. The online version of MLA covers 1963 to present. The print version, available at Olin Ref (Z 7006 .M68), covers 1921 to the present.

  MLA International Bibliography (Linked to the Catalog version) InfoShare Telnet interface

  MLA International Bibliography (Web version) OCLC Web interface

• Periodical Abstracts/ABI Inform (Web version) ProQuest Direct Web interface Ann Arbor: UMI, 1986- . (Cornell Library Gateway)

  Indexes and abstracts over 1600 general interest magazines and scholarly journals including all the magazines in Reader's Guide and most of the scholarly journals from Social Sciences Index, Humanities Index, General Science Index. It also includes citations and abstracts to selected television and radio programs. Cornell University Libraries subscribe to most of the periodicals indexed.

• PsycInfo. Washington: APA, 1967- . (Library Gateway)

  Indexes and abstracts 1300 leading international journals in psychology and related behavioral disciplines including psychiatry, sociology, anthropology, education, and pharmacology. There are differences in scope and years covered for the electronic versions of this database. The online version available on Bear Access covers 1984 to the present and is updated monthly. The online version on the Mann Gateway [DIALOG] covers 1967 to the present and is also updated monthly and linked to the online catalog. They both contain all the records from the print version Psychological Abstracts available at Olin Ref (+Z 7203 P973) which began in 1927. All versions of this abstracting service use the vocabulary and index terms from the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms in Olin Ref (+Z 7203 P9731 1994).

• Sociological Abstracts. New York: Sociological Abstracts, Inc., 1952- .
  (Olin Ref Z 7163 S67+; Available online, 1963-)

  Indexes approximately 200 periodicals in English and some foreign languages. Covers most areas of sociology and anthropology. Citations are arranged by subject areas, such as "divorce", "family", "women". Each issue includes subject and author indexes, which are cumulated annually. Supplements to Sociological Abstracts contain abstracts of papers presented at conferences. Currently issued five times per year.

Other indexes and abstracts of interest to this class can be found in paper volumes or at non-networked CD-ROM computer workstations in Olin or Uris Reference. Selected titles include:

• Philosopher's Index. Bowling Green, Ohio: Philosophy Documentation Center, 1967- . Quarterly.
  Olin Ref Z 7125 P545; Compact Disk Z 7125 D53

  An international index and abstract of books and journal articles on philosophy and related disciplines of aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, metaphysics published in the United States and the western world. The print version began in 1967; the CD-ROM version covers 1940 to the present for U.S. materials and 1967 to the present for non-U.S. materials.

Return to Table of Contents

FINDING NETWORKED RESOURCES

Cornell Library Gateway

The Cornell Library Gateway is a new web site which provides a unified approach to finding information about the Cornell University Library and to selecting and connecting to our diverse and growing constellation of networked electronic resources and services.

Buttons on the left side of the screen will always be available to help you navigate among a variety of choices. The Cornell University Library Catalog is at the top of the array to make it easy for you to connect and search for books, journal titles and many other types of materials at Cornell. Networked Resources, the default display on the right side of the screen, enables you to identify and connect to networked electronic resources, such as periodical indexes, full text documents or numeric data files. About CU Library leads you to a wealth of information about the Library, including individual library web sites. Services provides information about library services such as circulation, instruction and reference, and enables you to make a variety of requests, electronically, for services such as book renewals and interlibrary borrowing. Help provides information on a wide variety of general and technical topics that will help you understand and use the CU Library as well as the Library Gateway. And if you need personal help you can click on "Ask a Librarian" at the bottom of each page. Last, but not least, the CUInfo button enables you to connect easily to the Cornell University information system.

Networked Resources contains titles, descriptive information, and links to over 1,200 networked electronic resources, including periodical indexes, numeric and spatial data files, catalogs, audio-visual materials, and full text documents such as electronic journals and reference sources. It is a "database of databases." There are two main ways to search for databases in your areas of interest: searching and browsing.

Searching for Databases

Click on the top search box to select the type of resource you are interested in, such as indexes or full text, or all types, then type a keyword or keywords in the second search box. The Networked Resources database will then generate a list of resources (databases) that match your search request.

Browsing for Databases

Below the Search boxes you will find a menu of subject categories. Click on a subject category to browse lists of resources available in that subject area. Or, you can browse the lists of New Resources, "Greatest Hits" (frequently used databases), or the Alphabetical List of titles contained in the Networked Resources database (over 1,200 titles and growing).

Once you have identified the networked resource you are interested in, you can then connect to it directly to gather the information you need to perform a search on your specific topic in the file or database you have selected.

Other networked resources of potential interest to this class that can be found using the Library Gateway include the following titles:

• Arts and Humanities Citation Index, on the "Greatest Hits" list
• Social Sciences Citation Index, on the "Greatest Hits" list

FINDING INTERNET RESOURCES

SEARCH ENGINES AND SUBJECT GUIDES

Use search engines or Internet subject guides to find resources or sites on the World Wide Web on your topic. Search Engines are software that allow you to search the contents of web pages and Subject Guides are web pages that use menus and lists to sort and classify web sites.

Question Authority! The Internet is a very democratic tool, in that anyone can write or say virtually anything they wish to on it. As you would do with books and journal articles, look to see who is responsible for producing the web page or site that you are accessing. Does the individual or institution have a particular bias or concern or agenda in presenting their information. How objective is the information? How accurate or truthful? How authoritative?

• Evaluating Web Sites

• Search the Internet

• Internet Subject Guides

• Library Web Servers World-Wide

• Library Catalogs World-Wide

• Listserv and Discussion List Directories

Return to Table of Contents

• Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies

• Courses in Cyberculture (Links to other college course sites on cyberculture)

• Human Identity Part 1: Who are You?

• Home Page of Sherry Turkle who studies identity in the Internet Age

• Net Culture and Cyber-Anthropology Links (Electronic Frontier Foundation)

• Portraits in Cyberspace (an MIT online exhibit)

• The Webmuseum Cyberculture Research Library

• Netropolitan Life: A Guide to Studying the Internet

• Yahoo's Internet Section

• Internet Reference Resources By Subject

Return to Table of Contents

CITING SOURCES

• MLA Style (MLA's web site)

• How to Cite Information From the Internet and the World Wide Web (APA's web site)

• APA and MLA Style sheets for print sources (U. of Illinois web site)

• How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography

Return to Table of Contents

• Library Gateway Help

• The Reference Home Page at O*K*U Libraries

• Library Research at Cornell: A Hypertext Guide

• Library Vocabulary: Definitions of Library Terms

You can ask your questions at our reference and information desks, over the phone, or by e-mail.

• Reference Desk Schedules in Olin and Uris Libraries

• Olin Library Reference phone number: 255-4144

• Uris Library Reference phone number: 255-2339

• Olin Kroch Uris Reference e-mail address: okuref@cornell.edu

Question? Ask a Librarian

Reference Home Page

October 23, 1998
Fred Muratori, fmm1@cornell.edu
Reference Services Division, Olin Kroch Uris Libraries
Cornell University Library
URL: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/complit1035.html

Olin and Uris Libraries, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853
Information and reference: 607-255-4144, okuref@cornell.edu
Circulation: (Olin) 607-255-4245, (Uris) 607-255-3537, olincirc@cornell.edu