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COM 1000 Research Guide

Finding Sources

Also known as "Scholarly Articles,", "Peer-Reviewed Articles," or "Academic Articles," these are:

  • Written and reviewed by scholars and provide new research, analysis, or information about a specific topic.
    • "Review" means the article is approved by other experts before publication
  • Usually focused on a narrow subject or a single case study
  • Intended for an academic audience

Why You Should Use Them:

  • Information is based on research and expertise
  • Information is detailed and focused on a narrow topic
  • The peer-review process (mostly) insures that the information is accurate
  • They add to a growing understanding of a topic by contributing new ideas

Find Communications Articles:

Find Additional Communication Databases & Resources:

We can't list all of the amazing Communications resources that are out there. But we have linked to a lot of them on our Communications Databases & Resources page. So if you need more, check it out!

General Databases:

Access All Databases:

Use these resources to find newspaper articles.

Why You Should Use Them: 

  • May be considered a primary source if written at the time an event occurred
  • May include eyewitness or firsthand accounts of events
  • Frequently include other primary source objects like photographs, editorials, political cartoons, letters to the editor, advertisements, etc.

Find Newspaper Articles:

Books written by scholars are a good source of information for many topics. 

Why You Should Use Them:

  • Written on a broad subject
  • Easier to read than journal articles, and written for a broad audience
  • Often undergo a peer-review process
  • May contain a collection of chapters written by different authors
  • Contain less recent information, due to the lengthy publication process

Remember: you may only need to read one chapter of a scholarly book!

Find Books:

  • Search Belk Library's online system to find both library materials and articles in our databases. Use the search box below to do a basic search on library materials and databases.

 

Interlibrary Loan:

Performance recordings and interviews with actors and production members are great resources for theatre and performance studies.  These are available through several online streaming platforms in the library's database collection.

Why You Should Use Them:

  • Get first-person accounts from cast members, directors, playwrights
  • Compare different production interpretations
  • Study choreography, set design, lighting, and thematic elements up-close
  • See behind-the-scenes footage

Find Videos & Images: