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This guide is designed to help you with the research you need for your cultural event participant observation and case study assignment.
Develop Language for
Searches
Vary the terms you use to search. Use synonyms
and AND and OR to develop search strategies.
Use the database thesaurus to change slang to
scholarly language.
- Be flexible with your searches.
- Review the
descriptors or subjects used in the articles you find.
- Use the tools for limiting or expanding your search.
- Read the HELP screens
Developing a Search Strategy
VIDEO: Learn how to write a search statement (approx. 6 min.) 
After you have focused your topic by writing your thesis
statement you want to develop a good search strategy. Select
the main concepts in your statement, find synonyms or
alternative terms, and use AND and OR to connect them
appropriately.
EXAMPLE:
| THESIS |
Even though most
people vote their gut rather than their brain,
political ads
should be about issues not emotions because we need
to know what the various
perspectives on the issues are and because emotional
ads can backfire. |
| MAIN CONCEPTS |
- political advertising
- emotional appeal
- electoral campaigns
|
| Alternative TERMS |
- Political
Advertising, Television in Politics
- Persuasion, Influence,
Political psychology
- Political campaigns,
Communications in politics, Elections
|
| SEARCHES |
- Political Advertising OR Television in Politics OR
Communications in politics
- Persuasion OR Influence OR Political psychology
- Political campaigns OR Elections
|
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Articles
Journals include some of the latest research in
the field. They're a good source for finding very
detailed information on your topic. It's best to start
with a couple of books before diving into journals.
To
find articles, you need to start with a research
database- you can search hundreds or even thousands
of journals at once.
VIDEO: Learn how to find articles (approx. 6 min.)
 What is a scholarly article?
VIDEO: Scholarly v. popular articles (approx. 4 min.)
See an article you want in one of these
databases?
- Look for the link to the full-text - HTML or PDF
- Click on
 to get the full-text or request it through interlibrary loan (free).
- Ask a librarian for help
Most Useful
| Database |
Full Text |
Coverage |
Scholarly |
Communication & Mass Media Complete
Provides abstracts and full text for more than 200 communication journals.
|
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1950→current |
some |
Sociological Abstracts
Provides access to the latest international findings in theoretical and applied sociology, social science, and political science.
|
 |
1963→current |
all |
Academic Search Premier
This scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study including: computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more.
|
 |
1975→current |
most |
|
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Books
To search for books, you need to use a library catalog. Depending on how much time you have, you have a couple of options:
Can't think of terms to describe
your topic? Library catalogs use
specific subject headings to group related
books together. A good strategy
is to:
- enter
a keyword or two
- scan the list for a title that sounds
interesting
- click on the subject headings for that book
- scan
the list of subject headings for ones that are of interest
- click
on another subject heading to search for more items
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Citing Sources
As you write your paper, you'll need
to cite passages and ideas from the sources
you've found. Use the guides below to write your citations in APA or MLA style. If you would like help writing or reviewing your citations, please email me for an appointment.
Use KnightCite to write your citations faster!
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APA: Publication manual
of the American Psychological Association.
5th ed. Washington, DC : American
Psychological Association, 2001.
|
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MLA handbook
for writers of research papers.
6th ed. New York : Modern Language
Association of America, 2003.
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