LibGuides: SPCH 1203: Introduction to Speech Communication: Research Steps

Step One - Background Information

It's not essential that you start here, but it helps to have some background information on your topic.

Credo Reference
Use this database to search the online version of hundreds of reference books in a broad range of subjects, including general and specialized dictionaries, handbooks and encyclopedias. Credo Reference helps you find authoritative answers fast.

Step Two - Pro/Con Arguments

Remember: you can find pro/con essays from reputable sources on a wide variety of topics. These essays provide citations and a bibliography of other sources to consult as well.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context
This database provides more than 14,000 pro/con viewpoint essays and 5,000+ topic overviews. Included are primary source documents, biographies, court-case overviews, periodical articles, statistical tables, charts and graphs, images and a link to Google Image Search. Also included are thousands of podcasts and NPR programs. A national and state curriculum standards search is available, correlated to the content that allows educators to quickly identify material by grade and discipline.
CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher contains in-depth factual reports on controversial issues and topics of current interest. Browse by topic or search for keywords across multiple reports.

Catalog Search

EverythingPeer-reviewed articlesBooks

Step Four - Search for Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journal Articles

Be sure to check out the other Core Databases if you aren't finding enough articles.

Academic Search Complete
Use this multi-disciplinary database to locate full text articles appearing in scholarly journals, including thousands of peer-reviewed titles.
ProQuest Central
A cross-disciplinary research tool with 30 databases that can be searched together or individually.

Step Five - Search for Newspaper and Magazine Articles

These newspaper databases draw on a large number of newspapers, magazines, and other widely-distributed news sources.

Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis)
Use this database to locate the full-text of current and back issues of major newspapers, journals, newsletters, trade journals and news sources from around the world and the full-text of legal materials such as court cases, legislation, statutes, regulations, law reviews, and more.
NewsBank: America's News
NewsBank has thousands of newspaper titles, as well as newswires, web editions, blogs, videos, broadcast transcripts, business journals, periodicals, government documents and other publications. Explore current and archived news articles and obituaries to pinpoint information from primary sources at the local, state, regional, national and international levels.
Newspaper Source
Use this database to connect to selected full-text for over 180 regional U.S. newspapers, international newspapers, newswires, newspaper columns as well as indexing and abstracts for national newspapers.

SPCH 1203: Introduction to Speech Communication: Research Steps

Table of Contents

Step One - Background Information

Step Two - Pro/Con Arguments

Catalog Search

Step Four - Search for Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journal Articles

Step Five - Search for Newspaper and Magazine Articles