4363 Organizational Communication

Jane Long, MA, MLISReference Services LibrarianAl Harris Library

Topic Selection Finding Articles

◦ The assignment requires the use of scholarly journals.

◦ What is a scholarly journal? How do you know if you are using periodicals that are scholarly?

Getting Started

Scholarly Info Audience:

ResearchersProfessionals Who Need to Stay Up-to-Date

Purpose:• Goal-Driven

Research Paper Certification, Tenure Job Requirement More knowledge regarding a

particular subject

Recap Regarding Journals

Journals are located in the Periodicals section of the library.

Use the Periodicals List to see if we own a particular journal.

Use the databases to find many scholarly publications.

Communication and Mass Media Complete

Where Do I Look for Scholarly Journals I Can Use

for This Assignment?

Article organization is very important since there are certain areas of discussion that should be included

Effective organization aids the reader in understanding the issue that is addressed through the research process

What Will I Find in a Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed

Publication?

Abstract:◦States the problem◦Highlights information about findings or

conclusions◦Provides a quick summary of the paper’s

subject◦A word of caution: An abstract is a summary

of what is written in an article and does not substitute for reading the article itself

Reading a Scholarly Publication: Note the Organization

Introduction and Statement of the Problem:◦Introduces subject (with an overview and

definition) and explains the research topic

◦States the problem addressed and/or presents the research objectives

◦Emphasizes the importance of the subject

◦The introduction is usually short and focused

Literature Review:◦Reviews what has already been

published on this topic ◦Presents major themes, theories, and

ideas that have been published in the area as well as the findings of related studies.

◦The Literature Review should provide clarification of relationships between the topic addressed in this paper and previous work in the area

◦The Literature Review does not have to be a section of its own

Methods Used to Generate Information:◦This section provides details regarding

the methodology applied to the research project

◦This area should explain the process used to gather the data that develops the outcome of the study

Results:◦Relate discussion to the original statement

of the problem and the literature review◦Discuss how the outcomes of the

methodology applied provide significant or faulty data

◦What has been learned through the analysis of the issue and the appropriate data?

◦What have others said about the subject?◦Is every conclusion drawn through data

collection defensible?

Results/Conclusion:◦Provides a summary of the results and

subsequent discussion◦Notes any limitations of the study◦Makes recommendations relating to the

problem investigated◦Makes recommendations for areas that

require further study and/or change◦Bottom Line: there is no outcome of a

well-planned and carefully conducted research project that is not of potential interest to others

References:◦As a research assignment, it is essential

that full credit be given to the sources used for the writing of the paper

◦Documentation style will probably be either APA or Chicago

◦Notes can precede the References and are numbered to show their location within the body of the paper

◦Look at the style used in the articles you are reading for this assignment

Appendices:◦Supporting documents are often added

to a research paper◦These are usually shown as Appendix A,

Appendix B, etc.◦If appropriate, supporting information

can be set up as tables or charts within the body of the paper

Although formats may vary, the major points will be included in the article

1. Experimental Manipulation of a variable under highly

controlled conditions

2. Correlation Variables are not manipulated as in an

experimental environment; a change in one variable is associated with a change in another

3. Naturalistic Observation Field studies—observing or recording

behaviors in real-life settings; no experiments are involved

Five Types of Research Methodology

4. Survey Data is collected by using interviews or

questionnaires that include various types of prepared questions

5. Case Study Involves the collection and examination of

various observations and records of experiences and behaviors. Case studies be used with human or animal subjects.

Evaluating an Article

What is the final outcome of the study?

Look at the article’s organization

Look at the various headings

Does the article include appendices?

Did the article come from a scholarly journal?

What research method is used?

Finding Articles: Back to Databases

The address for the library homepage is http://www.swosu.edu/library. From there, you will click on

Language Arts. The first listing on this page is: Communication and Mass Media Complete

First Step for Searching: Set up an EBSCO folder

Next Step

With the creation of a folder, you are ready to save documents as you begin searching for sources.

Articles, books and other resources listed in a Bibliography, Works Cited, or Reference list.

Why are cited references important? Locating cited references is useful for finding current articles on a topic, identifying the top researchers in a field, and for tenure decisions.

Consider the significance of publication in a peer-reviewed journal

What Are Cited References?

If you click the Cited References hyperlink on a Result, the Cited References Screen presents a list of records cited in your original article.

The Related Records Screen presents a list of records related to the original article. These records are sorted by relevance, based on the greatest number of shared references.

Questions??

Use scholarly (peer reviewed) journals Find full-text articles Use keywords to search—if necessary,

narrow with subject terms Use the References Available link Focus on findings, research, study, results,

outcome Use the abstracted information to guide you

in determining the subject of the article Refer to the instructions for your assignment

Areas to Consider as the Searching Begins:

Communication and Mass Media Complete

Ready to Take Off?

Need more information?

Contact me at:◦ 774-3030◦ jane.long@swosu.edu

Thank You for Your Attention