Welcome

image of faces looking at each other 

This guide is intended to help you do research for your Communication Studies class. If you need additional assistance ask us at (508) 531-1394.

    Additional Help

Online Databases

Some tips for searching these databases:

  • Some, but not all, of the records will have the full-text of the article attached. Click "Full Text Finder"  to find out if we have the article available in another database.
  • These databases require a BSU login.

How do I obtain an article if I have the citation?

Google Scholar Search

Enter the title of the article in the Google Scholar box to find out if it is available at Maxwell Library.

Find Books

Maxwell Library Catalog

Advanced Search

Library Hours

Mon - Thur.: 7:30 am – 11:00 pm

Fri.: 7:30 am 5:00 pm

Sat.: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Sun.: 12pm – 10:00pm

What is a Peer Reviewed Journal?

Scholarly, or peer-reviewed journals contain articles that are written for scholars by scholars. Articles are generally based on original research conducted by the authors, and which go through the process of peer review - other scholars in the same field read and comment on the article and determine if it is worthy of publication. It is a lengthy process which can take up to several years. Some articles are never published. To identify a scholarly article in the Social Sciences look for these clues:

  • Is there an abstract?
  • Can you find an author affiliation?
  • Does the body of the article have headings such as "Introduction", "Methods", "Results", "Discussion", and "Conclusions" ? 
  • Are there References at the end?
  • Do you see charts, graphs, and tables, but few (if any) illustrations?