COMN 100: Intro to Communication

• Do I need to cite a source if I'm just paraphrasing?

Yes! If you're taking an idea from another author, whether that's by directly quoting it or just paraphrasing, you still need to give credit. The only difference is that for a direct quote, your in-text citation will need to have the page number (Name, Year, p. #). If you're paraphrasing, you only need to include the name and the year (Name, Year). Purdue OWL's In-Text Citations: The Basics page has more info on this! Generally speaking, if you're unsure whether or not you should cite something, it's always better to go ahead and cite it.

• What if my source doesn't have a(n) [Author/Date/etc.] listed?

APA has created a table of missing reference information that can help you determine what to do if your source is missing information that you'd typically put into a citation. Purdue OWL also has an In-Text Citations: Author/Authors page with some helpful info for sources with different numbers of authors. If you're still unsure of how to cite your source, you can always ask a me for help.

• How do I make sure my citation is correct?

The best way to do this is to use Purdue OWL. Identify the type of source you have (book, journal article, website, etc.) and click on the corresponding Reference List link in the sidebar. You'll see a citation template for that type of source you can use to compare to the one you have. The two biggest mistakes generators tend to make are capitalization issues (especially in the title) and adding an "accessed on" date (this isn't required for APA 7). Some professors are stricter about citations than others, so it's always a good idea to double check. I'm also happy to give feedback on your citations if you need it!

• How do I format my bibliography?

In addition to a Reference List: Basic Rules page which gives you an overview of how to format your bibliography, Purdue OWL also has a Student Sample APA Paper you can look at to get an idea of what you're aiming for! The title page (p. 1) and the bibliography (pp. 17-18) provide a visual example with some commentary that might be helpful. The two biggest things to remember are to list your sources alphabetically by author name, and to use a hanging indent for each entry (in Google Docs, you do this by highlighting the entry then clicking "Format", "Align & Indent", "Indentation Options", then choosing "Hanging" from the drop-down menu).

• Why don't popular (non-scholarly) sources have to include references?

Great question! Typically, online news articles will "cite" their sources by including a hyperlink in the text, but that's usually the most you'll see in terms of a citation. The easiest answer is that the audience for popular sources typically aren't interested in delving into where the information they're reading is coming from. Obviously, this is a pretty big blanket statement and isn't always the case. A more in-depth answer might be that citations and research works act as a form of currency for academics - having your research published and cited is how you show your expertise in a subject. It plays into a political system that just doesn't exist the same way in popular media. There also just aren't as many people checking for this sort of thing in popular sources.

• I found this article in one of the library's databases. How do I know it's scholarly?

The answer for this will vary a little depending on which database you're looking in.

• Gale databases (like Communications and Mass Media) will have a tab across the top of the results page showing different types of sources. Make sure you're looking at "Academic Journals". Results that are peer-reviewed will have a little checkmark and "peer reviewed" by them.
• ProQuest databases (like PsycInfo) will show you the type of publication (scholarly journal, book, dissertation, etc.) next to the result. Check the "peer reviewed" box on the left side of the screen and make sure the article you want is listed as a scholarly journal.
• EBSCO databases (like Academic Search Complete) are similar to ProQuest - the only difference is EBSCO uses "academic journal" instead of "scholarly journal".

9 times out of 10, if it comes up after you've used the Peer Reviewed filter, it's good to use. If you're unsure, let me know and I'll help you!

• Are there scholarly sources that seem credible but are actually flawed? How do I avoid them?

This is a great question! Unfortunately, it doesn't have a straight-forward answer. The peer review process exists to weed out these kinds of articles, so you can almost always avoid them by limiting your search to peer reviewed articles only. That said, scholarly articles can still be biased! As you start doing more advanced research in your major, this is where learning about the author or any sponsors an article has can help. This is also why it's important to have multiple sources - if one of your sources has a flaw in the methodology or results, it can be addressed with a more reliable source or two.

• Why do I need to know parts of a scholarly article?

The simplest answer is that knowing what a scholarly article looks like and what the different parts do will save you time in the research process. Skimming the abstract can save you from reading a 15-page paper only to discover that your topic isn't mentioned at all. Knowing where to find the methodology section and what it does can help you understand whether this source is trustworthy - if the methods seem like they're leaving a lot of gaps open, then that means you'll need to find sources to fill those gaps if you want to create a strong argument. If you can't find an explanation of the methods at all, then it's probably not a source you'd want to use.

• How many sources do I need to use, and what do they do?

The number of sources you'll need for any given assignment depends on the professor. Your goal is to thoroughly explore your research topic. In some cases, that might mean having several articles that explore different arguments or ways of thinking about the issue. It might mean having articles that address different facets of your topic (for example, if you're writing about factors influencing relationship quality, you might have one article addressing gender, one looking at age, and a third talking about communication). Ultimately, you're trying to bring together or synthesize information from a variety of viewpoints into a single argument. If you're ever having trouble determining what sources you need, schedule an appointment or send me an email and I'm happy to help you find what you're looking for!

• When is it better to use a popular source instead of a scholarly one?

For most disciplines and most professors, it will always be better to use scholarly sources. However, if you're writing a paper on how major news networks cover protests in the United States, it would be helpful to have examples of news articles or broadcasts to look at. Every source has a use, it's just a matter of determining what question you're asking and what information you need to answer it.

• How do I access articles that the library doesn't have?

The Requesting Articles via IDS page has instructions on how to request materials we don't have. It's free to use, and articles will typically arrive within 24 hours.

• When should I use the Citation Linker you showed us?

The Citation Linker is most helpful when you have the citation (or parts of a citation) of an article in front of you. It's designed to help you get access to the article. Once you enter your information and hit submit, it will search our catalog for the article you're trying to find and show you where to access it. You'll either get a list of databases (this means we have the article and you can find it there), or you'll get a link saying "Request through IDS". If that happens, it means we don't have access to the article but we can get it for you.