Communication Studies

ELECTRONIC DATABASES, INDEXES and ABSTRACTS

Many communication journals at UNT Libraries are available in electronic format through a full-text database. Keep in mind, however, that there are other abstracts and indexes (databases) that do not provide full-text access to articles but which are still useful research tools. Some useful databases, full-text or otherwise, are described below.

Communication Abstracts provides summaries of journal articles, book chapters, and papers documenting all areas of communication studies (mass, interpersonal, and new communication technologies). Entries are arranged under subtopic headings such as "Health Communication" or "Education and Communication.Online coverage is 1998 to 2003. UNT Libraries have a print version of Communication Abstracts that covers 1978 to 2006.

ComAbstracts contains abstracts of articles and books published in the primary professional literature of the communications field. As of June 2006, ComAbstracts indexes approximately 87 journals, most of which are held by UNT Libraries. Coverage for most journals starts in the 1980s. This is not a full-text database, but it does contain coverage for some titles and time periods not covered by other communication-specific databases. Once you identify an article in ComAbstracts, use the Library Catalog Journal Title Search to determine if UNT Libraries has the particular journal issue needed.

Communication and Mass Media Complete is an index that provides full-text access to articles related to communications and mass media. It combines the databases CommSearch and Mass Media Articles Index. Full-text articles are available for nearly 200 journals.

Academic Search Complete is a scholarly collection providing full-text journal coverage for nearly all academic areas of study, including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. It contains full-text articles for nearly 4,600 scholarly publications, with coverage dating back to 1975. Searching Academic Search Premier in addition to searching communication-specific resources (ComAbstracts, Communication & Mass Media Complete), may be desirable when researching topics that cross academic disciplines.

LexisNexis Academic Contains general news (1980 to today), business information (full text news and financial information), legal research (full-text federal, state, and international legal materials), medical (full-text and abstracted medical and health information), and general reference sources.