Recommended Databases

Communication & Mass Media Complete	Science Direct
Opposing Viewpoints in Context	JSTOR

Go to the Library's Databases by Subject page to find other databases for your topic.

Use the Database Search Strategy worksheet to help refine your question and identify search terms.

Take a look at this CM225 example worksheet to for an example on how to fill it out.

Finding Journal Articles

To find articles on a topic:	Visit the library's Databases page and select Communication. Search for articles in any of the selected databases.
To find an article when you have a citation:	Visit the library's home page and select the Google Scholar link to search the content of Alverno Library's databases as well as the "free" web. Enter the article title into the Google Scholar search box and look for the full text links on the right side of the page. You could also try the the Citation Linker.
To find other, high quality information:	Check the Best Web Sites for Communication page and revisit this LibGuide. Information and resources are updated regularly!
Can't find what you need?	Submit an Interlibrary Loan request or Ask a Librarian.

Click the Google Scholar link on the library homepage: https://scholar-google-com.ac.ezproxy.switchinc.org/scholar
This is especially important if you’re off campus. The link on our homepage is synced to our databases, that’s how it knows whether or not to give you full text access
Enter the article title in quotation marks If we have full text access, a link should appear on the right hand side that says something along the lines of: “Full Text @ Alverno” or [HTML] from Ebsco or [PDF] from proquest.com
Click those links to go to the full text

Click the eJournal Portal link on the library homepage (http://ct4ee9cj6g.search.serialssolutions.com/)
Enter the JOURNAL title (NOT the article title) in the search box If Alverno has full text access, a list of links will appear for each of the databases we subscribe to that provide full text.
Check the date ranges provided to make sure your article falls within access.
Click any link to go to that eJournal.
If “in Alverno Print Holdings” appears on the list, that means we have a physical copy of the journal in our collection Use the rest of your citation to find the volume and issue number that has your article.
Click into the necessary issue and locate your article on the table of contents.

Go to TOPCAT (http://topcat.switchinc.org/) or start from the TOPCAT search box on the library homepage
Enter the JOURNAL title (NOT the article title) in the search box, change the dropdown menu from Keyword to Journal Title and hit search.
This will pull up any SWITCH schools that have physical or electronic access to this journal
To place a hold/request for a journal article through TOPCAT, follow these instructions: http://files.switchinc.org/koha/acct.html#artreq

Submit an InterLibrary Loan (ILL) request to get access to materials not held by Alverno or one of the SWITCH libraries.
These requests typically take 7-10 days, depending on the type of material requested
It's 100% free!
Read more about ILL on the ILL Policy page or call (414)382-6397

That's what we're here for! Call us, submit an ask a librarian, or stop into the library for assistance. You can also try our FAQ.

TOPCAT