MU LibraryFINDGET HELPSERVICESABOUT Skip to Main Content

CO 301: Communication Theory

Best Bets for Communication Articles

Start with the following Monmouth University subscription databases to find journal articles. Remote access is available using your student ID and password.

Searches can be conducted using the theory, "Constructivist Theory" or by theorist. Use "quotation marks" for phrases.

HawkFind

  
Scholarly & Peer Reviewed   Beyond Library Collection
  
Advanced Search
   

Searching Tips

Use the word "AND" to combine your keywords to make your search more specific. eg. substance abuse AND domestic violence

Use synonyms and alternative terms Related terms - broader or narrower - will also bring up relevant results. eg. teenagers | adolescents | youth

Use Truncation "*" to search for words with common roots without entering them individually. eg. searching for teen* retrieves teen, teens, teenaged, teenagers

Restrict searches to academic, peer-reviewed journals

Communication Theories

Communication theory provides explanations about how and why humans communicate in a variety of situations.

Examples:

Agenda Setting Theory

Classical Rhetoric

Cultivation Theory

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Information Theories

Narrative Paradigm

Semiotics

Social Judgment Theory

Social Penetration Theory

Spiral of Silence

Standpoint Theory

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Relational Dialectics Theory

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

 

  Popular vs Trade vs Scholarly

 

Popular Magazines

Trade Journals

Scholarly Journals

Audience

All readers

Professionals working in a specific field. Example: Nurses

Scholars and Students

Appearance

Glossy paper, many ads and pictures

Glossy paper, short articles, many ads and pictures

Research articles with charts and graphics, few pictures

Author

Freelance writers or journalists hired by magazine

Members of the profession

Professors, scholars or teachers in the field

Purpose

Entertain and inform

Keep professionals up to date with trends in the field

Publish new research in the field

References

Very few citations

Very few citations

References are listed at the end of each article

Authority

Articles reviewed by magazine’s editors

Articles reviewed by magazine’s editors

Articles undergo peer-review by scholars within the same field

Frequency

Published weekly or monthly

Published weekly or monthly

Published a few times a year, quarterly

Examples

Time, People

Advertising Age, Education Week

Higher Education Research & Development