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Communication Studies: Getting Results

This guide is intended as a starting point for research in U.S. communications at Marshall University. It includes both primary and secondary materials, in both print and electronic formats.

Finding Sources

  • There are plenty of ways to do research, and the way you do it is often based on what you were shown, and what you prefer.
  • The key is finding what works for you and for your assignment. 
  • Use the tips below when what typically works for you has stopped working. 

Too few results

Not finding enough information?  

Think of related ideas, or read some background information first.  

You may not be finding enough information for several reasons, including:

  • Your topic is too specific. Sometimes, you simply need to generalize what you are looking for.
    • For example: if your topic is genetic diversity for a specific ethnic group in Ghana, Africa, broaden your topic by generalizing to all ethnic groups in Ghana or in West Africa.
  • Your topic is too new for anything substantive to have been written. 
    • For example, if you're researching a recently breaking news event, you are likely to only find information about it in the news media, since traditional scholarly publishing avenues take time. First check with your professor that newspapers are an acceptable source for your assignment, and then search databases that contain articles from newspapers. Visit our News & Current Events Guide to find these resources.
    • If you are not finding enough in the news media, consider changing your topic to one that has been covered more extensively.
  • You have not checked enough databases for information. 
    • Summon, the library's main search engine, does a great job of searching a lot of the library's holdings, but it doesn't always catch everything. Skip directly to a subject-specific database and try your search terms again.
  • You are using less common words or too much jargon to describe your topic.  
    • For example, the medical term for a concussion is minor traumatic brain injury, while chronic traumatic encephalopathy, otherwise known as CTE, is a result of concussion. You want to be precise when you search in order to find the most relevant sources.
    • Use a thesaurus to find related terms to represent your topic. When reading background information, note how your topic is expressed or written about. When you find citations in an article database, see how the topic is labeled or discussed by experts in the field.

Too Many Results

Finding too much information?  

Make your results list more manageable by narrowing your key concepts for less, but more relevant, information.  Here are some options to consider when narrowing the scope of your paper:

  • Theoretical approach: Limit your topic to a particular approach to the issue.  
    • For example, if your topic concerns cloning, examine the theories surrounding of the high rate of failures in animal cloning.
  • Aspect or sub-area: Consider only one piece of the subject.  
    • For example, if your topic is human cloning, investigate government regulation of cloning.
  • Time: Limit the time span you examine.  
    • For example, on a topic in genetics, contrast public attitudes in the 1950's versus the 1990's.
  • Population group: Limit by age, sex, race, occupation, species or ethnic group.  
    • For example, on a topic in genetics, examine specific traits as they affect women over 40 years of age.
  • Geographical location:  A geographic analysis can provide a useful means to examine an issue.  
    • For example, if your topic concerns cloning, investigate cloning practices in Europe or the Middle East.

Next Steps

  • Once you have a solid topic, formulate your research question or hypothesis and begin finding information.
  • If you need guidance with topic formulation, just Ask a Librarian! We are happy to help you focus your ideas.

Special Thanks to Dr. Julie Sarpy, PhD, MSLS, MA, AHIP, for permission to reuse content from her Medical Sciences guide. Dr. Sarpy is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at the Martin and Gail Press Health Professions Division Library, and a Liaison to the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor with the Department of Medical Education at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.