COMM COR 2020 - Introduction to Research Methods - Harken

Finding Qualitative Research with CMMC
(Communication and Mass Media Complete)

Plan A

In the first line search for qualitative research as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. audience* (audience, audiences)

 

There are many other specific types of Qualitative Research that can be searched for in CMMC including: 
Case Studies*, Conversation Analysis, Ethnographic Analysis, Focus Groups, Grounded Theory,
Interviewing*, Narrative Inquiry, and Phenomenology.

*Note - Case Studies and Interviews can involve either Quantitative or Qualitative methods.

 

Plan B

In the first line search for case studies as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. bilingual, bilingualism, multilingual, multilingualism
* Note - a case study can involve either qualitative or quantitative methods - be sure to review the methodology and results.

 

 

Plan C

In the first line search for conversation analysis as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. audience* (audience, audiences)

 

Plan D

In the first line search for ethnographic analysis as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. journalism OR mass media

 

Plan E

In the first line search for focus groups as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. social media

 

Plan F

In the first line search for grounded theory as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. broadcasting OR journalism OR mass media
 

 

Plan G

In the first line search for interviewing as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. family relations
* Note - interviewing can involve either qualitative or quantitative methods - be sure to review the methodology and results.

 

Plan H

In the first line search for narrative inquiry as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. journalism

 

Plan I

In the first line search for phenomenology as a Subject
In the second line search for your topic e.g. social media OR digital media OR cyberspace

 

   
Plan J   (Searching for all types of research - inspecting results for qualitative research)

This method is used to find any type of research including both quantitative and qualitative research.
It attempts to tease out research by searching for common parts of a research article: the Methods or Methodology section, the Results section, and the Discussion section.

In the first line search for Method* AND Results AND Discussion as a TX All Text.
Separate each word in the first search blank with the command AND
In the second line search for your topic e.g. politic*

The asterisk * is used to find either Methods or Methodology and all forms of the word politic, politics, political, politician, politicians

The TX All Text command searches the entire contents of an article (in the case for Methods or Methodology, Results, Discussion)

Important *** Because this technique finds ALL types of research you will need to select qualitative research articles from among the results.

Finding Qualitative Research with APA PsycInfo
(APA PsycInfo)

There are four steps to take before searching when you want to find qualitative research articles using APA PsycInfo.

First Step -scroll down the search until you find the option Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals (check this box) 
Second Step - scroll farther down to the bottom of the search page where you'll find the box Methodology.
Third Step - scroll through the options in the Methodology box and highlight the QUALITATIVE STUDY option.
Fourth Step - check the box labeled Exclude Dissertations (found directly under the Methodology box).

 

 

Now you are ready to search - but remember, PsycInfo is not a "Communication Studies" database - so it might need some help.

For instance in the first line search you might type communication as a Subject [SU Subjects]
In the second line search for your topic e.g. political campaigns