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*Communication: Getting Started

Resources for researching mass communication.

General Library Information: Coronavirus

Both the Library South and Library North (new!!) entrances are open.

**You need your PantherCard to enter the Library buildings.**

Non-GSU visitors are now welcome in the Library but must provide a government-issued photo ID to access the Library.

GIL Express and Interlibrary Loan for books are available.

We are now offering print and audiovisual reserves.

Access to books, A/V resources, and GIL Express/ILL materials are still available through Express Pickup (i.e., curbside pickup).
Click here for information on Express Pickup. This service is available to all GSU faculty/staff/students.

Special Collections & Archives is open to researchers by appointment only;
please contact them at archives@gsu.edu for assistance.

Saxby's Coffee is currently open. 

All of our electronic resources remain open!

  • For a list of our online databases, see the Databases by Name list on the library's homepage.

  • You can also sort our databases by subject area using the Databases by Subject dropdown on the library's home page.

  • You can search for electronic books in the library's catalog. The Books tab on this guide has information on how to search for ebooks, and on other electronic-book collections being made available.

  • You can place Interlibrary Loan requests for articles and for book chapters/sections (which can be requested and delivered electronically).This includes articles and chapters held in GSU's print collections.

  • You can view films through our four streaming services: Academic Video Online (AVON) [new!], Kanopy, Films on Demand, and SWANK. (The library is not able to provide access to commercial streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, etc.)

And you can still get help!

  • You're here! Check out the resources on this research guide.
  • Reference assistance is available at the Research Support Desk on Library North 1 from 12pm - 4pm Monday through Thursday.
  • Virtual reference: the blue "Ask Us" button on the right-hand side of this page (on the library's homepage, it will be a red "Chat with Us" button) will take you to our chat reference service, staffed by reference librarians from
    • 9am - 8pm Monday-Thursday
    • 9am - 2pm Fridays
  • We have an extensive list of library FAQs which is available for research assistance 24/7. FAQs related to using the library during social distancing are collected here.
  • You can contact me directly via email -- click the Email link in the box with my photo in it or email me directly at janderson73@gsu.edu. As always, email is the best way to start with me, but we can also make an appointment to meet via WebEx.     
  • My Fall 2021 in-person office hours will be in the Department of Communication, 25 Park Place Room 825, on Tuesdays from 2pm - 4pm, beginning on  August 24. ***Please let me know if you want to drop in during these hours, as I will have to let you into the Communication department.***
  • In-person consultations and instruction are possible; however, all in-person consultations will need to be scheduled in advance since I will need to reserve an office space for in-person meetings.

Communication Reference

Reference Materials:

  • Condense information into a general overview.
  • Are usually written by scholars in the field.
  • Contain suggestions for further reading.

What about Google Scholar?

What's included?

Google Scholar can be an excellent way to locate scholarly resources. The search engine is Google, but limited to scholarly resources including:

  • Scholarly books (though often not entire books, due to copyright issues)
  • Scholarly articles
  • Theses & dissertations
  • Patents
  • Legal opinions & journals

Tips

If you are searching in Google Scholar on the Georgia State University campus, you'll see a link to a PDF or HTML copy of the item if the GSU Library provides access to it. If we do not have that item available, you can place an Interlibrary Loan for the item. (Click here to begin the Interlibrary Loan process).

If you are not on the GSU campus, you will be asked for your Campus ID and password to get access to an item held by GSU. For information on connecting to GSU's holdings from home through Google Scholar, click here!

Especially helpful!!: You may also see a link for an item that says "Cited by." Clicking on that link will show you items that have cited the item you are looking at. Those items may be of interest to you as well.