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Information Sources on Technical Communication
I. Books and Audiovisuals
II Periodical Resources
A. Electronic Indexes and Full-Text Collections
B. Print Indexes and Bibliographies
III. Reference Materials
A. General Resources
B. Style Manuals
IV. Government Publications
V. Web Resources
VI. Course Information
VII. Help from the Library
Use the Library Catalog .
For subject searches, use Library of Congress Subject Headings such as communication of technical information or technical writing or English language -- technical English. (LC Subject Headings print volumes are available in Reference.)
Also try searching with keywords such as documentation or
technical communication.
(Leave out words like in, of, on, and the; AND is assumed between words).
Videotapes can be found by using videorecording as a keyword in combination with other sought terms; e.g., communication videorecording .
Copy the call number from the catalog record to find the book. (See How to Find Books.)
netLibrary [UM Only] A collection of over 46,000 electronic books in various disciplines. Some of these items may be available in print as well as electronically.
Use an electronic database.
These are recommended. Other periodical databases are listed on Periodical Databases by Adademic Area. For help finding articles try How to Find Articles in Periodicals and refer to How to find Print Periodicals for help locating the articles you've found. If the periodical is available electronically, you will find a link to it from the electronic journals list.
ABI/Inform (business journals, 1985-) [UM Only]
The most comprehensive business database. Many full text with images, not as many in earlier volumes.
CommSearch (24 journals through 1995, including 6 NCA journals with abstracts and full text)
[available on CD, Reference Department]
About CommSearch
Note: The 3rd edition (through 1997) is available in the Communications Department.
CQ Press [UM Only]
The CQ Researcher provides reports covering current controversial topics from the news.
ERIC (education journals, documents, 1966-) [UM Only]
Includes abstracts of journal articles, books, curriculi, conference papers, theses and dissertations.
Fact Search (1984 - ) [UM Only]
A guide to statistical statements on current social, economic, political, environmental and health issues, derived from some newspapers, periodicals, newsletter and documents such as the Christian Science Monitor, the Congressional Record, Congressional hearings, Daily Press Briefings of the White House, State Department and Department of Defense, and Australian, British and Canadian Parliamentary Debates. Includes abstracts.
IEEE Explore [UM Only]
IEEE Explore indexes and abstracts IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) publications, transactions, magazines, letters, proceedings, and standards. The UofM has fulltext rights to articles in the ASPP periodicals from recent years. Coverage: citations, 1952- ; fulltext (limited to IEEE periodicals), 1999-.
Project Muse [UM Only]
(Full-text) Provides electronic full text of more than 200 scholarly journals in arts and humanities, social sciences, and mathematics.
PsycINFO (1887 - ) [UM Only]
Provides citations and abstracts to articles in over 1,300 journals, plus books and book chapters, and dissertations. Includes thesaurus of subject headings.
Social Sciences Full Text (citations, abstracts, full text).[UM Only]
Part of Wilson Omni File Mega. Indexes and in many cases provides full text for periodicals in a wide variety of fields. Coverage: citations & abstracts, 1983- ; full text, 1995-
Sociological Abstracts [UM Only]
Provides access to the latest research in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Indexing began 1963; abstracting began 1974.
Other Databases: These databases provide coverage on a wide range of subjects and may be useful in your research.
Electronic Journals Service (EJS) [UM Only]
Electronic journals service available through a common interface for online journal subscriptions. Search, browse, and identify journals and articles available online in either full-text or table-of-content format. Hyperlinks are provided to more than 1,300 electronic journals worldwide.
Expanded Academic Index (1980-) [UM Only]
Indexes about 1,900 magazines, journals, and the NY Times newspaper. Most have abstracts, and about 900 are full text.
IngentaConnect [Open Access]
Formerly Uncover. Browse the publication list or search tables of contents to over 17,000 periodicals; period of coverage varies. Provides document delivery service.
JSTOR [UM Only]
The JSTOR database consists of complete backfiles of core scholarly journals which have been digitized, starting with the very first issues.
Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe [UM Only]
Provides full text of many magazines and newspapers, including The Commercial Appeal since 1990.
Oxford Reference Online [UM Only]
The Oxford Reference Online Premium collection is an online collection of dictionaries and encyclopedias in many fields including: art & architecture, bilingual dictionaries, biological science, classics, computing, earth & environmental sciences, economics & business, English dictionaries and thesauruses, English language reference, food & drink, history, law, literature, maps & illustrations, military history, mythology & folklore, names & places, performing arts, physical sciences & mathematics, politics & social sciences, quotations, religion & philosophy, and science.
PowerSearch [UM Only]
Searches the 12 InfoTrac databases simultaneously.
Web of Knowledge
Search platform for Current Contents Connect®;ISI Essential Science Indicators; ISI Proceedings; Science and Technology; Social Sciences and Humanities; Journal Citation Reports® on the Web (Science Edition and Social Sciences Edition; Web of Science (Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index). Use the CrossSearch option to search these resources simultaneously with open access resources such as the AIAA Meeting Papers American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Agricola; arXiv Computer Science; arXiv Mathematics; All arXiv ePrint Archives; arXiv Nonlinear Sciences; arXiv Physics; arXiv Quantitative Biology; Civil Engineering Database; The Educator's Reference Desk ERIC Database; NTIS Library Documents published since 1990; NASA Astrophysics Data System; Popline Reproductive Health Literature; and PubMed. For instructions on aspects of using WoK, such as searching, setting up alerts, using the search history, see ISI Web of Knowledge Recorded Training.
Wilson Omnifile Mega Full Text [UM Only]
Provides access to eleven databases: Education , General Science , Humanities , Readers' Guide , Social Sciences, Wilson Business , Art, Applied Science & Technology, Index to Legal Periodicals, Library Literature & Information Science, Biological & Agricultural. Search databases individually, in selected groups, or all at once.
WorldCat [UM Only]
Records of any type of material cataloged by OCLC member libraries, including books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and websites. Contains manuscripts written as early as the 12th century.
There are many printed sources that will lead to articles not listed in online databases. Library staff can suggest which ones would be appropriate for your topic.
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (1890-2002) is a good general index for articles in leading magazines. There are many other indexes and abstracts that cover journals in specific subject areas. Bibliographies can be found in both books and periodicals.
General encyclopedias are available to check facts and get background information [Reference, between shelf ranges 5 and 6 ] Specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries may be found in subject guides for other disciplines, or you may ask library staff for assistance.
CQ Researcher [Last 3 years at Reference Desk; older volumes on abstract shelves] - This is an excellent source to browse for topics. Each weekly report gives an overview of some topic of current interest, pros and cons of a related issue, and a bibliography for further research. Available online. [UM Only]
Contemporary World Issues Series. Each volume in this series has a separate call number location. To find the titles of the books in this series of reference works, use the library catalog. ( Enter Contemporary World Issues as a title).
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations [ PN6081 B27 - latest edition at Reference Desk]
Editorials on File (annual) [Ref D839.E3]
Encyclopedia of 20th Century American Humor [Ref PS438.N55 2000]
Facts on File (annual) [Ref D410.F3]
NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions, 3rd ed. [Ref PE2846.S64 2000]
Speaker's and Toastmaster's Handbook of Anecdontes by and About Famous Peronalities [Ref PN4193.I5B67]
Speaker's Lifetime Library [Ref PN4193.I5 S64]
Gestures : the Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World [Ref HF5387 D66 1991]
Multicultural Manners: New Rules of Etiquette for a Changing Society [Ref BJ1838.D74 1996]
The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette (Rewritten & Updated) [Ref BJ1853.T83 1995]
Scientific style and format [Ref T11.S386](Latest edition at Reference Desk)
The user manual manual [T11.B678 1999]
Science and technical writing: a manual of style [Ref T11.S378](Latest edition at Reference Desk)
Form and Style: Research Papers, Reports, Theses [Ref LB2369.C3](Latest edition at Reference Desk)
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, These, and Dissertations (Turabian) [Ref LB2369.T8](Latest edition at Reference Desk)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers [LB2369.M53](Latest edition at Reference Desk)
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing [Ref PN147 .G444] (Latest edition at Reference Desk)
The Chicago Manual of Style [Ref Z253 .U69 2003] (Latest edition at Reference Desk)
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association [Ref BF76.7 .P83 2001] (Latest edition at Reference Desk)
There are many sources of information relevant to various topics in the Government Publications Department on the first floor of McWherter Library. Both sides of issues are presented in Congressional hearings, which are available full text. Staff in the department will assist you in finding and using both electronic and print materials produced by various federal and state agencies. You can also get information through their web page at http://exlibris.memphis.edu/resource/unclesam.html. .
You may want to explore web sites using various internet resources or, if you have them, specific URLs. [See
Robert Harris's Internet Search Tips and Strategies ] The web sites
listed below are examples of the various types of information available via the Internet.
Digital Librarian (Librarians' best of the Web selections)
Librarians Index to the Internet (Always a good choice)
WWW Virtual Library (Links to high quality guides)
Internet Public Library (Organized by librarians--
Check out the Pathfinders Research Guides!)
Infomine (Scholarly resources)
Refdesk (Categorized list of evaluated sites)
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary & Thesaurus
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia
Wikiquote Quotes available in every language
CompPileAn ongoing inventory of publications in post-secondary composition, rhetoric, ESL, and technical writing: 1939-1999
U of M English Department
Guide to research in McWherter Library
Still can't find what you're looking for?
Try Ask A Librarian
For additional assistance, you may contact the liaison librarian for English:
Kay Cunningham
Phone: 901.678.4345
Email: lkcnngh@memphis.edu
Related Research Guides
Business Communication | Communication | Journalism | Persuasive Writing and Speaking
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Memphis
Updated 14 November 2005
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