1. Picking a Topic
  2. Finding Books
  3. Finding Articles
  4. Use interlibrary loan
  5. Find specific journals in the library

 

 

Picking a Topic

 

  • Selecting a topic for a research paper or project can be very challenging. You will want to select a topic that is of interest to you. This will make the research , reading and writing less of a chore. (TIP: Always start with a broad topic. It is easier to eliminate information as you write than it is to start with too little.) It is a good idea to wait to decide on a topic until you do some preliminary searching for books, articles, and web-based resources. If you can't find enough, you will want the flexibility to select a new topic. A great start to preliminary research is browsing the REFERENCE SECTION in the library (located on the 3rd floor).

 

  • For locating information about a particular company, establish a few basic facts about the company first and this will simplify the research process. Ask:

 

    • Is the company public or private? Publicly held companies in the United States are required by law to disclose a great deal of information, while privately held companies are generally not. It is usually more difficult to research a private company than a public company.

 

    •  Is the company a division, branch or subsidiary of another company? Some of these entities may have different names than their parent companies. Usually, only the financial statements of the parent companies are made public.

 

 

Suggested Reference Materials :  
Hollywood Creative Directory REF PN1998.A1 H65 2005
Marketer’s Guide to Media REF HF5826.5.M45 2006
Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2007 REF HE8689.B772 2007
Lexis Nexis Corporate Affiliations (“Who Owns Whom”) Available online REF HG4057.A217 2006
Lexis Nexis Advertising Red Books REF HF5805.S733 2007
Wards Business Directory of US Private and Public Companies REF HG4057.A575 2003

 

 

 

Finding Books

 

Find Books at our library

 

  • Catalog:use this link to find Books, government documents, reserve items, music, movies and journal titles (NOT JOURNAL ARTICLES) in our library

 

 

Finding Articles

 

  • These databases are for finding journal articles 
  • They are available 24/7 ONLY to Ramapo students
  • Off campus use requires login: Ramapo email and password
  • Some useful Databases for your projects:

 

 

 

 

Lexis Nexis Academic Covers top news, general news topics, and news transcripts; foreign language news sources; company, industry, and market news; legal news; company financial information; general medical and health topics and medical abstracts; accounting, auditing, and tax information; law reviews; federal case law; U.S. Code; and state legal research.
Business Source Premier Business Source Premier provides expanded indexing and abstract backfiles for the top scholarly business journals, dating back to 1965 or the first issue published (whichever is more recent).
Communication and Mass Media Complete Communication & Mass Media Complete provides the most robust, quality research solution in areas related to communication and mass media.
General Business File Provides business and industry content via periodical articles, news articles, and press releases; detailed information for domestic and international companies and associations, including information on corporate hierarchical structures; investment reports; corporate chronologies and company histories; brands and product information; industry and company rankings; financial overviews; industry overviews; HR Law Case Digests.
Hoover's Company Records Hoover's Company Records is one of the world's leading electronic distributors of information about companies, industries, and the people who lead them. Content in Hoover's Company Records covers more than 40,000 companies, 225,000 key executives, and more than 600 industries, delivering to users the most up-to-date business information.
Thomson ONE Banker Thomson ONE Banker provides access to relevant real-time global market data, news, and authoritative content from industry-leading sources. Thomson ONE Banker streamlines the investment banking workflow and enables you to make well-informed decisions with confidence.

 

 

 

Strategies for searching the databases :

 

 

    • Always go back and revise your searches! Look at using different terms and synonyms.
    • Always switch to the Advance Search page in a database. This will give you more control over your results.
    • Always use Boolean Operators-AND, OR, NOT when running a search. For Example: Ratings and "Television Programs" 
        • AND: narrows your search ex: "television programs" and rating
        • OR: broadens your search ex: (united states or america) and ("television programs" and rating)
        • NOT: eliminates ex: "Cable Television" not "Syndicated Television"
    • Always check your spelling if the catalog or database results are zero
    • To look for full-text use the: check availablity at Ramapo, primary catalog, or "check availability" links in the databases
    •  Use the Subject Terms or Thesaurus link in databases to find the best search (or descriptor) terms to use
    • Limit or filter searches to scholarly articles. These articles are found in journals which have been reviewed by a board of experts or "peer reviewed." The database generally has an option for this, but when it does not, you can check to see if an article is coming from a peer-reviewed or scholarly publication by checking in

      Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory 

       

Use interlibrary loan

 

 

  • Fill out the online form using your Ramapo Email (it will not be processed without that email address)

 

 

  • WARNING: give yourself time (it can take longer than 2 weeks in some cases)

 

 

 

Find specific journals in the library

 

 

  • Use the Journal Finder to locate the full-text of journals in our library. These can be either online or in print.

 

 

  •  Search the catalog using
    • Write out a few keywords on your topics and enter them into the search box.
    • Don't write out a sentence. You will get zero results.

 

  •  For Example: I am writing a paper on media ownership.
    • my FIRST search might be: media ownership
    • DON'T STOP here! Revise your searches and use the results to find other material
    • Revised Search: I want to focus on mass media coupled with program ratings.
    • my NEXT search: mass media and ratings

 

Find Books at other NJ Academic libaries

 

  • Catalog: use this link to locate material at other NJ academic libraries. Use Interlibrary Loan to get the material you find or drive to local schools and pick up the book.

 

 

 


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