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COMM160 College Communications 1

Welcome to Centennial College's COMM 160 Library Guide.

Your Library Card

Your Centennial myCard is your library card.

All Centennial College students are automatically given a library account to access library resources on campus and online. 

Access Resources Off-Campus
To access resources off-campus, you will be asked to login using your myCentennial ID and passwordLearn more

Peer Review

What is peer-reviewed?

This term generally refers to a publication that contains only articles that have been reviewed (qualified), edited, and selected by recognized experts in the field of study covered by the journal. Since peer-reviewed journals are highly selective and require rigorous review, they are often considered the best in their field. This is why your professor may ask for peer-reviewed articles for your research assignments. 

Before conducting a search, check and see if the online periodical database has an option to limit your search to scholarly or "peer reviewed" publications. For example, there may be a box you can check that says "peer reviewed". 

While this is a good first step, you should be aware that online database providers (e.g., EBSCO, ProQuest) may have different definitions of "peer reviewed". If you are unsure whether your article is peer-reviewed, try clicking on the journal's home page for more information or consult a librarian!

Recommended Databases

Centennial Libraries has access to dozens of electronic resources including specialized databases, video streaming services, audio, online reference materials (encyclopedias and dictionaries) and more. Check out a few databases for COMM 160 below, or visit the eResources page to find additional resources.

Popular vs. Scholarly Sources

Your assignment may require you to find scholarly/academic sources, popular sources, or both. Check out the chart below to help you identify what type of resource you are looking at and whether it is the right fit for your assignment.

  CRITERIA

  SCHOLARLY / ACADEMIC SOURCES

  POPULAR SOURCES
  (e.g. magazines, newspapers, etc...)

  Advertising

May contain selective advertising

Contain extensive advertising

  Authors & Audience

Written by and for academics or researchers

Written by staff or freelance writers for a broad audience

  Format & Graphics

May include graphs and charts; Rarely contain glossy pages or pictures

Often slick and glossy; Contain photographs, illustrations, and/or drawings

  Language

Uses discipline-specific language or jargon

Uses everyday language that is accessible to the average reader

  Length

Lengthy articles with in-depth coverage of topics

Shorter articles: usually provide broad overview of topics

  Publishers

Generally published by a professional organization

Published for profit

  Purpose

To inform, report, or make available original research to the scholarly world

To entertain, inform, or persuade

  Sources

Footnotes and/or bibliographies

Rarely cite any sources

 

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