FSCI 500 Science Communication and Outreach

There are hundreds of databases available through McGill Libraries. Check out the Databases A-Z list by alphabet or by subject.

Communication database

• Communication and Mass Media Complete (EBSCO)
  • Search the Communications Thesaurus for terms (descriptors) by using the thesaurus option in the top bar.

Education database

• ERIC (ProQuest) - Educational Resources Information Center database is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. It can also be searched on the EBSCO platform or at eric.ed.gov.
  • Search the ERIC Thesaurus to explore the controlled vocabulary terms (descriptors) assigned to records in the database.

Multidisciplinary databases

• Web of Science Core Collection - Selectively indexes journals based on impact.
  • Quick Reference Guide (PDF)
• Scopus - Larger than Web of Science (less selective).
• Google Scholar - Scholarly version of Google (the least selective of the databases with citations coming from alternative sources, such as presentation slides).
  • Get the most out of Google Scholar (PDF)
  • Add McGill Library links in Google Scholar

These multidisciplinary databases are well known for connecting articles through their citations. Take a moment to consider citation politics with this training module from CLEAR.

Theses and dissertations databases

• eScholarship (McGill University)
• Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global (integrated into Web of Science)

Visit the Theses & Dissertations guide for a country listing.

e-Print archives

Note: There is a danger in reporting on preprints from archives that have not gone through peer review. 

• arXiv
• bioRxiv
• chemRxiv
• EarthArXiv
• More disciplinary archives.

Science communication journals

You can search our Journals A to Z list with keywords to discover new titles.

• Science Communication (available from McGill Libraries)
• Public Understanding of Science (available from McGill Libraries)
• JCOM: Journal of Science Communication (open access)
• Frontiers in Communication
• Science and Environmental Communication
• Environmental Communication (available from McGill Libraries)
• Geoscience Communication (available from McGill Libraries)
• Citizen Science: Theory and Practice (open access)

Annual Reviews

There are over fifty Annual Reviews to explore. They synthesize and communicate expert knowledge to society at large.

Use the Search Plan handout linked below.

You can also use this Search Strategy Builder from the University of Arizona Libraries.

This section includes 4 short videos that explain the basic search process, from how to find a database related to your field to how to create more complex search queries. A written summary is given next to each video. If you need help with your research, don't hesitate to contact me, I am here to help you!

This video will show you how to locate and access databases using subject or course guides, Databases A-Z, and the McGill catalogue.

1. Formulate a specific research question.
2. Identify the main concepts.
3. Brainstorm synonyms and related terms for each of your concepts.
    

Boolean operators are used to narrow or broaden your search.

AND: results include all keywords (used to narrow a search)
Example: "climate change" AND Canada AND Indigenous
Search results will contain all three terms.

OR: results include any or all keywords (used to broaden a search)
Example: Canada OR Quebec OR Abitibi
Search results will contain any of these terms.

NOT: results ignore a keyword (used to narrow a search)
Example: Turkey NOT Thanksgiving
Search results will exclude articles containing Thanksgiving.

Be careful when using the NOT operator - you could unintentionally exclude useful results!

Truncation (*): used to search variations on a word stem.
Example: Canad*
Search results will include Canada, Canadian, Canadians.
Be careful with truncation as it may yield results that contain unrelated words. Example: leg*
Search results will include leg, legs, legging, legal, legalized, etc.

Phrase searching (“”): used to search for an exact phrase or a concept containing more than one word.
Example: “climate change”
Search results will include the exact phrase, with the keywords next to each other and in the order they are typed.
Climate change (without quotation marks) will be searched as separate keywords.

Parentheses (): used to control the order in which Boolean operators are resolved. Operations within parentheses are resolved first followed by those outside the parentheses.