Walker Management Library
Vetting Your Sources
Searching the internet is quick and easy, and can be a great source for relevant, quality information. Caveat Emptor: evaluate the resources you use.
Here are some guidelines to assess Internet resources, such as Web pages and blogs:
- Currency - Is the information current? Is it updated regularly?
- Reliability - Is the source reputable? Is it accurate?
- Authority - Who created the information? Why?
- Purpose/Point of View - Is there a balance of perspectives? Is the information biased?
Please see this additional information about the CRAP test as well as the Vanderbilt University presentation What The Crap?
Databases
The following databases are excellent sources for management leadership, ethics and/or communication research articles:
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Communication & Mass Media Complete (CMMC)The key index for Communication Studies. Covers journals in the fields of communication, mass media, and other closely-related areas of study. Includes Journal of Communication.
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Conference Board, TheResearch on business management and trends. Select Research & Insights in the lower page menu, then use the Marketing and Communications link on the left to access reports in that area.
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Business Source CompleteCovers most subject areas related to business: management, marketing, economics, finance, accounting, & international business. Includes company reports, SWOT analyses, working papers, country reports, industry reports, case studies, etc. Includes Business Communication Quarterly.
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ProQuest CentralScholarly journals, newspapers, dissertations, and business information. Includes: ABI/INFORM Complete, Accounting & Tax, Banking Information Source, Canadian Newsstand Complete, CBCA Complete, Hoover's Company Profiles, OxResearch, Pharmaceutical News Index, Asian Business & Reference, Biology Journals, Career and Technical Education, Computing, Criminal Justice, Education Journals, European Business, Family Health, Health & Medical Complete, Health Management, Military Collection, Newsstand, Nursing & Allied Health Source, Psychology Journals, Religion, Research Library, Science Journals, Social Science Journals, Telecommunications, Snapshots.
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PsycINFOComprehensive indexing and abstracts of the international psychological literature. Journals, articles, books, dissertations, etc. Subjects include: applied psychology, communication systems, developmental psychology, educational psychology, experimental human and animal psychology, personality, psychological and physical disorders, physiological psychology and neuroscience, professional personnel and issues, psychometrics and statistics, social psychology, social processes and issues, sports psychology and leisure, treatment and prevention.
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e-MarketerPublishes data, analysis and insights on digital marketing, traditional media, social media and commerce.. eStat section has statistics and graphs on Internet-related topics.
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StatistaQuantitative data, statistics, infographics, and related information compiled from market research institutes, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases.
