Communication Studies

Indexes and Databases

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) (Coverage is from the early 1970's for some titles to the present): This interdisciplinary database indexes over 8200 scholarly journals, popular magazines, and journals of commentary. More than 4650 of the journals indexed provide the full-text of the articles within the database. This database is a good choice for search many communication studies journals. An option for limiting to peer-reviewed journals exists to increase the scholarly nature of a search.
Alternative Press Archive (1969-90): Indexes over 250 alternative, radical, and left journals, newspapers, and magazines. Covers topics of cultural, economic, political, and social change, including those related to women, women's rights, and other women's issues. Includes selected abstracts from research journals. Updated quarterly.
Alternative Press Index (1991- ): Indexes over 250 alternative, radical, and left journals, newspapers, and magazines. Covers topics of cultural, economic, political, and social change, including those related to women, women's rights, and other women's issues. Includes selected abstracts from research journals. Updated quarterly.
Article 1st (1990- ): This searchable, comprehensive, interdisciplinary magazine and journal article references database is useful primarily as a current awareness tool. It indexes over 16,000 journals and magazines by key words of article titles. Psychology students would be best served by beginning with PsycINFO and using this database to update their literature search with more recent articles than those found in PsycINFO. The database also allows the user to browse references by journal title and issue.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index (ISI)
Business Source Complete (EBSCOhost) (1965- ): This database provides indexing and abstracts to over 3230 scholarly and industry business journals, over 2,710 of which are full text. Subjects covered include personnel management, economics, advertising, etc., with the communication and media industries well-represented. The database includes also country economic reports from the EIU, DRI-WEFA, ICON Group, and CountryWatch.
Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCOhost)
ComAbstracts more info
Communication Abstracts. (1978-1993) WOO Reference P87 .C59733: This print index provides selective indexing and abstracting for articles on communication studies topics for the year indicated.
ERIC (1966- ): This is the primary database in the field of education. It is useful for communication studies research projects in that it indexes many of the mainstream communication studies theory-based journals as well as many communication association and organization papers that are available as ERIC Documents.
Film and Television Literature Index with Full Text (EBSCOhost)
Film Literature Index. (1973- ) WOO Reference Z5784 .M9F45: This print index covers scholarly journal and popular magazine articles about film, television, and related media formats.
Humanities International Complete (EBSCOhost)
Index to Journals in Communication Studies Through 1995 WOO Reference P87 .I48: Ed. by Matlon, Ronald J., et. Al. Falls Church, VA: National Communication Association, 1997. Indexes articles published between 1915 and 1995 in the journals published by the National Communication Association (formerly the Speech Communication Association). This is one of the primary indexes for theory-based articles in the field of communication studies.
MLA International Bibliography (EBSCOhost)
PsycINFO (journal articles, 1967-present; chapters from books, 1987-present): This is the primary, disciplinary database in the field of psychology and is the best database to begin with when seeking journal articles to support a psychology research project. Each journal article reference in the database includes an abstract summary of the article. The database covers also articles in related disciplines such as sociology, linguistics, medicine, law, physiology, business, psychiatry, and anthropology.
Historic PsycINFO (1887-1966): This contains the earlier years of the PsycINFO database. It employs a less highly structured subject indexing language than the more recent PsycINFO (1967- ).
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (1970's-present, with a few titles back to the early 1960's): This database provides indexing, abstracts, and full text for over 510 scholarly journals concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. Included in the full text offerings are over 490 peer-reviewed journals. A small number of titles in this database (under 10) provide indexing and abstracts only. This database is primarily a subset of the Academic Search Complete database, with the addition of some book titles and a small number of journals exclusive to this database only.
Social Sciences Citation Index (ISI Web of Science) (1980-present)
Social Sciences Citation Index, Print volumes: (1978-1979) WOO Reference Z7161 .S65: Indexes 1,700 journals spanning 50 disciplines. Although searches can be done by subject terms, author, journal title, or author affiliation; psychology majors will find this index most useful when trying to find out who has cited a particular work by doing a Cited Reference Search. Reference lists for each work are included.
SocINDEX (EBSCOhost)
Studies on Women Abstracts. (1983- ) WOO Reference HQ1180 .S78: This index provides abstracts to journals, books, and book chapters.
Women Studies Abstracts. (1972- ) WOO Reference HQ1101 .W65: Indexes articles from a wide range of periodicals, as well as some books and pamphlets. Includes references to both media and book reviews.

Reference Sources

Reference sources are particularly useful for background information on topics and definitions on concepts and specialized terminology. The following specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, and directories are particularly useful in the field of communication studies. There are many other similar sources on the shelves next to those listed here, so this can be used as a browser's guide to communication studies reference sources.

The Broadcast Communications Dictionary WOO Reference PN1990.4 .D5 1989: Edited by Lincoln Diamant.
The Broadcaster's Dictionary WOO Science Reference TK6544 .M37 1987: By James R. McDonald.
Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook (Latest edition only) WOO Reference HE8689 .B77: This annual directory is useful for finding contact and other information for various radio and television and broadcast stations.
The Communication Handbook: A Dictionary WOO Reference P87.5 .D46 1986: By Joseph A. Devito. New York: Harper and Row, 1986. Concise definitions of communication theory terms. Major theoretical works listed with relevant entries.
A Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies. 6th ed. WOO Reference P87.5 .W38 2003: By James Watson and Anne Hill.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
Encyclopedia of Associations (Latest edition only) WOO ReadyRef AS22 .E5 v.1: This annual is useful for finding organization and association contact information, including web sites.
Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media. (Latest edition only) WOO Reference Z6951.A97: This annual is useful for finding contact information on broadcast stations, magazines, and newspapers in the U.S.
A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms WOO Reference PE1445 .A2L3 1991: By Richard A. Lanham.
Major terms of classical rhetoric are briefly defined.
International Encyclopedia of Communications WOO Reference P87.5 .I5 1989: Edited by Erik Barnouw, et. al. New York: Oxford University, 1989. This is an important, theory-based encyclopedia in communication studies.
The Motion Picture Guide (1986- ) WOO Reference PN1995 .N3462: Provides annual reviews of motion pictures. Each annual covers films from the previous year.
Encyclopedia of Television WOO Reference PN1992.18 .E53 2004: [Museum of Broadcast Communications] Edited by Horace Newcomb. This encyclopedia is useful for background and history of television.
Special Edition: A Guide to Network Television Documentary Series and Special News Reports, 1955-1979 WOO Reference PN1992.8.D6E56 1987
Special Edition: A Guide to Network Television Documentary Series and Special News Reports, 1980-1989. WOO Reference PN1992.8 .D6E56 1997: By Daniel Einstein. These two reference books list, provide dates, and describe in brief format each program covered. Each includes an index of personalities and an index of production/technical personnel. Both are examples of similar types of reference books that can be found nearby on the shelf.
Variety International Film Guide. (1990, 1992- ) (Latest edition in Reference) WOO Reference PN1993.3.I544
Webster's New World Dictionary of Media and Communications WOO Reference P87.5 .W45 1996: By Richard Weiner.

Finding Journals…

...by the TITLE of the journal: Search by the TITLE OF THE JOURNAL on either the Libraries' eJournals/Journals web page or the CONSORT Journal Title search.

...finding journals by a particular PUBLISHER (e.g., journals published by the National Communication Association):

CONSORT WORD SEARCH:
a:national communication association and s:periodicals

...finding journals with a particular FOCUS (e.g., journals on oral communication):

CONSORT WORD SEARCH:
s:oral communication and s:periodicals

Selected Internet Sites

American Communication Association: In addition to association and membership information, this includes a helpful "Communication Studies Center" of online research links.
Center for Nonverbal Studies: A well-established web site containing useful links to sources on body movement, gesture, facial expression, adornment, fashion, landscape architecture, mass media, consumer-product design, etc. It is known also for its' scholarly dictionary: "The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs & Body Language Cues."
Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (CIOS): A scholarly institute that provides access to ComAbstracts, the Electronic Journal of Communication Studies, individual journal indexing and full text, topical hotline conference system, job search information, etc. to members. The College of Wooster is a member, so access to the full site is available for College of Wooster students and faculty.
Google Directory > Science > Social Sciences > Communication: An extensive, annotated subject listing of web sites on all aspects of communication and related fields.
International Communication Association: Association membership and publication information and newsletter archive.
Library of American Broadcasting: Keeping the Past for the Future
National Communication Association: Association and membership information, publication/journals information, graduate schools listing, etc.
Online Communication Studies Resources (University of Iowa, Department of Communication Studies): A well-developed, annotated, searchable site that links to scholarly resources of interest to communication studies researchers.
Radio Station World: Your global radio station directory.
Scholarly Societies Project - Communication and Media Studies: This project, maintains an annotated listing of scholarly societies throughout the world, complete with acronyms and usability ratings. This link is to the communication and media studies section of the project.
Social Psychology Network: Deep site containing over 5000 social psychology and related resources on the Internet. Includes links to topical sources, course pages, teaching resources, online research studies that users can participate in, ratings of graduate schools, and a wide variety of other related links.

Citation Style Guides

APA Style: This Web site provides excerpts from the 5th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association as well as regular updates to electronic formats of citation using APA style.
The Chicago Manual of Style WOO ReadyRef Z253 .U69 2003
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association WOO ReadyRef BF76.7 .P83 2001: 5th Edition, This printed volume is the official style manual of the American Psychological Association, often referred to as APA style.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th Edition. WOO ReadyRef LB2369 .G53 2003
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 6th edition. WOO ReadyRef LB2369 .T8 1996

Course/Research Guides

Communication Sources: A Selected Bibliography: compiled by Julia Chance Gustafson (COMM 401)
Finding the "Backstory" of Mass Media: A Selected Bibliography for Radio, Television, and Film in America (Comm. 231): compiled by Julia Chance Gustafson

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Julia Gustafson
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330/263-2315