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Communications and Media Studies

Librarian for Communications and Media Studies

Jessica Alverson
Librarian for Journalism, Culture & Communication
Phone: (212) 998-2603
E-mail: jessica.alverson@nyu.edu
IM: kjalverson00

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

These resources can help you get an overview of a topic; define terms, theories, and persons in the field; and provide you with further readings on each subject.
  • International Encyclopedia of Communications. Erik Barnouw, ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
    Bobst Ref1 P87.5.I5 1989 v.1-4
  • Encyclopedic Dictionary of Semiotics, Media, and Communications. Marcel Danesi. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c2000.
    Bobst Ref1 P87.5 .D36 2000
  • NTC's Mass Media Dictionary. R. Terry Ellmore. Lincolnwood, Ill., USA: National Textbook Co., 1993.
    Bobst Ref1 P87.5 .E45 1990
  • Encyclopedia of New Media: an Essential Reference to Communication and Technology. Steve Jones, ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, c2003.
    Bobst Ref1 QA76.575 .E5368 2003
  • Encyclopedia of Communication and Information. Jorge Reina Schement, ed., New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001.
    Bobst Ref1 P87.5 .E53 2001
  • Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies. James Watson. 6th ed. London: E. Arnold, 2003.
    Bobst Ref1 P87.5 .W38 2003
  • Communications Standards Dictionary. Martin H. Weik. 3rd ed. New York: Chapman & Hall, 1996.
    Bobst REF9 TK5102.W437 1996
  • CIOS - The Communication Institute for Online Scholarship
    This resource gathers tools, links, and scholarship in various areas in communication studies, and provides an online community for communication researchers, students, and instructors. This resource includes the Visual Communication Concept Explorer (VCCE), a tool for visualizing concept and literature networks in the communications field.

Article Databases 

Communications and Media Studies Databases:
  • Communication & Mass Media Complete
    Covers key journals and encyclopedic entries in communication and media, and offers full text for 200 of these titles.
  • Communication Abstracts
    Covers major communications related articles, reports and books in the areas of general and mass communication, advertising and marketing, broadcasting, communication theory, inter- and intra-personal communication, organizational communication, journalism, public relations, radio, public opinion, speech and television.

Related Subject Databases

NYU subscribes to a number of subject-specific article databases. To see all subject-specific databases, go to Find Databases by Subject .

News Databases:

  • Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
    Covers domestic and international newspapers, transcripts of popular U.S. news programs (e.g., Meet the Press, CNN, Online News Hour with Jim Lehrer). Useful for business of media.
  • Factiva
    Covers domestic and international newspapers and transcripts.  Better coverage of trade magazines and international sources as compared to LexisNexis.
  • Vanderbilt TV News Archive
    Search for 30,000 individual network evening news broadcasts from the major U.S. national broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, and more than 9,000 hours of special news-related programming including ABC's Nightline since 1989.

Research Methods

The following books explain the research process and methods of research that are especially useful in the communication/mass media field as well as including information on specific topics.
  • Rubin, Rebecca, ed., Communication Research Measures: a Sourcebook. New York: Guilford Press, c1994.
    Bobst Ref1 P91.3 .C62 1994
     The "bible" of how to do research in communication and media studies.
  • Jensen, Klaus Bruhn. A Handbook of Media and Communications Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies. New York: Routledge, 2002.
    Bobst Ref1 P91.3 .H34 2002
  • Jacobson, Ronald I. Television Research. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1995.
    Bobst Bookstacks PN1992.3.U5 J23 1995
  • Jones, Steve, ed., Doing Internet Research: Critical Issues and Methods for Examining the Net. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, c1999.
    Bobst Ref1 ZA4201 .D65 1999
  • Pruett, Barbara. Popular Entertainment Research: How To Do It and How To Use It. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1992.
    Bobst Ref1 PN1576.P78 1992
  • Rubin, Rebecca B., Allan M. Rubin and Linda J. Piele. Communication Research: Strategies and Sources. 6th ed.
    Belmont CA: Wadsworth Pub., 2005.
    Bobst Ref1 P91.3.R83 2005

Associations

Media Directories

Directories give you listings of people, organizations, associations, companies and more in a selected field. Use them to find addresses and contact information for primary sources, verify information about a particular media outlet, or construct your own list of media providers.
  • Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook. New Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker, 1993-
    Bobst Ref6 HE8689.B75 (Current year only; older years in bookstacks)
    Important and basic guide to broadcasting and cable stations, personnel, regulations, ownership, etc. Provides international coverage on media, technology, regulations, advertising and marketing. Identifies and briefly describes stations by state and city. Includes an annotated bibliography of works on mass media.
  • Bowker's News Media Directory. New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker, c2003-
    Bobst Ref1 PN4875 .W62 (Current Edition)
  • Gale Directory of Publications & Broadcast Media. (NYU students, faculty and staff only) Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1990-
    (http://library.nyu.edu/collections/find_articles_title.html)
  • Many Voices, One City: the IPA Guide to the Ethnic Press of New York and New Jersey Metropolitan Area. San Francisco, CA: Independent Press Association, c2004.
    Bobst Ref1 PN4882 .M35 2004
  • World Media Handbook. N.Y.: United Nations Department of Public Information, 1992-
    Bobst Ref6 Reference Desk P87.W67 1992-
    This publication provides a summary of selected media and related data covering countries around the world. Entries include a set of demographic and communication indicators and a concise list of newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, news agencies, broadcasting organizations, journalistic associations, and communication educational institutions.
  • World Radio & TV Handbook. Copenhagen: O Lund Johansen, (Current Issue only).
    Bobst Ref9 TK6540.W7
    Directory of International Radio and Television Stations.

Additional Communications Research Guides
  • Cyber Culture/Hypermedia Resources
  • Media Studies from the University of Iowa
  • Library Resources for Communication Studies
    A thorough collection of links with a research focus, put together by the Association of College and Research Libraries Educational and Behavioral Sciences Section Communication Studies Committee.
  • The Media History Project
    A huge webliography of links concerning the history of mass media. Find here everything from an online dictionary of key concepts and theorists, to persuasive poster art of WWII. A very rich website.
  • The Media Literacy Online Project
    A large webliography of links relating to the influence of the media on culture, and specifically its influence on the lives of children and youth.
  • Voice of the Shuttle: Media Studies Page
    Created by Alan Liu, a professor of English at the University of California at Santa Barbara, this meta site introduces you to many websites related to media studies, journalism, film studies, consumerism and culture, telecom issues, cyberculture and more.
  • The Media and Communication Site
    This site links to webpages dealing with general issues in communication and many other specific areas of communication, such as new media, television and film, pop music and youth, etc.

NYU Links





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