ORganizational and political communication Research Guide
This guide provides an overview of the resources that you need to conduct research in communication studies. You should find it particularly useful if you are putting together a literature review as part of a paper or thesis.
Background Information
Articles and Conference Papers
Books
Selected Websites
Background Information
These selected reference books focus on communication and are a great place to begin your research. Please consult a reference librarian or search the Library Catalog to find other sources.
Communication Handbook: A Dictionary [X] P87.5.D46 1986
Major concepts of speech communication and mass communication.Communication Research: Strategies and Sources [X] P91.3.R83 2005
A how-to handbook for the communication disciplines.Communication Yearbook [X] P87.C5
Scholarly articles, research, literature reviews on all communications topics.Encyclopedia of Communication and Information [X] P87.5.E53 2001
Handbook of Interpersonal Communication [X] BF637.C45 H287 2002
Literature reviews of the major areas in the field, such as nonverbal and family communication.International Encyclopedia of Communications [X] P87.5.I5 1989
Subject encyclopedia for the communications field.Progress in Communication Sciences [X] P87.P74
In-depth investigations and literature reviews of communication topics.
Articles and Conference Papers
The following databases will help you locate articles, book chapters, conference papers, etc. Some are specific to communication, while others are more general in scope. Since communication research tends to be multidisciplinary in nature, you may need to search several databases in order to gather enough information on your topic. For help in constructing a search, ask a reference librarian.
If your search results include citations or abstracts, refer to the the guide How to Find a Journal for tips on locating the article. If we do not have the journal in the Emerson College Library, you can request items from other libraries by completing an online form.
Databases Focusing on Communication Studies
Communication & Mass Media Complete
Indexes the important communication journals, with full text of over 200 key journals, as well as articles from reviews, encyclopedias, and handbooks.ComAbstracts
Covers 40 core communication journals from the late 1980s to the present.Communication Abstracts (1978-2004 also available in paper in the Indexes section)
The major index to mass communication research, media studies, and interpersonal communication, including risk communication, crisis communication, and public opinion.Communication Studies: A SAGE Full-Text Collection
Includes the full text of 16 journals published by SAGE and participating societies, encompassing over 5,000 articles. It covers journalism, political communication, mass communication, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, television/film studies, and organizational communication.
Other Relevant Databases
Academic OneFile
Contains 8,000 scholarly journals, mostly full-text, plus hundreds of podcasts and transcripts.Academic Search Premier
This database indexes and abstracts more than 8,000 scholarly journals covering many academic disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and the arts. It provides full text for over 4,000 journals.ERIC
Focuses on education, but includes many communications topics. There is also a free version of ERIC for off campus users. 1967 to present.General BusinessFile ASAP
Covers advertising, marketing, public relations, organizational communication, etc. Includes full text from scholarly journals and trade publications.PsycARTICLES
Full text of 42 journals published by the American Psychological Association.PsycINFO
Indexes and abstracts psychology and behavioral science literature.
Books
The Library has a large collection of books dealing with communication topics. The Library Catalog includes Emerson College Library's holdings for books, periodical titles, and audiovisual materials. Please note that the catalog is shared with 8 other schools of the Fenway Libraries Online (FLO), which means you may see materials from these libraries in your search results. If you would like to borrow something from one of these libraries, you may place a request through the catalog. Following are just a few of the subject headings you may want to search.
interpersonal communication
communication in organizations
intercultural communication
rhetoric
mass media
communication in management
leadership
international relations
Selected Websites
Websites for communication organizations and academic departments can be particularly useful places to find good communication information online. In addition to searching the Web, use some of the communication-specific sites listed here.
American Communication Association
Provides information on and links to mass media and culture, business communication, research methods, and more.Annenberg Public Policy Center
Focuses on communication, public policy, health communication, and the media; includes online reports.Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (CIOS)
From the organization that provides the ComAbstracts database, this site lists links to news about upcoming conferences and publications, a visual search tool and online journals and reports.Media and Communication Studies Site
Covers many aspects of communication, including media education, film, mass communication, etc.National Communication Association: Developing your Research
The National Communication Association's list of Internet sites with research sources. Organized by research method.
University of Iowa Department of Communication Studies: Online Communication Studies Resources
Links to sites across the array of communication topics.Web Journal of Mass Communication Research
An online refereed journal for mass communication research, focusing on web communication.
