Bachelor of Professional Arts, Communication Studies Major - Library pathfinder

Dictionaries provide definitions to terms. A subject dictionary for communication studies can help to clarify misunderstood or forgotten terminology. Also a subject dictionary can explain the specific connotations that some words hold within the communication studies field. Subject dictionaries can be located in the library catalogue by searching under the appropriate subject heading with the subdivision "dictionary." For example you may search the catalogue by entering "communications/dictionary" or "media/dictionary." The following list provides a sampling of dictionaries in the field of communication studies:

• Ellmore, Terry R. NTC's Mass Media Dictionary. Lincolnwood, Ill., USA: National Textbook Co., 1991.
• Herman, Edward S. Beyond Hypocrisy: Decoding the News in an Age of Propaganda. Boston, MA: South End Press, 1992.
• Penney, Edmund. A Dictionary of Media Terms. New York: Putnam,1984.

Directories are sources for identifying names and addresses of associations, agencies, libraries, museums, people, organizations, and services. These names may be identifies and located by searching the library catalogue with the subdivision "directories." For example, use "media/directories" to yield results. Another way to locate directories is to search under the subject "associations, institutions, etc.: with directories as the subdivision.

Here is a sampling of directories for communication studies:

• AMTEC Directory. Canada: Association for Media and Technology in Education in Canada, 1996.
• Benn's Media Directory. Tonbridge, Kent: Benn Business Information Services.
• Burelle's Media Directory. Livingston, NJ: Burelle's Information Services.
• Canadian Directory of New Media in the Cultural Sector. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage, 1995.
• Directory of Federal Government Databases. Ottawa: Treasury Board Secretariat, 1995.
• Directory of Periodicals Online. Washington, DC: Federal Document Retrieval, 1987.
• Encyclopedia of Associations. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1983
• Ethnic Information Resources of the United States. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1983
• European Advertising, Marketing and Media Data. London: Euromonitor, 1989.
• Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1990.
• Indonesian Creative Advertising and Media Directory. Jakarta: BPPP, 1990.
• Kennington, Alice E. and Paul Wasserman. Eds. Ethnic Information Sources of the United States. Detroit, Mich., 1983.
• Matthews Media Directory. Toronto: Canadian Corporate News, 1997.
• The National Directory of Advertising. New York: Oxbridge Communications, 1992.

Encyclopedias contain information on subjects, normally arranged in alphabetical order. The primary purpose of the encyclopedia is to provide factual information (who, what, when, where, and why) and background information. The encyclopedia will provide a general overview of a subject and will give a sense of direction in exploring a topic. Articles in an encyclopedia are usually written by subject experts. Encyclopedias can be located by searching the library catalogue using the subject with the subdivision "encyclopedia." For example, you may search "communications/encyclopedia" or "media/encyclopedia." The following list provides a sampling of titles of encyclopedias in communication studies.

• An Encyclopedia of the History of Technology. Ian MacNeil, ed. London: New York: Routledge, 1990.
• Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. USA: Academic Press, 1998.
• Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Rock Soul. Irwin Stambler, ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989.
• Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Alan Barnard and Jonathan Spencer, eds. London: Routlege, 1996.
• Encyclopedia of World Cultures. David Levinson, ed. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall, 1991.
• Folklore, Cultural Performances, and Popular Entertainments. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
• International Book Publishing: An Encyclopedia. Philip G. Altbach and Edith S. Hoshino, eds. New York: Garland Pub., 1995.
• International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. USA: Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1972.
• Oxford Illustrates Encyclopedia. Harry Judge and Anthony Toyne, eds. Oxford [Oxfordshire]; New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
• The Encyclopedia of Ethics. Lawrence C. Becker, ed. New York: Garland Pub., 1992.
• The Cambridge Encyclopedia. David Crystal, ed. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
• The Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence. Susan B. Gall and Jerome Kagan, eds. Toronto; Detroit: Gale Research, 1997.
• The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock. Mike Crawford, ed. New York: Harmony Books, 1992.
• The New Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. James Gunn, ed. New York, NY: Viking, 1988.
• The Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music. Stanley Said and Alison Latham, eds. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1988.
• Rovin, Jeff. The Encyclopedia Of Super Villains. New York, NY: Facts on File Publications, 1987.

Handbooks are useful for finding information and miscellaneous facts in a field of knowledge. To locate a handbook in a subject area, search the library catalogue using the subdivision "handbooks, manuals, etc." For example, try using "communications/handbooks" or "media/manual."

• American Type Culture Collection Media Handbook. Rockville, MD.: American Type Culture Collection, 1984.
• Bridging the Gap: A Handbook for Scientists and Journalists on Toxic Pollution Reporting. Canada: Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, 1989.
• Film, Video and Pornography in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage, 1993.
• Folk Arts and Crafts in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage, 1993.
• Guidelines for Non-Sexist Writing. Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women 1984.
• Handbook of Research for Educational Communications technology: A Project for the Association for Educational Communication and Technology. David H. Jonassen, ed. New York: MacMillan Library Reference USA, 1996.
• Keating, Micheal. Covering the Environment: A Handbook on Environmental Journalism. Ottawa: The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, 1993.
• Music in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage, 1993.
• Press, Radio, and Television Handbook: Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Melbourne, Vic.: Margaret Gee Media Group Pty.
• Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium Sized Libraries and Media Centers. Bohdan S. Wynar, ed. Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1984.
• World Media Handbook. New York: United Nations Department of Public Information, 1990.
• Writing in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Heritage 1993.

The most obvious terms to search when trying to find resources on communication studies is communications or media. While these terms do produce many results, the results may be too broad when specific material is desired. To narrow a search (limit the results) conduct a search using the exact term that you are looking for in combination with the word "communications" or "media." Searching under a specific author or title can also yield very fruitful searches. IF you locate an item that appears useful, check the subject headings on the full record, and then search under those terms to find more information.

• HE 7601-8700.9 Telecommunication Industry. Telegraph.
• HE 8689-8700.9 Radio and Television Broadcasting.
• HE 8701-9715 Telephone.
• HE 9719-9721 Artificial Satellite Telecommunications.
• ML 3469-3541 Popular Music.
• NE Print Media.
• NC Drawing, Design. Illustration.
• P 87-96 Communication. Mass Media.
• P 101-410 Language (General).
• P 301-301.5 Style. Composition. Rhetoric.
• PN Literacy. History and Collections (General).

Periodicals normally contain the most current information on a subject. To locate a journal article, a periodical index is essential. Indexes provide lists of articles in journals, magazines, yearbooks, and proceedings; indexes are usually accessed by author or subject, and provide thorough bibliographic details about the articles (author, title, journal title, volume, date, and pagination). Abstracts are short summaries of the articles (not all indexes provide an abstract). Frequency of publication of indexes and abstracting services is important; a quarterly index will have more recent information than an index published on an annual basis.

Indexes and abstracts may be identified and located by searching the library catalogue under an appropriate subject with the subdivisions "abstracts, abstracting and indexing" or "indexes." For example, search "communications/abstracts," or "television violence/indexes."

Indexes and abstracting tools related to communication studies are listed:

• Alberta Communications Network Weekly Index. Alberta: Public Affairs Bureau.
• Bibliographies and Indexes in Mass Media and Communications. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989.
• Communication Abstracts. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications.
• Current Publications Index. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 1986.
• Index of Research Publications. Ottawa: Department of Communications 1982.
• Media Index. Pleasantville, NY: Media Index, 1979.
• Statistics Canada Catalogue. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 1988-1997.

Computers and computer related technologies have made an impact on the discipline of communication studies. Many indexes and abstracting services are available on an online database or on CD-ROM; many library catalogues are now automated with an OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue).

Online computer searching requires a computer with a modem , telecommunications software, and an account with the vendor that provides access to the online database. Online searching is expensive; faculty and librarians can provide more information and advice.

To determine whether an online search is necessary, consider the following questions:

• What is the content of the database I am considering?
• How extensive and/or expensive is the database?
• Are there other databases or printed equivalents that can be examined for less cost?
• Are there other databases that provide similar results?

Database Directories - to find an appropriate database

Database Directory. Whiteplains, NY: Knowledge Industry Publications Inc., 1984/85

Directory of Online Databases. Santa Monica, California: Cudra Associates, 1979-.

Fulltext Resources Online. Needham, MA: BiblioData, July 1994.

Gale Directory of Databases. Detroit: Gale Research, July 1995.

The Espial Canadian Data Base Directory. Toronto: Espial Productions, 1986.

The following list provides a sampling of electronic databases that are useful for researching communication studies. Remember that many electronic databases also have a print equivalent.

• ABI/Inform
• Article First
• Business ASAP
• Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q)
• CBCA
• Contents First
• Current Contents
• ERIC
• Extended Academic ASAP

Note: Some of these databases require a password when they are accessed over the Internet. AU students and staff can obtain these passwords by contacting the AU library.

Listservs or electronic conferences provide a forum through which network users can communicate with each other by exchanging electronic messages. Aside from sharing information, electronic conferences provide a means for making contacts with individuals in the same area. A user must subscribe to the conference before participating in an electronic conference.

Below is a list of electronic conferences in the field of communication studies.

Discussion Name: Airwaves Radio Journal
Topic: General discussions of radio media
Subscription Address: subscribe@airwaves.com - rec.radio.broadcasting
Archives: ftp://radio.aiss.uiuc.edu/misc/rec.radio.b-cast/ - Gopher://radio.aiss.uiuc.edu:7070
Contact Address: William Pfeiffer wdp@uiuc.edu
Submission Address: articles@airwaves.chi.il.us

Discussion Name: CMA-L
Topic: CMA-L is for anyone interested in advising student publications at the college level. All related topics are acceptable.
Subscription Address: listserv@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU
Archives: Yes
Contact Address: Eddie Blick BLICK@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU
Submission Address: CMA-L@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU

Discussion Name: COMSERVE
Topic: Numerous e-conferences pertaining to topics related to study of human communication are available through the services of Comserve@cios.llc.rpi.edu. Some of these are also listed individually on other sections of this directory.
Subscription Address: Send an e-mail message "Show Hotlines" to Comserve@cios.llc.rpi.edu. This will send you a description of the hotlines. To subscribe to a chosen Comserv e-conference, the form of the message should be as follows: Join Hotline name Your Name.
Archives: Yes
Contact Address: Comserve Staff Support@cios.llc.rpi.edu
Submission Address: Comserv@cios.llc.rpi.edu

Discussion Name: COPYEDITING-L
Topic: Copyediting-L is a list for copy editors and other defenders of the English language who want to discuss anything related to editing: sticky style issues, newspaper, technical, and other specialized editing, reference books, client relations, Internet resources, electronic editing and software, freelance issues, etc.
Subscription Address: listproc@cornell.edu 
Archives: Yes
Contact Address: Beth Goelzer Lyons Copyediting-L-request@cornell.edu
Submission Address: COPYEDITING-L@cornell.edu

Discussion Name: Canprescrit
Topic: The canprescrit list discusses the way the media reports the news in Canada. It aims to discuss any newspaper article or segment in the TV news. It will be limited to people who live in Ontario.
Subscription Address: Zeltine@ibm.net
Contact Address: Zeltine@ibm.net

Discussion Name: IRE-L
Topic: Discussion of Investigative Reporting Techniques
Subscription Address: listserv@mizzou1.missouri.edu
Archives: Yes, private
Contact Address: Rosemary Armao jourrca@mizzou1.missouri.edu - John Meyer ccjohn@mizzou1.missouri.edu
Submission Address: IRE-L@mizzou1.missouri.edu

Discussion Name: JOURNET
Topic: E-conference for the discussion of topics of interest to journalists and journalism educators.
Subscription Address: listserv@qucdn.queensu.ca
Archives: Yes
Contact Address: George Frajkor GFRAJKOR@CCS.CARLETON.CA
Submission Address: JOURNET@qucdn.queensu.ca

Discussion Name: KID.MEDIA
Topic: The Kid Media Mailing List is for communication between people interested in, or involved in, the creation, production and/or consumption of media who's primary target audience is children. kidmedia-d is a digested version.
Subscription Address: kid.media-request@airwaves.chi.il.us
Contact Address: William Pfeiffer wdp@airwaves.chi.il.us
Submission Address: kid.media@airwaves.chi.il.us

Discussion Name: MAGAZINE
Topic: Magazine is for discussion of journalistic, communicative, economic, and technological issues related to magazine publishing.
Subscription Address: Comserve@cios.llc.rpi.edu
Archives: No
Contact Address: Comserve Staff Support@cios.lli.rpi.edu
Submission Address: MAGAZINE@cios.llc.rpi.edu
Discussion Name: METHODS

Topic: Communication research methodology.
Subscription Address: comserve@cios.llc.rpi.edu
Archives: No
Contact Address: Comserve Staff Support@cios.llc.rpi.edu
Submission Address: METHODS@cios.llc.rpi.edu
Discussion Name: McLuhan-list

Topic: The project's mission is to revitalize and update the work of the late media guru. Special emphasis is on all forms of marketing and advertising.
Subscription Address: Majordomo@inforamp.net
Archives: http://www.vyne.com/McLuhan/
Contact Address: MCLR@inforamp.net
Discussion Name: alt.journalism

Topic: Journalism discussions
Subscription Address: Local Usenet Newsreader
Archives: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/alt.journalism
Submission Address: alt.journalism
Discussion Name: alt.journalism.criticism

Topic: Journalism discussions
Subscription Address: Local Usenet Reader
Archives: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/alt.journalism/
Submission Address: alt.journalism.criticism
Discussion Name: online-mags

Periodicals can be identified and located by searching under a subject with the subdivision "periodicals." For example, use "media/periodicals" or "communications/periodicals." A list of suggested titles is included here:

• Action Bulletin. Toronto: Media Watch.
• Adbusters. Vancouver: Media Foundation, 1989-.
• Bulletin (Media Watch). Vancouver: Media Watch, 1987-1993.
• Catalogue of Educational Videocassettes. Edmonton: University of Alberta, Faculty of Extension, Educational Media Services, 1992-.
• Canadian Journal of Communication. Toronto: Micromedia.
• Directory of Periodicals Online. Washington, DC: Federal Document Retrieval, 1987.
• Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1990.
• Index to Bibliographies and Resource Materials. Minneapolis, Minn.: The Association, 1975.
• Media News. Guelph, Ont: AMTEC, 1987.