Research and Course Guides: COMM Studies Resources Guide: Background Resources

Social and Hot Topic Resources

Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
A one-stop source for information on a variety of social issues. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, as well as full-text magazine and newspaper articles.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Political scientists, journalists & economics researchers are going to find original information on health care, criminal justice, political and social trends, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy. Each report includes an overview; background and chronology on the topic; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources.
Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new window
Issues & Controversies explore more than 800 timely, in-depth, and objective articles on topics such as politics, government, business, education, and popular culture. It is updated weekly and provides links to a 13-year backfile. Also included are links to news coverage, pros and cons statements, timelines, statistics, etc.
Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
Biography in Context includes over 700,000 biographical entries covering more than 400,000 notable international figures from all time periods and areas of study.

Online Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Full-text encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Wiley Online Library This link opens in a new window
Articles, journals, and books published by Wiley across a variety of disciplines.
Britannica Academic Edition This link opens in a new window
Britannica Academic Edition contains the Encyclopaedia Britannica, one of the largest, most authoritative encyclopedias in the world. Besides articles it includes ebooks, links to major news stories from the New York Times and the BBC, maps, photos, and other multi-media tools such as interactive timelines and videos. It also has Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, and the Britannica Student Encyclopedia.

Online Reference: Subject Specific

Oxford Encyclopedia of Rhetoric
A comprehensive survey of one of the Western world's oldest disciplines. It brings together expertise in classical studies, philosophy, literature, literary theory, cultural studies, speech, and communications in a comprehensive treatment of the art of persuasion. It combines theory, history, and practice, with emphasis on public speaking, performance, and communication.

International Encyclopedia of Communication Online This link opens in a new window
A definitive reference source in an interdisciplinary and dynamic field, this authoritative work is jointly published with the International Communication Association (ICA). Coverage includes theories, media and communication, research methods, concepts, and much more. The encyclopedia features sophisticated cross-referencing as well as a lexicon by subject area.

Encyclopedia of Semiotics
A comprehensive reference guide to concepts in semiotics, sign theory, and cultural studies. A survey of the study of signs and symbols in human culture.
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The Encyclopedia of Semiotics is a comprehensive reference guide to concepts in semiotics, sign theory, and cultural studies. Three hundred entries by leading scholars in a variety of fields—from anthropology and literary theory to linguistics and philosophy—survey the study of signs and symbols in human culture. These articles cover key concepts, theories, theorists, schools of thought, and issues in communications, cognition, and cultural theory. From introductions to Barthes and Bakhtin to analyses of gossip and myth, this is a valuable reference for students, scholars, or anyone interested in language, symbols, and the transmission of information. Clear, well-written entries make the scholarship accessible to both experts and nonspecialists, and the text is complimented by twenty color illustrations.
Blackwell Companion to Media Studies
This Companion showcases some of the most exciting work currently underway on feminist media, media history, the future of theory, digital capitalism, power, agency, popular culture, race, and intellectual property. It provides an accessible and comprehensive point of entry into this expansive and interdisciplinary field.
Blackwell Companion to Television
A magisterial collection of original essays that chart the history of television from its inception to the present day. It provides alook at television scholarship as it responded to technological, institutional, and aesthetic changes around the world.
Encyclopedia of Communication Theory
Provides students and researchers with a comprehensive overview of contemporary communication theory.
Handbook of Global Communication and Media Ethics
A groundbreaking handbook that provides a comprehensive picture of the ethical dimensions of communication in a global setting. The authors are leading international scholars who consider ethical issues raised by globalization, the practice of journalism, popular culture, and media activities.