The Trexler Library: Muhlenberg College

Communication in the Global Community

Need help with your research? Contact:

Jen Jarson
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
phone: x3552
email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu
IM: jjarson1 (AIM, Yahoo, add @hotmail.com for MSN)

Need help after hours?
IM the Library at TalkToTrexler (AIM, Yahoo, add @hotmail.com for MSN)
Online Sunday-Thursday 2pm-10pm.
See Ask a Librarian for more information.

Selected Reference Materials

Donsbach, Wolfgang, ed. International Encyclopedia of Communication. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2008.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Collection 302.203 I56e v.1-12 (Level A)

Johnston, Donald H., ed. Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications. San Diego, CA: Academic, 2003.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Collection 302.2303 E56o v.1-4 (Level A)

Jones, Steve, ed. Encyclopedia of New Media: An Essential Reference to Communication and Technology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Collection 302.23403 J79e (Level A)

Schement, Jorge Reina, ed. Encyclopedia of Communication and Information. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2002.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Collection 302.203 E56o v.1-3 (Level A)

Country Information

CIA World Factbook
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
A standard source for current data on countries of the world.

The Europa World Year Book. London, England: Europa Publications Limited, 2009.
Location: Trexler Library Ready Reference 341.1 E89 (Level A)
Note: Older editions (1966- ) in Main Collection at same call number.

Library of Congress Country Portals to the World
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html
A gateway to recommended sources on specific countries.
From the site: "Portals to the World contains selective links providing authoritative, in-depth information about the nations and other areas of the world. They are arranged by country or area with the links for each sorted into a wide range of broad categories. The links were selected by Area Specialists and other Library staff using Library of Congress selection criteria."

Library of Congress Country Studies: Area Handbook Series
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/
From the site: "The Country Studies Series presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world." Note that some of the entries have not been updated in recent years. Check for currency.

Political Handbook of the World. New York: Published for the Center for Comparative Political Research of the State University of New York at Binghamton and for the Council on Foreign Relations by McGraw-Hill Book Co., 2008.
Location: Trexler Library Ready Reference 329 P769 (Level A)
Note: Older editions (1928- ) in Main Collection at same call number.

US Department of State: Background Notes
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn
Great for current information on specific countries, particularly relevant to U.S. foreign relations.
From the site: "These publications include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty. The Background Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from the Department's regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State website you are now using."

Finding Books

TREXLER LIBRARY

Search the Trexler Library Catalog to find out what books, government publications, journals, videos, etc. the library owns.

GETTING THERE: Use the shortcut search box on the Library Homepage or Library Homepage -- Library Catalogs (in the Quick Links box) -- Trexler Library Catalog

OTHER LIBRARIES

WorldCat. To find books held by other libraries, search WorldCat, a database of over 60 million library records from around the country and world. Use the ILL button to request a book from another library. (ILL can take 10-14 days.)

GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- Library Catalogs (in Quick Links box) -- Other Library Catalogs -- WorldCat

Finding Articles

SEARCHING FOR ARTICLES

See a list of all article databases via the Library Homepage -- Databases A-Z (in the Quick Links box).

Check the Subject Guides (linked from the Library Homepage in the Research box) for other recommended databases for this and other subject areas.

Subject-Specific Databases: Communication and Media Studies

Communication and Mass Media Complete
The most comprehensive database in Communication Studies. Indexing and abstracting for over 600 journals. Article full-text is available for many of those titles.

Sage Journals Online
Provides access to all journals published by Sage (full-text online for 1999-present).

Subject-Specific Databases: Other Disciplines

Economic Literature (Econ Lit)
Index to select articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, statistical directories, 1972 to present. Especially useful for research on a country's economic policies, development issues, and trade.

PAIS International (Public Affairs Information Service)
Top source for International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Public Affairs resources. Indexes select articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, statistical directories, 1972 to present.

Sociological Abstracts
"Provides access to the latest research in Sociology and related disciplines in the social behavioral sciences."

More Interdisciplinary Databases
NOTE: In addition to some scholarly resources, these databases also have popular resources.

Academic Search Premier
Large and diverse database that covers most academic disciplines, including Media and Communication Studies. Contains both scholarly and non-academic resources. Includes many articles in full text.

JSTOR
Searchable collections of full-text journals. JSTOR contains the full text of many journals from a wide variety of possibly relevant disciplines. Note that the most recent three to five years of most journals are generally not available.

OmniFile (WilsonWeb)
A full text "mega" database comprised of various smaller databases from separate academic disciplines. Its general scope includes general sciences, humanities, The Reader's Guide, social sciences, and business.

Newspaper Databases

See also Academic Search Premier and OmniFile, above.

Alternative Press Index
Indexes "alternative, radical, and left periodicals, newspapers, and magazines. A comprehensive guide to alternative sources of information. Coverage is international and interdiciplinary."

LexisNexis Academic
Indexes and provides full-text of major national and international newspapers, newswires, select journals and magazines, and legal publications. Updated daily. Coverage varies by publication.

GETTING THE ARTICLES

When searching for articles, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.
If not, you need to search the Trexler Library Catalog to see if we own the journal in which the article is published.
- Most databases have a Get It! link embedded. Click the link to check our holdings.
- Otherwise, search the catalog by journal title or by ISSN. Verify that we have online, print, or microform access to the year/volume you need.
If we do not own the journal you need, request the article via Interlibrary Loan.
- Some databases have a Request on Interlibrary Loan link embedded. Click the link to fill out the form. Click Submit.
- Otherwise, use the Interlibrary Loan Journal Article Request Form (Library Homepage -- ILL (in the Services & Forms box) -- Articles request form). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.

Citing Your Sources

For help using APA Style, consult the following resources:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. Washington, DC: APA, 2010.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 P976m 2010 (Level A, at Reference Desk)

Concise Rules of APA Style, 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010.
Location: Trexler Library Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 C744r 2010 (Level A, at Reference Desk)

Trexler Library handout on using APA style: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/apa_example.pdf

Writer's Handbook (University of Wisconsin--Madison)
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocAPA.html