Media & Society

Need help with your research? Contact:

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

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

Selected Reference Materials

Encyclopedia of Communication and Information (2002)
Location: Trexler Library Reference Collection 302.203 E56o v.1-3 (LEVEL A)

Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications (2003)
Location: Trexler Library Reference Collection 302.2303 E56o v.1-4 (LEVEL A)

International Encyclopedia of Communication (2008)
Location: Trexler Library Reference Collection 302.203 I56e v.1-12 (LEVEL A)

Search the library catalog for more reference sources or browse the reference collection on level A of the library.

Finding Articles

SEARCHING FOR ARTICLES

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

START WITH...

Communication and Mass Media Complete
Scholarly journals, trade journals, and monographs in the areas of communication and mass media.

Sage Journals Online
Full-text access to over 500 journals published by Sage, providing wide coverage of scholarly publications in all disciplines, but particularly the social sciences.

FIND MORE WITH...
Depending on the nature of your research question, these databases may also be useful.

  • Check the Subject Guides (linked from the Library Homepage in the Research box) for other recommended databases by subject area.
  • Not sure which database will have the best results for your topic? Try Search Central to search across many of the library's databases at once to identify those with the most results for your search. From the Library Homepage, use the Search Central search box in the tab or the Search Central link in the Quick Links box.

Business Source Elite
Largely full text database of scholarly and trade journals covering all aspects of accounting, business, and economics.

PsycINFO
Premier database of scholarly and professional literature in psychology and related areas.

Sociological Abstracts
Provides access to the latest research in sociology and related disciplines in the social and 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.

OmniFile (WilsonWeb)
A database with some full text articles covering various academic subjects including general sciences, humanities, social sciences, and business.

NEWSPAPER DATABASES...
NOTE: Academic Search Premier and OmniFile (listed above) also include magazine and newspaper articles.

LexisNexis Academic
Full text of thousands of newspapers and magazines, as well as broadcast transcripts, business publications, legal materials, and more.

Alternative Press Index
Indexes over 300 alternative, radical, and left periodical, newspapers, and magazines.

GETTING THE ARTICLES

  1. When searching for articles in library databases, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.

  2. 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.
  3. 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  --  Interlibrary Loan (in the Quick Links box)  --  Articles request form). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.

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

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

© Muhlenberg College
Last modified: 12 February 2010