Subject Guides: Communication Studies: Getting Started

Subject Guide

Derrick Jefferson

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Getting Help: Reference Resources

Getting started with communication research can involve a number of different steps, including the collection of overview resources, facts and statistics, contact information, and how-to manuals.

This portion of the guide includes information about:

Encyclopedias & dictionaries for background information;
Bibliographies & Reports for introducing key texts or topics;
Handbooks & guides for practical how-to information;
Statistical resources for factual context;
Directories for gathering contact information.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedias and dictionaries are excellent resources for getting started with a research topic, as they are often written and edited by experts within a given subject area. Additionally, many encylopedias provide entries with references and links to more detailed print and electronic resources, for help with further study.

Here are a few examples of scholarly, communication-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries:

International Encyclopedia of Communication by Edited by Wolfgang Donsbach.
This twelve-volume encyclopedia is considered the definitive reference work in communication studies. Available online through Gale Virtual Reference Library.

To find encyclopedias like this, include the word "Encyclopedias" in the subject field when searching the catalog, in addition to any keywords.
Dictionary of Media & Communication Studies by Joseph P. McKerns
This dictionary provides key information on communication and cultural theory topics including media policy and censorship. Includes a useful chronology of media events, too.

To find dictionaries like this, include the word "Dictionaries" in the subject field when searching the catalog, in addition to any keywords.
Muckrakers: A Biographical Dictionary of Writers & Editors by Edd Applegate
In this biographical dictionary, editor Edd Applegate profiles many notable journalists and authors connected to the history of muckraking journalism. Contains over 50 entries, as well as suggestions for further reading.

To find biographical dictionaries like this, include the words biograph* AND dictionar* in the keyword field when searching the catalog, in addition to any additional keywords.

Bibliographies & Reports

Oxford Bibliographies Online: Communication Module
An online collection of over 50 subject-specific research guides written by leading scholars in the fields of Journalism and Mass Communication. Each guide provides an overview of a key topic or term within communication studies, including the names of major related authors, resources, and scholarly publications.
CRS Reports (Congressional Research Service)
Congressional Research Service Reports provide a variety of in-depth policy analysis and background summaries on every subject of interest to Congress.
CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher explores a single "hot" issue in the news in depth each week. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology.
CQ Magazine
Formerly CQ Weekly. Comprehensive source for coverage of the U.S. Congress: status of bills, votes and amendments, floor and committee activity, backroom maneuvering, and in-depth reports on issues looming on the congressional horizon.

In support of the University's budget mitigation efforts, AU Library had to make cuts to our collection and cancel some resources. Unfortunately, access to CQ Magazine ended July 1, 2025.
We recommend these resources as alternatives:
VoxGov
PoliticoPro
Legistorm
Oyez
CQ – Insight and Analysis Congress.gov Supreme Court of the United States
For more information about the library’s cancellation process, please see the Scholarly Resource Cancellations Subject Guide.

Useful Websites

Free websites can be great places to go to get initial information on a research topic.

Wikipedia
One of the most popular free resources, Wikipedia is a great tool for getting started, but generally not reliable or authoritative enough to cite in actual papers.
Google Books
A powerful and easy way to browse many, many scanned and electronic books -- although free access to many texts is limited.
IPL2
A recent merging of the Internet Public Library & the Librarian's Internet Index, IPL2 is an organized, vetted collection of free websites put together by librarians and other information professionals.