Collins Memorial Library: Communication Studies: Getting Started

Selected Online Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Health Communication by Teresa (Teri) L. Thompson (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2014
Encyclopedia of Political Communication
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2007
Encyclopedia of Rhetoric
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2006
Encyclopedia of Social Networks
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2011
The SAGE Handbook of Gender and Communication
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2006
The SAGE Handbook of Rhetorical Studies
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2008

Sage Knowledge

Sage provides online Encyclopedias, Handbooks and Dictionaries that cover topics in the Social Sciences.

Recommended Starting Points: Subject Encyclopedias

Subject Encyclopedias are scholarly works written by experts on a variety of topics. The articles are typically longer and more detailed than general encyclopedias. The background information provides a good starting point as you begin the research process. Subject encyclopedias can help guide you with:

Understanding the scope of a topic
Suggesting ideas for narrowing a topic
Identifying key concepts, terms, dates and names
Listing subject areas related to a topic
Recommending sources for further exploration

Topics & Theories in Communication Studies

21st Century Communication
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2009
Capturing all the major themes and subfields within communication this set covers approaches to the study of communication, key processes, forms and types, key characteristics of messages, key communication relationships, factors affecting communication, and challenges and opportunities.
Encyclopedia of Communication Theory
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2009
Provides students with a comprehensive overview of contemporary communication theory. Entries address topics related not only to paradigms, traditions, and schools, but also metatheory, methodology, inquiry, and applications and contexts.
The Handbook of Communication Science
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
Publication Date: 2009
The opening chapters of this work address the methods of research and the history of the field of communication science. In subsequent parts, the authors examine the levels of analysis in communication, the functions of communication, and the contexts in which communication occurs.