Background Information
Reference Works
Reference works are an important source for concept definitions, overview articles, and short bibliographies. They can point you towards key works in the literature on your topic.
To find reference articles in communication, start with the resources below, search the library for additional encyclopedias, handbooks, and bibliographies, or contact a librarian.
Encyclopedia of Communication TheoryWith more than 300 entries, these two volumes provide a one-stop source for a comprehensive overview of communication theory, offering current descriptions of theories as well as the background issues and concepts that comprise these theories. This is the first resource to summarize, in one place, the diversity of theory in the communication field.
Encyclopedia of Health Communication Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition International Encyclopedia of Journalism StudiesIncludes articles on key concepts, theories, and methodologies in journalism studies
International Encyclopedia of Organizational CommunicationExamines a variety of phenomena ranging from traditional work on topics such as leader-follower communication, negotiation, and organizational culture, to more contemporary research examining the appropriation of communication technologies, inter-organizational networks, and hidden forms of work and organization.
Oxford Bibliographies: Cinema and Media StudiesProvides overviews with bibliographies for key terms, concepts, and figures in cinema and media studies
Oxford Encyclopedia of Intergroup Communication Sage Encyclopedia of Communication Research MethodsIncludes articles on a wide range of methods and concepts in the field of communication
Encyclopedia of Public RelationsThis work explores the evolution of the Public Relations field, with examples from history describing events, changing practices, and the key figures who developed and expanded the profession.
Encyclopedia of Rhetoric Oxford Encyclopedia of Communication
Finding Scholarly Literature
Search for Books
Books are a good source for general information because they tend to take a broad view of the topic at hand. Scholarly journal articles are narrowly focused on one area of a topic.
Falvey Library Catalog (Books & Media)Keyword and subject searches in the Library's catalog are good starting points when first exploring a topic. Search results can be narrowed with facets such as topic, era, language or region. Facets are located on the right hand side of the results screen.
WorldCat (FirstSearch)Presents a combined catalog of the catalogs of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. WorldCat highlights publications available at Villanova University. Other items can be requested via an inter-library loan request form.
Google BooksSearch the full text of digitized books contributed by libraries and publishers. View either brief excerpts, bibliographic information or if not protected by copyright the full text.
Book Review Index Plus (Gale)Indexes reviews of fiction and nonfiction English-language books. Reviews are selected from academic journals, magazines, and library review journals. Includes selected full text. Coverage goes back to the early 1960s.
Search for Articles
These search engines will help you identify articles on your research topic. Enter one search term on each line, then use the filters to limit by date range and to focus on subjects that are relevant to your research question.
Communication & Mass Media Complete (EBSCO)Indexes academic journals, magazines, books, and book reviews in the fields of communication, mass media, and other closely-related fields. Includes abstracts and full text for selected journals. Coverage goes back to the early 20th century.
Film & Television Literature Index (EBSCO)Indexes academic journals, popular magazines, and books in the fields of film and television. Includes abstracts for scholarly journal articles. Topics range from film & television theory to preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, and technical aspects. Coverage goes back to the early 20th century and includes foreign language publications.
Project MuseProvides full-text access to books and journals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest)Indexes the literature of sociology and related fields. Includes citations to journal articles, dissertations, books, conference papers, and magazines. Offers abstracts and selected full text.
ComAbstracts (CIOS)Indexes academic journals and books in the fields of communication and journalism. Includes abstracts. Coverage extends back to the early 20th century. Updated continuously. Complements ComIndex.
Communication Abstracts (EBSCO)Indexes academic journals, magazines, books, and book reviews in the fields of communication, mass media, and other closely-related fields. Includes abstracts for journals, magazines, and books as well as full text for selected journals and magazines. Coverage goes back to the early 20th century.
JSTORProvides a full text archive of academic journals and books in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics. The most recent three to five years of a journal are usually not included.
Accessing Library Materials
Full Text Articles
There are many ways to find out if Falvey has the full text of an article when you have the article citation. Check out the Finding Full Text guide for more information.
Books
To search Falvey’s book collection, go to the Search Tab. Use the drop-down menu to search by the title or author of the book you are looking for.
Interlibrary Loan
Articles and books that are not owned by the library can be easily borrowed through our interlibrary loan system. ILLiad is best for requesting articles, and EZBorrow is the preferred method for requesting books that are available in that system.
Citing in APA Style
- If you find the Publication Manual confusing, try the APA Online Tutorial. This video guide is clear and easy to watch. It gives a thorough overview of how to format your paper and cite your sources.