Media & Communication Studies (MCS): Books & Reference Sources

Starting points for research relating to media and communication

Reference Databases

Search these databases for background information on your topic.

Gale Ebooks
Full text encyclopedias in all subject areas
Oxford Reference Online
Full text dictionaries, encyclopedias, and subject reference works from Oxford University Press.
CQ Researcher
Reports, summaries, and pro/con views on a range of current issues,1923-present.

UW Libraries Search

Advanced Search | FAQ

Tips for searching for books about media and communication

Try a keyword search and add these words or phrases

mass media (e.g., censorship AND mass media)
communication (e.g., professional ethics AND communication)
journalis* (e.g., community AND journalis*) Tip: The asterisk is used in many databases for truncation, so the catolog will search for any words beginning with "journalis," such as journalism, journalist, journalistic, etc.

Browsing Books on the Shelf

The Campus Library arranges books by Library of Congress (LC) call numbers. Because media and communication are covered in many academic disciplines you will find books on these topics throughout the library. Here are some call number areas that might be useful:

HM1206-HM1236: Media and Society. Propaganda. Persuasion. Public opinion.
P87-96: Communication. Mass media.
PN1990-1992.92: Broadcasting.
PN1993-1999: Motion pictures.
PN4699-5660: Journalism. The periodical press, etc.
PN6700-6790: Comic books, strips, etc.