Guides: COMS 362: Relational Theories and Methods: Getting Started

Do Some Background Reading

Reference sources are a great place to start when you're trying to choose or narrow a topic.

They'll help you learn the language of the topic you're interested in, and help you gather:

basic facts or established information on your topic
key concepts, terms, and people
related topics, and more places to search

Background Sources

General Reference Databases

These large database collections contain hundreds of reference works on a plethora of subjects.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
An online collection of over 600 full-text reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
A collection of over 3,000 reference works, covering all disciplines.

Specific Reference Titles

You may wish to browse these particular subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Encyclopedia of Communication Theory
Call Number: Ref P87.5 .E496 2009
Publication Date: 2009
The 2 volume work provides a source for information about theories and theoretical concepts in the field of communication theory. Includes entries encompassing the diverse aspects of communication theory. In addition to the entries, a helpful chronology is included that lists the major events in the history of communication theory.
Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies by James Watson; Anne Hill
ISBN: 9781628921496
Publication Date: 2015-10-22
EBOOK. The Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies has provided students and the general public alike with a gateway into the study of intercultural communication, public relations and marketing communications since 1984. In this 9th edition, James Watson and Anne Hill provide a detailed compendium of the different facets of personal, group, mass-media and internet communication that continues to be a vital source of information for all those interested in how communication affects our lives.
A dictionary of social research methods
EBOOK. This dictionary offers succinct, clear, expert explanations of key terms from both method and methodology in social research. It covers the whole range of qualitative, quantitative, and other methods, and it ranges from practical techniques like correlation up to methodological approaches such as ethnography. This wide-ranging approach enables it to cover terms needed by every social science discipline along with business and management, education, health, and other areas that encompass social research within their remit.
The International Encyclopedia of Language and Social Interaction by Karen Tracy (Editor-In-Chief); Cornelia Ilie (Associate Editor); Todd Sandel (Associate Editor)
ISBN: 9781118611463
Publication Date: 2015-05-27
EBOOK. Covers key research topics in the field of Language and Social Interaction with contributions from a team of experienced, global editors.
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences by William A. Darity
ISBN: 9780028661179
Publication Date: 2007-11-01
EBOOK. Highlights the expanding influence of economics in social science research and features new articles and biographies contributed by scholars from around the world on a wide array of global topics in the social sciences.