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Finding Books
Reference BooksReference books are good for getting background information on topics and for finding
bibliographies -- lists of relevant books and articles. Looking through reference books may help you define your topic more clearly and help
you focus in on what interests you about your topic the most. The following are some relevant reference books.
Encyclopedia of New Media included in Virtual Reference Library (online)
The Penguin Atlas of Media and Information REF P91. B35 2001 (print)
Other Books
Use the Advanced Search feature of our Online Catalog and the I-Share Catalog to locate circulating books, other reference books, government documents, and audiovisual items. You will need the 14-digit barcode from your student ID to order books through I-Share.
*Books or government documents that can't be found in I-Share can often be obtained through ILLiad.*Searching for Articles in Databases
Some useful databases to start with for journal articles:
*Academic Search Premier (citations and some full-text for articles across a range of disciplines; also includes citations and some full-text of some newspaper and magazine articles)Communication and Mass Media Complete (citations and some full-text of communication articles)
for newspaper articles:
*(Academic) Lexis-Nexis (full-text, ~1980 to the present) for U.S. and international newspapersIllinois Newspapers (full-text)
Retrieving an actual article through a database that contains some or no full-text articles:
If there is an HTML or PDF full text link right in the database you have searched in, click on the link, which will open up a window with the article. Then print or, in some cases, email or save the article.
If there is not a full-text link right there, this database does not have the full text of the article. HOWEVER, you may still be able to access the article, even by just a few clicks. Click on "Find It--Lake Forest College." The article may be- in another database that the Library has. If the window that opens has a "Full text available via" link, click on it to go to the full-text of the article.
- in a print copy of the journal that the Library owns. If the window that opens has a "Holdings in..." link, click on it to open a new window containing the journal's Library catalog entry to see if the Library owns the print version of the appropriate issue.
- obtainable through interlibrary loan. If the window that opens has a "Request article via Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad)" link, click on it to open a new window that allows you to request the item.
For additional databases and articles, go to the Library's list of Databases. For passwords, call the reference desk at x5074.
Finding additional book or journal article citations:
Google Scholar
Relevant Web Sites
New York Times Topics: Current TVCompanion website to Diana Hacker's A Pocket Style Manual
Lake Forest College Student Handbook
Lake Forest College Statement on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
Sometimes useful information can be found on the Internet using a search engine such as Google. Be sure to evaluate any resulting website carefully. The webpage Evaluating Websites can be a helpful guide.