Film Studies Subject Guide

Getting Started

When you begin research in a new topic area it is useful to identify phrases, define words and find brief facts. The resources in this section list some reference sources for the field of Mass Communication, specifically Film Studies & Television.  To find additional materials search the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search).

Reference Resources

The Film Encyclopedia
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1993.45 .K34 1998

A-Z of Film, Television and Video Terms
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1993.45 .B88 1994

Critical Dictionary of Film and Television Theory 
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1993.45 .C75 2001

National Television Violence Study (3 vols.)
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1992.8.V55 N38 1997

Companion Encyclopedia of Middle Eastern and North African Film
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1993.5.A65 C66 2001

Encyclopedia of Film Themes, Settings and Series
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1997.8 .A76 2001

Enser's Filmed Books and Plays: A List of Books and Plays from Which Films Have Been Made, 1928-2001  
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1997.85 .B385 2003   

Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers
Reference Collection – 1st Floor – REF PN1998.2 .H5513 2005 

Select General Collection Books

Television
General Collection – 2nd Floor - PN4731 .K49 2005    

Introduction to Journalism
General Collection – 2nd Floor - PN4775 .A69 200

Journalism: A Critical History
General Collection – 2nd Floor - PN4731 .C66 2004

An Introduction to Journalism: Essential Techniques and Background Knowledge
General Collection – 2nd Floor -  PN4797 .R84 2002

Select Electronic Books

Understanding Journalism: A Guide to Issues  [e-book]/ John Wilson

Careers in Journalism  [e-book] / Jan Goldberg

Print and Broadcast Journalism [e-book] : A Critical Examination / Edd Applegate

JournoLISTS [e-book] : 201 Ways to Improve your Journalism  / Cedric Pulford 

Encyclopedia of television news [e-book] / edited by Michael D. Murray.

Finding Books and Other Materials in the AUS Library

The AUS Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system. To find books search in the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search). To browse the shelves for books in Mass Communication, try the following call numbers:

Finding Journal Articles

In the field of literature the AUS library subscribes to hundreds of journals, most of which are found online.  To find all databases with literature information go to:

Social Sciences: http://library.aus.edu/Databases/Databases-subject.htm#Social

You may also use Journal Finder on the library website (http://lt4tz7xl8k.search.serialssolutions.com/). From the drop down menu under “Browse electronic and print journals by subject” select Music, Dance, Drama & Film.

Top Database Choices

Communication and Mass Media Complete - Offers coverage of more than 600 journal titles in areas related to communication and mass media. Included are the contents of CommSearch (formerly produced by the National Communication Association) and Mass Media Articles Index (formerly produced by Penn State).

LexisNexis Academic – Provides links to information sources in news, business, legal, medical, and general reference. Indexes approximately 5,200 newspapers, journals, and reference titles, providing full-text for 95% of titles. General reference provides full-text access to almanac information, quotations, biographical information, country profiles, US state profiles, and US polls and surveys.

Other Databases

Academic Research Library – Search the full collection of journals and magazines for information on a broad range of general reference subjects including arts, business, humanities, social sciences, and the sciences.

Academic Search Premier (EbscoHost) – This multi-disciplinary database offers full text for more than 1,850 scholarly journals, including nearly 1,300 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as 1985.

Getting additional help with your research

The reference librarians at AUS are happy to help with your research. For specific search strategy assistance in Mass Communications please contact:

Paula Deakin
Library Liaison for Visual and Performing Arts
Tel: 06-515-2262
pdeakin@aus.edu