Getting started
1. Use Reference Sources to jumpstart your research, to get ideas, search terms, context, and more
2. Find Books, Journal Titles and Media in Stanford's Online Catalog, SearchWorks.
3. Find Articles in Selected Databases. Note: Stanford subscribes to over 1000 Databases that index articles and books on various topics. Since there are so many databases we recommend a select subset of databases which will give you access to articles in a wide variety of subject areas.
4. Ask Your Librarian for help!
Background/reference sources
Use these sources to help you pick a topic and to provide context to your research based argument.
[United States] : McGraw-Hill, [2000?]-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
An online collection of articles, bibliographies, study guides, dictionaries, etc. serving as a searchable encyclopedia of science and technology.
Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications, c2003.
Green Library » Information Center » QA76.575 .E5368 2003
More than 250 entries that place new communication technology, multimedia, entertainment and e-commerce within their social context. Each subject is examined in depth in a single, coherent article and the Encyclopedia is the first comprehensive, A-Z reference on the ongoing revolution in communications.
2nd ed. Amsterdam ; Boston : Elsevier, c2013.
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
E-book with practical advice alongside numerous examples to aid learning. Makes the preparation of documentation much easier for all students. The steps to writing abstracts, theses, journal papers, funding bids, literature reviews, and more. Written in modular format, so you only need to access the relevant chapters.
Expanded ed. Singapore ; Hackensack, NJ : World Scientific, c2011.
Marine Biology Library (Miller) » Stacks » T11 .L456 2011
Helps scientists write papers for scientific journals. Using the key parts of typical scientific papers (Title, Abstract, Introduction, Visuals, Structure, and Conclusions), it shows through numerous examples, how to achieve the essential qualities required in scientific writing, namely being clear, concise, convincing, fluid, interesting, and organized. To enable the writer to assess whether these parts are well written from a reader's perspective, the book also offers practical metrics in the form of six checklists.
Berlin ; New York : Springer, c2006.
Chemistry & ChemEng Library (Swain) » Stacks » T11 .L37 2006
This book has two main parts, corresponding to the type of scientific communication task at hand: addressing peers and the general public, plus a third briefer section on how to inform decision-makers. This book is geared to engineers and scientists, educators and journalists, science administrators and the medical profession, editors and publishers, whether native or non-native-speakers - in short to anyone having to convert scientific data into an easily intelligible and interesting narrative.
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press ; Walton Hill, Milton Keynes [U.K.] : Open University, 2009.
SAL1&2 (on-campus shelving) » Stacks » Q224 .I68 2009
Investigating Science Communication in the Information Age is a collection of newly-commissioned chapters by leading science communication scholars. It addresses current theoretical, practical and policy developments in science communication, including recent calls for greater openness and transparency; and engagement and dialogue on the part of professional scientists with members of the public.
2nd ed. Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, c2010.
Green Library » Information Center » JZ1242 .W67 2010
Provides in-depth analysis of current global hot topics. Arranged topically, the 32 essays address a wide range of key issues, including demographics, economics, education, health, politics, and security.
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Kanopy is a leading distributor of educational videos (streaming videos and DVDs) and this database is a portal to videos which they make available. Major subjects covered include: The arts, business and training, health sciences, media and communication, natural sciences, social sciences, and teacher education. Users can search, browse and see previews of videos. Includes also some feature films, including the Criterion collection.
Suggested databases
Not sure what other databases to try? Check here . To locate additional databases by name or topic, use the SearchWorks online catalog and select the database facet. For other topics check the related guides listed in the right sidebar of this page.
Ipswich, MA : EBSCO Pub.
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Full-text for over 4,650 scholarly publications, more than 3,600 of them peer-reviewed. Includes topics in the social sciences, humanities, general science, education and most areas of academic study.
Chester, Vt. : NewsBank, inc.
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Full-text information and perspectives from over 600 U.S. and over 700 international sources.
[Stamford, Conn.] : Softline Information, [2001]-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
This is the site for full text alternative press coverage. Use this in combination with Access World News to see the entire range of media coverage on your topic.
Bethesda, Md. : Cambridge Scientific Abstracts ; Thousand Oaks, Calif. : SAGE Publications, [200-?]-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Covers such subjects as Journalism, Public Opinion, Political Communication, Mass Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Cultural Studies / Intercultural Communication, Television / Film Studies, Media Studies, Business Communication, Organizational / Management Communication, Written Communication, Rhetoric, and Literacy Studies.
Wallingford, Oxfordshire : CAB International, [19--]-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Covers the fields of agriculture, forestry, animal and veterinary sciences, human health and communicable diseases, human nutrition, food science, animal health and welfare, microbiology and parasitology, leisure and tourism, plant science and crop science, and the management and conservation of natural resources. The database indexes literature published from 1910 to the present.
[Miamisburg, OH] : LexisNexis, division of Reed Elsevier
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Provides access to various sub-databases, including current news, business information, company directories, federal and state laws, regulations, legal cases, medical and references.
[Bethesda, Md.] : Congressional Information Service
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Provides statistical data from U.S. government publications from 1973, state and private sources from 1980, and international organizations from 1983.
Bethesda, MD : National Center for Biotechnology Information, [1997]-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Index to over 5,000 journals in medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the preclinical sciences, including both basic biomedical sciences and clinical practice.
Nashville, Tenn. : Television News Archive, Vanderbilt University
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » eResource
Searchable archive of abstracts of news broadcasts from 1968 to present (ABC, CBS, NBC), 1995 to present (CNN), selected content from PBS and FOX News. Video content from CNN viewable with RealOne media player.
Internet resources
The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science works to enhance understanding of science by helping train the next generation of scientists and health professionals to communicate more effectively with the public, public officials, the media, and others outside their own discipline.
The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB), a collaboration between the Library of Congress, WGBH Boston and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, provides the public with access to a collection of American public radio and television content dating back to the 1950s. These audio and video materials, created by more than 120 public broadcasting organizations across the country, have been digitized and preserved, as a resource for scholars, researchers, educators, filmmakers and the general public. The website will initially provide access to 2.5 million inventory records created during the American Archive Content Inventory Project.
Audacity is a free audio editor and recorder available for Windows®, Mac®, GNU/Linux®; and other operating systems.
Freesound is a collaborative database of Creative Commons Licensed sounds. Browse, download and share sounds.
Contains recordings ranging from alternative news programming, to Grateful Dead concerts, to Old Time Radio shows, to book and poetry readings, to original music uploaded by our users. Many of these audios and MP3s are available for free download.
Promotes "good science writing" among its 2,000 members. Featured articles on the site (for instance, "Coming soon to this planet: More of us") touch into issues relevant to science writers and bloggers. A Twitter feed, ripe with science-y links and hashtags, is available on the homepage and more than a dozen writer resources are on display.
Archive of shows and podcasts from National Public Radio. News and current interest, interviews, etc.
A free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.
"Offering a unique single source of knowledge, the site contains comprehensive articles and videos on how to use the best social media tools, along with original case studies, reviews of the latest industry research and advice direct from the world’s leading experts." - Society for New Communications Research.
SoundBible.com has thousands of free sound effects for everyone. Browse the sound library and pick and choose the sounds you want. Sounds are updated 3x a week or more.
Founded in 1974 by Lester Brown as an independent research institute devoted to global environmental concerns, Worldwatch was quickly recognized by opinion leaders around the world for its foresight and accessible, fact-based analysis.
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