It is often useful, even necessary when a topic of research is new to you, to begin your research by consulting a relevant reference book first. The following is a list of communication studies reference books in the Meriam Library.
Encyclopedia of Communication Theory
With more than 300 entries, these two volumes provide a one-stop source for a comprehensive overview of communication theory, offering current descriptions of theories as well as the background issues and concepts that comprise these theories.
International Encyclopedia of Communication
Collection of 1,339 original entries, spanning the scholarship, evidence, and methodology of communication research. Coverage of theories, media and communication phenomena, research methods, problems, concepts, and geographical areas in this interdisciplinary field.
International Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication
Provides an overview of theories, concepts, and processes that IC researchers use to explain a wide variety of social interaction phenomena.
International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication
The International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication offers a comprehensive collection of entries by international experts on the origin, evolution, and current state of knowledge of all facets of contemporary organizational communication.