Typical questions

• • Where can I find journal articles on media regulation?

• • Is there any data on the use of iPhones by teenagers in the Middle East?

Starting points

• • This chapter provides starting points for common queries relating to tracing journal articles, materials relating to media regulation and basic statistical data. It also has a section on journalism.

• • However, the multi-disciplinary nature of the topic means that other chapters in the book may also be relevant to students. These include those on tracing types of material: Newspapers, Images and Films, Documentaries and TV Programmes. Other common areas are the media industry (Business Studies), media regulation (Law), popular culture (Sociology) and studies of new media (Computer Science). Try to identify the focus of interest and refer to the appropriate area of this book where needed.

Recommended resources

Key organisations – scholarly

Use these websites to trace new publications, conference listings, specialist media research networks and social media postings on topical issues. They also have tables of contents from the scholarly journals that they publish.

International Communication Association (ICA)

www.icahdq.org

Leading international scholarly association covering all aspects of human and computer mediated communication.

MeCCSA

www.meccsa.org.uk

Subject association for the field of media, communication and cultural studies in UK Higher Education.

Royal Television Society

www.rts.org.uk

Forum for debate on all aspects of TV in the UK. Website includes news about TV programming as well as a large careers section. Some audiovisual lectures can be accessed by non-members.

Society for Cinema and Media Studies

www.cmstudies.org

Leading society for the academic study of film, TV, radio and digital media. Has excellent lists of recommended websites for teachers and undergraduates. It supports the ScreenSite (screensite.org) directory of links to media studies resources.

Media regulators

These websites cover issues relating to media law and licensing.

European Audiovisual Observatory

www.obs.coe.int

Body of the Council of Europe that acts as a reference point for market and legal information on TV, radio and video-on-demand in Europe. Website has databases of admissions to films, legal observations and profiles of major broadcasters and media companies.