General Information
The Journal of Computer Mediated Communication
JCMC is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal that focuses on social science research on the Internet and wireless technologies. Find
Issues Prior to January 2008
as well as current articles on online social networks, blogging, types of fantasy sports users, social and economic dimensions of search engines, and more. Sponsored by the Indiana University School of Library & Information Science and School of Informatics. An official journal of the International Communication Association.
Encyclopedia of Religion and Society: Conversion
This essay explores research trends for the topic of religious conversion. Discusses approaches to conversion and the "world-saver" model of conversion and recruitment by religious groups. Includes references. From the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
Media Portrayals of Girls and Women
This site "provides a snapshot of the issues around the media's portrayal of women and girls -- from effects on body image and self-identity to ramifications in sports and politics. It looks at the economic interests behind the objectification and eroticization of females by the media as well as efforts to counter negative stereotyping." Also includes links to material about media portrayal of minorities, men, and gays and lesbians. From the Media Awareness Network.
Children's Educational Television
Fact sheet on the Children's Television Act (CTA), which was enacted in 1990 "to increase the amount of educational and informational programming for children available on television." Discusses the requirements for programming and commercial matter, and the additional Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines set forth in 2004 and effective January 2006 (and which are being challenged by various media companies and groups), and provides links to related FCC policy material and documents.
Getting It Right: A Passion for Accuracy
This column addresses the role of fact-checking in news reporting. Includes brief tips for fact checking during the writing and reporting processes, and links to related material on accuracy in reporting. From the Poynter Institute.
Podcasting 101
This 2006 article provides an introduction to podcasting, and looks at its applications in school libraries. Includes definitions, reasons to use podcasts, steps to creating your own podcasts, further reading, and podcasting resources (podcast content, directories, and recording software). From Esther Kreider Eash, a director of libraries and technology integration; in Computers in Libraries magazine.
Arts and Letters Daily
Excellent way of keeping up to date with contemporary mass media. You can not only find links to the electronic media such as ABC, CBC, BBC, etc. but you can also locate links to major world newspapers such as The Jerusalem Post, Manchester Guardian, and more. Site also features book reviews, columnists, and numerous other resources, ranging from the serious to the quirky.
American Rhetoric: The Power of Oratory in the United States
Although the site is cluttered for use with a screen-reader and takes some getting used to, it is worth the effort. The visitor can find an extensive catalog of speeches, ranging from important addresses of state to movie speeches. You can hear the actual speech along with the associated text. In addition, the site features some links to material of use in understanding and evaluating oratory.
Fact Check
This site is "a nonpartisan, nonprofit 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. [It] monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. [Its] goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding." From the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
Vanderbilt Television News Archive
"The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is the world's most extensive and complete archive of television news. [It has] been recording, preserving and providing access to television news broadcasts of the national networks since August 5, 1968. The collection spans the presidential administrations of Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The core collection includes evening news broadcasts from ABC, CBS, and NBC (since 1968), an hour per day of CNN (since 1995) and Fox News (since 2004). Special news broadcasts found in the Archive include political conventions, presidential speeches and press conferences, Watergate hearings, coverage of the Persian Gulf War, the events of September 11, 2001, the War in Afghanistan, and the War in Iraq."
Individuals may request "loans of items from [the] collection for reference, study, classroom instruction, and research. [Vanderbilt] offers DVDs that are duplications of entire broadcasts as well as compilations of individual news stories specified by the borrower."
2011 State of the Media
"This report is the work of the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, a nonpolitical, nonpartisan research institute." Sections are devoted to newspapers, network TV, cable TV, local TV, and magazines. You can also find information on Asian, African-American, and Hispanic media as well as the impact of ownership, investment, and more on the industry as well as
View Previous Reports.
The Future of Television: The Nightly Business Report
"TV is a pervasive and powerful medium, and it is in a period of major transition. In the "Future of Television," NBR New York bureau chief Scott Gurvey examines how high-definition, digital video recorders, and the Internet will change that little black box that sits in 99% of all American homes."
The Museum of Public Relations
"Established in 1997, this is the place to go to learn about how ideas are developed for industry, education, and government, and how they have been applied to successful public relations programs since the PR industry was born." Features exhibits on early PR pioneers such as Edward Bernays, the father of public relations; Moss Kendrix (the first African American to acquire major accounts such as Coca Cola); and Carl Byoir (who represented the German tourist office in the 1930s).
The Advertising Century
Online version of a "major project to chronicle the history of the era's advertising industry. The years from 1900 to 1999 were, in fact, when the advertising business came of age." Features an introductory essay, lists of top 100 advertising campaigns (such as Volkswagen's 1959 "Think Small" and the 1955 Marlboro Man), top 100 industry players, and top 10 jingles, slogans, and ad icons. Also includes a timeline back to the 1700s. From Advertising Age.
Public Service Announcements
Use this site to play the "FCIC TV Public Service Ads of the 70's, 80's, 90's and the 00's. Select a decade, get down with your bad self, and groove with our totally radical video spots" advertising what used to be called the Consumer Information Center, in Pueblo, Colorado. The ads direct users to what is now the USA.gov website. From the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
Asia Media Archives
This is "a daily electronic publication that delivers news about all aspects of the media in Asia, including its role in regional and national economies, societies, and political debate. . . . [It also] publishes commentary by a range of journalists, scholars, and policy makers." Covers topics such as press policy in Korea, arrests of journalists in Pakistan, and the state of the media in Bangladesh. From the UCLA International Institute, University of California, Los Angeles.
Alcohol Advertising
"The influence of alcohol beverage advertising on consumption and abuse is examined on the basis of scientific research and evidence" on this website. Discusses consumption and abuse, the purpose of alcohol advertising, youth and commercials, parental influence ("It is parents, rather than alcohol ads, with the great influence over young people."), and related topics. Includes material on the alcohol industry and alcohol law and policy. From a State University of New York, Potsdam sociology professor specializing in alcohol and drinking research.
Market Segmentation
"This guide includes books and other resources that discuss marketing to particular segments of the population along with other sources that are important in determining the size and power of a particular market segment." Some of the market segments covered include generational (such as baby boomers and Generation X), ethnicity, geographic, gender, gay and lesbian, and lifestyle. From the Library of Congress, Business Reference Services.
Encyclopedia of Television
"The Encyclopedia of Television includes more than 1,000 original essays from more than 250 contributors and examines specific programs and people, historic moments and trends, major policy disputes and such topics as violence, tabloid television and the quiz show scandal. It also includes histories of major television networks as well as broadcasting systems around the world and is complemented by resource materials, photos, and bibliographical information." The site is both accessible as well as browsable. From the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
The Rhetorica Network: Analysis of Rhetoric, Propaganda, and Spin in Politics and Journalism
"Offers analysis and commentary about the rhetoric, propaganda, and spin of journalism and politics, including analysis of presidential speeches and election campaigns." In addition to a blog, this site has background information on rhetorics ("Rhetorics Primer") and explanations of critical terms and techniques ("Critical Meter"). From a rhetoric scholar and former journalist.
Political Campaign Communication
Watch dozens of the 2008 presidential campaign ads for Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. Also includes advertising from prior elections, such as the 2006 California gubernatorial campaign and the 2004 and 2000 presidential elections. Also provides a feature on negative advertising. From Stanford University.
Polling and Survey Results
Polls Can Effect Presidency
"The Gallup organization first started asking Americans how they approved of the job the president was doing in the 1940s. See how each president since then has fared in the approval poll, look at some news events that influenced public opinion and compare how approval ratings evolved for each president.
"Although the Gallup organization started asking Americans their opinions on presidential job performance during Franklin Roosevelt's term, Harry Truman's presidency was the first that the question was asked from the start of the term. Even then, Gallup asked the question infrequently. Now, Gallup's public opinion polls come out frequently. Although each poll is only a snapshot in time, over the course of history, the polls tell an interesting story about each presidency and American attitudes." Includes an excellent explanation of the significance and limitations of the polls. From The USA Today.
PollingReport
"PollingReport.com's subscriber pages contain state-by-state data from election and issue polling: campaign polls, media polls, academic polls, and polls by political, business and public-interest groups. [It tracks] U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races, hot U.S. House contests, the presidential race, ballot initiatives and referenda, and major issues. Campaign coverage includes candidate match-ups, job and favorability ratings, reelect questions, and more. New surveys are added as they are released. Data are from primary sources only -- not cribbed from wire stories, blogs or tip sheets." Most all of the information on the site requires paid registration, but, for the person addicted to politics and public affairs, it may well be worth it.
The Pew Research Center
"The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan 'fact tank' that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does so by conducting public opinion polling and social science research; by analyzing news coverage; and by holding forums and briefings. It does not take positions on policy issues." Its survey results, which are frequently published on this site, may be of particular interest. Weekly newsletter is available.
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
"Polls, public opinion research, national surveys on public attitudes toward press, politics, public policy issues; funded by Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew Research Center tracks trends in values, political and social attitudes."
U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey
"Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups on a new survey of religious knowledge, outperforming evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions. This Pew Forum site presents the findings of this survey entitled: U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey."
Fundamentals of Polling: Polling 101
"This tutorial is intended to offer a simplified glimpse into some of the fundamentals of public opinion polling. Designed for the novice, POLLING 101 provides definitions, examples, and explanations that serve to introduce interested students to the field of public opinion research." Primary subject areas include
From the Roper Center, University of Connecticut.
Pew Research Center: The Daily Number
"The Daily Number is a statistic, updated every weekday that highlights an important finding or trend. The Daily Number is typically drawn from surveys, research or analysis done by one of the Pew Research Center projects. Each day's entry includes links to additional information on the subject as well as to an archive of past Daily Numbers. Typical topics include support for the U.S. military, young people's views of marriage, and perception of the goals of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
The States of Marriage and Divorce
"Marriage, divorce and remarriage rates vary significantly among states as do average education and income levels. Analysis of new Census data reveals some interesting patterns. For example, "In Arkansas and Oklahoma, men and women marry young -- half of first-time brides in these states were age 24 or younger on their wedding day. These states also have above-average shares of women who divorced in 2007-2008. It's the opposite state of affairs in Massachusetts and New York. Their residents marry late -- half of ever-married New York men were older than age 30 when they first wed. These states also have below-average shares of men and women who divorced in 2007-2008."
Religion in American Life
"Based on interviews with more than 35,000 American adults, this extensive survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the religious makeup, religious beliefs and practices as well as social and political attitudes of the American public. This online section includes dynamic tools that complement the full report."
Gallup Polling
"Gallup has studied human nature and behavior for more than 75 years. Gallup's reputation for delivering relevant, timely, and visionary research on what people around the world think and feel is the cornerstone of the organization. Gallup employs many of the world's leading scientists in management, economics, psychology, and sociology" to help interpret survey results. Not only find out the basics of public opinion polling but see some of the results of current polls, both in the United States and internationally.
Public Opinion Surveys: Cornell University
This site is for the more advanced user but is an outstanding source of all kinds of information. "The data archive maintains a collection of social and economic datasets, about 27,000 online files and thousands of studies on CD-ROMs and DVDs. It's a centralized source for numeric data files: their acquisition, storage, maintenance, and use. [The site] supports the research activities of social science faculty, students, and staff at Cornell University.
"The collection includes federal or state censuses, files based on administrative records, public opinion surveys, economic and social data from national and international organizations, and studies compiled by individual researchers. You can search [the] holdings or browse studies by subject area."
Arbitron
Arbitron "is an international media and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, radio networks, cable companies, advertisers . . . and the online radio industry in the United States and Europe." Its site features local radio station ratings for cities throughout the U.S., a list of U.S. radio stations (searchable by call letters), studies and reports (such as on female listening and Hispanic listening), and more. Some material only available to members.
Guide to Public Opinion Polling From Around the World
This annotated compilation of websites "focuses on significant Internet sites concerning general public opinion polls, especially those providing polling results in usable formats." The scope does not include "Web and blog polls, as many are unscientific, biased, or oriented toward amateur efforts." Published in the October 2006 issue of C&RL News, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries.
Robert Niles' Journalism Help: Finding Data on the Internet
This site provides the basics for interpreting the most common types of statistics found on the Internet. It, then, guides the visitor to the best sites for locating the raw data. If you are comfortable with statistics, you can skip the explanatory material, but you will still find the site a useful time saver.
Sample Size Calculator - Confidence Level, Confidence Interval, Sample Size, Population Size, Relevant Population - Creative Research Systems
Want to take a survey but not sure how many responses to collect? This calculator gives you the number for any given population size and desired confidence level. A reverse calculator lets you enter characteristics of an existing survey and gives the confidence interval (plus-or-minus number) to apply to the results. This site, sponsored by a survey software company, also gives clear explanations of statistical significance, survey design, and related concepts.
VassarStats
An excellent site with information on probabilities, distributions, frequency data, proportions, ordinal data, correlations, regression analysis, T-tests, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and a great deal more.
American Psychological Society - Teaching Resources – Statistics
An excellent collection of links to some of the very best sites devoted to statistics of use to the student or researcher in social science. Topics covered include computational probability, inferential statistics, quantitative statistics, regression analysis, interactive programs, a glossary, a collection of statistical calculators, as well as texts and other web resources.
Generation X Speaks Out on Civil Engagement and the Decennial Census: An Ethnographic Approach
This 2003 study provides information and data based on 2000 census questions related to civic involvement addressed to blacks, Afro-Caribbean immigrants from Haiti and Jamaica, American Indians, Southeast Asians, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic white Americans, all of whom were born between 1966 and 1980. Includes information about education, income, core values and issues, involvement in the community, and related matters. From the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Center on Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement
CIRCLE "conducts research on the civic and political engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25." Its website features quick facts on youth voting, civic education, trends (by race, ethnicity, and gender), youth demographics, non-college youth, and community service. Also includes fact sheets, reports, data sets, and links to related sites. From the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University.
Who Votes, Who Doesn't, and Why: Summary of Findings - Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
This October 2006 report of survey results about American voting habits and views provides data on topics such as factors affecting whether people vote, views of country and community, and demographics of voters and non-voters (both registered and not registered). Includes a summary of findings and the full report. From the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
Red, Blue, and Purple America
Website for "a joint project from The Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute, [which] joins leading demographers, geographers and analysts in examining the impact of seven trends on the 2008 election and the future of American politics." Features project papers on topics such as the decline of the white working class and immigration and America's changing electorate, February 2008 conference material, and related articles such as "The Search for the Next Soccer Mom."
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
"Frequently cited by journalists, public officials and researchers, the independent Quinnipiac University Poll regularly surveys residents in Connecticut, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and nationwide about political races, state and national elections, and issues of public concern, such as schools, taxes, transportation, municipal services and the environment." Find polling results back to the late 1990s on topics from presidential elections in swing states to Boston Red Sox fan support in Connecticut.
American National Electoral Studies
ANES "produces high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation to serve the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, policy makers and journalists." Its website features graphs and tables on public opinion and electoral behavior (1948-2004), downloadable data, reports, and links to other election study sites. For the advanced student or researcher. A collaboration of Stanford University and the University of Michigan.
Social Research Library
Although designed for the field of educational psychology, the site offers information on data and statistics, educational resources, publications, and professional research organizations that are of benefit to students and researchers in a number of disciplines.
Top of Page
|