Guides: Political Science: Political Communication

Political Communication

Introduction│ Key Reference │ Core Journals │ Subject Databases

Introduction

Political communication involves how political opinions and actions are influenced by the mass media, how the media and public opinion affect the ways public officials govern and the role of media in the determination of political events and public policy. Here are a few tips when choosing resources for political communication:

Use a reference handbook such as The Oxford Handbook of Communication.
Search for research articles in a general article database such as EBSCO MegaFile.
Use a subject database such as Communication Source to locate communication-specific articles.

For an in-depth guide on the topic of political communication please see the Penn Libraries research guide Political Communication.

Key Reference: Political Communication

Encyclopedia of Political Communication
Provides articles on the major theoretical approaches to the field, including direct and limited effects theories, agenda-setting theories, sociological theories, framing and priming theories, and other past and present conceptualizations
International Encyclopedia of Communication Online
Spans the breadth of communication studies, including coverage of theories, media and communication phenomena, research methods, problems, concepts, and geographical areas. Editorial areas include communication theory and philosophy, interpersonal communication, journalism, intercultural and intergroup communication, media effects, strategic communication/PR, communication and media law and policy, media systems in the world, and communication and technology.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Communication
Provides comprehensive, peer-reviewed articles on the topic of communications and the media written by current respected scholars. Each article provides a detailed, in-depth background of the chosen communication topic.
The Oxford Handbook of Political Communication
Provides sixty-three essays addressing the following five themes: contexts for viewing the field of political communication, political discourse, media, and political communication, interpersonal and small group political communication, and the altered political communication landscape.

Subject Databases

Communication Source
Indexes more than 1,000 journals related to communication and media studies.

Core Academic Journals: Political Communications

Journal Citation Reports (JCR) allows you to evaluate and compare journals using citation data from approximately 12,000 journals from publishers in over 80 countries. You can use JCR to find the best journals published within specific research areas. The following journals are listed in the JCR communication category as the most cited, best-quality journals in the areas of political communication. If you would like to review the JCR list of the top-cited communication journals in the last year, go to Journal Citation Reports and choose Categories > Social Sciences, General > Communication.

International Journal of Press-Politics
An interdisciplinary journal for the analysis and discussion of the role of the press and politics in a globalized world. The Journal publishes theoretical and empirical research which analyzes the linkages between the news media and political processes and actors.
Policy and Internet
Focuses on public policy, the internet, and related technologies.
Political Communication
An international journal, published quarterly, that features cutting-edge theory-driven empirical research at the intersection of politics and communication.