Public Relations: PRS 201, 329, 421a, 421b

Welcome to the Library’s course page for Public Relations! Here you can identify and access many resources and tools for your research. If you have any questions, you can ask a librarian or ask your professor.

Choose from the Resources Below.

Demographics, Psychographics, & News

Key Databases (Research):

1. Business Source Complete - business news by consumer research
2. Ethnic Watch - news, ethnic focus
3. LexisNexis Academic - news
4. PsycINFO - advertising, consumer attitudes, public opinion
5. Regional and Business News- business and industry news
6. SocIndex - advertising, consumer attitudes, public opinion

Key Reference Resources (Data):

• America's Top Rated Cities: A Statistical Handbook R 307.76 A3597t (2010)
• Quick Reference: News 
• Quick Reference: Statistics & Demographics 
• Statistical Abstract Of The United States R 317.3 U58Cs

Organization Research

Key Databases:

1. Business & Company Resource Center - Includes company histories, current data, and news.
2. Business Source Complete - Includes SWOT and Company Profiles.
3. Hoovers - Good for private companies.
4. LexisNexis Academic - Business news journals, company financial information, SEC filings and reports, and industry and market news.
5. Standard & Poor’s Net Advantage - Company profiles and industry surveys.

Socioeconomic & Political Research

Key Databases:

1. Academic Source Complete 
2. Business Source Complete 
3. CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) – Political research.
4. Communication & Mass Media Complete 
5. Contemporary Women’s Issues 
6. ECONLIT - Socioeconomic issues.
7. LexisNexis Academic - News, legal research.
8. Legal Collection - Law, regulatory issues.

Additional Resources:

• CQ Researcher R 300.97305 C8399q
• CQ Weekly 
• FindLaw (open-access web site) - Links to legal information about organizations,
  cases, national and state resources, and news.

Media Directories & Other Resources for Contact Information

1. Association's Search, Business and Company Resource Center 
2. NewsLink: Magazines 
3. NewsLink: Radio and Television 
4. Open Directory: Magazines and E- Zines  

Key Databases:

1. Academic Source Complete 
2. Business Source Complete 
3. Communication & Mass Media Complete 
4. Electronic Journal Center (EJC) 

A Selection of Specific Journals (some with online access available):

• Advertising Age 
• Business Week  
• Direct Marketing 
• Forbes 
• Journal of Advertising Research 
• Journal of Marketing 
• Inc. 
• The Public Relations Journal 
• Public Relations Quarterly 
• Public Relations Review 
• Public Relations Strategist 
• Public Relations Tactics 

Key Reference Resources:

• PR News: Top 100 Case Studies in PR, vol. 3 (2007)
• Wordsmithing: The Art and Craft of Writing for Public Relations 

Organizations:

• Council of Public Relations Firms 
• Institute for Public Relations 
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
• Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)

Library Course Page Outcomes

According to one of the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education from the Association of College Research Libraries (ACRL), information literate students are able to access needed information effectively and efficiently and retrieve information online or in person using a variety of methods (2.3.). 

This course page was created to help meet the following desired outcomes of that standard, wherein the information literate student: 

• Uses various search systems to retrieve information in a variety of formats
• Uses various classification schemes and other systems to locate information resources within the library or to identify specific sites for physical exploration
• Uses specialized online or in-person services available at the institution to retrieve information needed

Page last modified: 1 May 2013 | Reference & Instruction Services, ODU Library