Communication 390: Methods of Communication Research & Analysis

American Fact Finder

1) Start from the homepage for the U.S. Census Bureau
2) Select American FactFinder
3) In the Search box beneath the menu on the left side of the page, select geography , and then type in the name of a city.
4) From the large drop-down list at the bottom of the results page, look for the following heading: Metropolitan Statistical Area / Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area - Census 2000.

Selected Census Definitions

American Community Survey (ACS) A monthly sample household survey conducted by the Census Bureau to obtain information similar to the long-form census questionnaire. It was first tested in 1995, and is expected to replace the long form for the 2010 Census. Beginning in 2004, the nationwide survey will provide annual data for social and economic characteristics for many geographic entities and population groups. In 2004, they must have a minimum population of 65,000; in 2006, 20,000; and in 2008, there will be no population limit, and the data also will be available for census tracts and perhaps block groups. See ACS Coverage Program.
American FactFinder (AFF) An electronic system for access and dissemination of Census Bureau data on the Internet. The system offers prepackaged data products and the ability to build user-selected tables and maps. The system serves as the vehicle for accessing and disseminating data from Census 2000 (as well as the 1990 census, the 1997 Economic Census, and the American Community Survey). The system was formerly known as the Data Access and Dissemination System (DADS).

Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) A geographic entity designated by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies. An area becomes a CMSA if it qualifies as a metropolitan area, has a census population of one million or more, has component parts that qualify as primary metropolitan statistical areas based on official standards, and local opinion favors the designation. CMSAs consist of whole counties except for the New England states, where they consist of county subdivisions (primarily cities and towns). See central city and statistical entity.
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) A geographic entity designated by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies. An MSA consists of one or more counties, except in New England, where MSAs are defined in terms of county subdivisions (primarily cities and towns). See central city, consolidated metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, New England County Metropolitan Area, primary metropolitan statistical area, and statistical entity.

Other Census Resources

Reference Books

World Almanac and Book of Facts

(Kept at the Reference Desk.) REF AY67.N5W7

Catholic Almanac 2002

See page 450, number and percentage of Catholics in major U.S. cities. REF AY81.R6N3 2002

Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States 2000

Contains statistics for 149 religious groups. Information by region, state, and county on number of congregations, membership, and adherents is provided when available. REF BL2525.R4689 2002

American Jewish Yearbook

See Table 3, page 262. REF E184.J5A6 2001

Statistical Abstract of the United States

(Kept at the Reference Desk. Also available online . REF HA202.A35

County and City Extra

Look in Table C (metropolitan areas) and Table D (cities of 25,000 or more) for information in a variety of areas such as population, employment, and others. The tables are arranged alphabetically by city name within state. The "Subjects Covered, By Type of Area" guide is useful. REF HA203.C68 2002

Lifestyle Market Analyst

This source provides information on occupation, education, income, children at home, hobbies and interests. Lifestyle characteristics include sports, pet ownership, gambling, Bible/devotional reading, gourmet cooking, travel, gardening, collecting, etc REF HF5415.33.U6L54 2002

Encyclopedia of Associations

Names and addresses of associations. This is a great place to go if you need information on a variable not covered elsewhere. Find an association related to the variable and contact them for information REF HS17.G334

America's Top-Rated Cities

Statistics are arranged in two broad categories: the business environment and the living environment. Included are topics such as population characteristics, employment, income, health care, education, media, housing, cost of living, and many others. REF HT123.A669 1998

Mobility Plus

More than 775 cities are covered in this resource. Contains demographic, economic, labor and crime statistics as well as information regarding major employers, newspapers, colleges and universities and the school system. The sources for the information are explained at the beginning of the city section. REF HT123.M576 1999

Crime in the United States: Uniform Crime Reports

(One copy is on reserve, one copy is in the reference room. Also available online .
Many of the statistics on types of crime are presented by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and by cities within states. REF HV6787.A3

Almanac of American Politics

Provides an overview of political leanings for each state as well as information on the political climate of congressional districts. REF JK271.A5

America Votes

Voting patterns by county for president, governor and congress. REF JK1967.A8

Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media

Arranged geographically by state and then by city, this book lists newspapers, periodicals, radio and television stations. It also gives a brief description of the city. REF PN4867.G36

Health and Healthcare in the United States: County and Metro Data

MSA level data for health and healthcare variables such as number of physicians, number of nursing facilities, etc. REF RA407.3.H45 2000

Census Data

American Factfinder - Primary vehicle for distribution of 2000 Census data.

U. S. Census Bureau Home Page

Economic Census-Service Industries, 1997-Geographic Area Series - Statistics for metropolitan areas from the latest economic census. In PDF format.

Journal Indexes

Communication Abstracts (Index tables in the Reference Room)
This is one of the main indexes to communications journals. Abstracts of articles are included.

Communication Abstracts via EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier
Coverage is from 1996-. In the Find dialog box type: your search terms . In the Magazine dialog box type: communication abstracts .

ComIndex (Available via Application Explorer in library only)
Provides complete bibliographic information for approximately 29,000 articles from 65 key international journals and annuals from the communication field.

CIOS-Communication Institute for Online Scholarship
This web site is a collection of resources relevant to the communication studies field. A subset of the journals indexed in ComIndex (45 of 65) can be searched at this site. Click on "Journal Indexes" and then "Search indexes available to those from CIOS affiliate institutions." Make sure you check out the other varied resources available at this site. For example, "Keyword assisted searches" provides many terms and concepts that can aid you in your search for information in the field.

ComAbstracts via CIOS (1988-)
Provides citations and abstracts from 42 scholarly journals in the communication field.

PAIS International (Public Affairs Information Service)
Indexes and provides citations and abstracts from the public and social policy literature of the social sciences.

PsycINFO
This is the principle index to the international literature in psychology and related disciplines such as business, education, psychiatry, sociology, and social work. Coverage is from 1887-present. Provides citations to and abstracts from journals, books and book chapters, dissertations, and technical reports. Click here for some searching tips.

Social Sciences Abstracts
This database indexes scholarly periodicals from the communication field as well as others from anthropology, criminal justice, psychiatry, psychology, and sociology. Provides indexing, abstracting, and selected full text. Select OmniFile Full Text Mega and Social Sciences from the "Subject Area" pulldown menu. Searches can be limited to peer reviewed, i.e., scholarly sources.

Sociological Abstracts
The literature in sociology and related disciplines, including communication, psychology, etc., is indexed. Provides citations to and abstracts from journals, journals, books, dissertations, and conference papers.

Other Internet Sources

American Religion Data Archive (ARDA)
Select "Interactive Maps and Reports."

LexisNexis Statistical
This resource provides access to statistics collected by the federal government, state governments, private organizations, and international governmental organizations.

Mumford Center-Metropolitan Racial and Ethnic Change-Census 2000
The Lewis Mumford Center provides information, data, and analyses of how racial and ethnic composition of metropolitan areas has shifted in the last ten years. An excellent site.

State of the Cities Data System (HUD)
Based on statistics gathered by HUD, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can extract customized tables for individual cities or SMAs that display historical census data (1970, 1980, 1990), current employment.

Created and Maintained by:
Karen Hartman (hartmank@tcnj.edu)
URL=http://hartmank.intrasun.tcnj.edu/comm301-03.html
Updated 1/17/03

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