Research Guides: Public Relations and Advertising Subject Guide: Background Info & Books

Reference sources

Finding background information

When you are new to a topic, library-subscribed reference sources can help you define key terms and gain a general understanding. These are similar to Wikipedia, except that they are more authoritative. You can use such sources in your assignments with confidence.

Here are some reference sources that are relevant to public relations and advertising:

Oxford Bibliographies Online: Communication
These expertly written articles will guide you to the best scholarship available in your subject. The 240+ topics covered include entries for advertising and public relations.

More Library-subscribed reference works

Books

The Library has hundreds of thousands of books, both online and in print. They range from introductory texts to in-depth scholarly studies of specialized topics. Search our vast collection with OneSearch.

Access OneSearch

Tips for using OneSearch to find books:

Filter your results so that only books appear in the results list
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Detailed Guide to OneSearch

Recommended books

Here are some highlights from the Library's book collection relevant to public relations and advertising:

Public Relations: Competencies and Practice by Carolyn Mae Kim
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781315148106
Publication Date: 2019
The industry of public relations is rapidly evolving, requiring practitioners to have greater specialization than ever before. This book focuses on the required competencies expected and applications of public relations into specific sectors of practice.
Targeted by Mike Smith
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9780814449011
Publication Date: 2014
Part history, part guidebook, part prediction for the future, Targeted tells the story of the companies, individuals, and innovations driving the online advertising revolution. It takes readers behind the scenes—examining the growth of digital advertising, its enormous potential, and the technologies that are changing the game forever.

This book is available via the O'Reilly platform - you can sign up for a free account using your HKBU email address.

Video

Students of public relations and advertising will find useful content in the Library's access to the Media, Communication & Cultural Studies collection of SAGE Video. In the example below, a scholar of media culture explains how the transition to digital media is changing the face and processes of advertising.

Search the full Media, Communication & Cultural Studies collection on SAGE Video