Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Preparing to Publish
Sarah Huffman; Elena Cotos; Kimberly Becker · Iowa State University · 2026
This book offers a wealth of instructional material on the topic of research article writing for publication and thesis or dissertation completion. The text provides graduate student writers with helpful information, strategies, and tips on navigating disciplinary writing in their fields and how to understand, dissect, and ultimately, construct their own research article. The text is organized according to a standard research article format, breaking down each section of the empirical research in a simple and straightforward manner to help graduate students build a quality, argument-driven manuscript as they write up their empirical study findings.
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Effective Professional Communication: A Rhetorical Approach
Rebekah Bennetch; Corey Owen; Zachary Keesey · University of Saskatchewan · 2021
Welcome to Effective Professional Communication, your text book for the RCM 200 course at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As you already know, this course focuses on communicating in professional environments. Even if you haven’t held a job before, you know–at least on a basic level–that how you communicate changes depending on the context of your situation; specifically, you talk differently when you speak to customers/clients versus your co-workers versus your supervisors. Our goal in this text is to break down the communication process in professional environments so you can maximize your chance to get hired and retain your job once you graduate from university. We will do this by looking at communication through political, rhetorical, ethical, and interpersonal lenses and applying this knowledge to your future career.
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Technology, Media Literacy, and the Human Subject: A Posthuman Approach
Richard Lewis · Open Book Publishers · 2021
What does it mean to be media literate in today’s world? How are we transformed by the many media infrastructures around us? We are immersed in a world mediated by information and communication technologies (ICTs). From hardware like smartphones, smartwatches, and home assistants to software like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, our lives have become a complex, interconnected network of relations. Scholarship on media literacy has tended to focus on developing the skills to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages without considering or weighing the impact of the technological medium—how it enables and constrains both messages and media users. Additionally, there is often little attention paid to the broader context of interrelations which affect our engagement with media technologies. This book addresses these issues by providing a transdisciplinary method that allows for both practical and theoretical analyses of media investigations. Informed by postphenomenology, media ecology, philosophical posthumanism, and complexity theory the author proposes both a framework and a pragmatic instrument for understanding the multiplicity of relations that all contribute to how we affect—and are affected by—our relations with media technology. The author argues persuasively that the increased awareness provided by this posthuman approach affords us a greater chance for reclaiming some of our agency and provides a sound foundation upon which we can then judge our media relations. This book will be an indispensable tool for educators in media literacy and media studies, as well as academics in philosophy of technology, media and communication studies, and the post-humanities.
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Introduction to Narrative Journalism
Benjamin Wielechowski · UM-Dearborn Open Education · 2021
This textbook was created for beginning narrative journalists exploring the craft. It is inspired by the Narrative Journalism course (JASS/COMP/ENGL 310) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and it is intended to be used as a guide and handbook. It is structured around the five elements of fiction, and provides both instruction and student examples of various narrative journalism projects.
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Advanced Public Speaking
Lynn Meade · University of Arkansas · 2021
This advanced public speaking textbook is designed to encourage you as a speaker and to help you sharpen your skills. It is written to feel like you are sitting with a trusted mentor over coffee as you receive practical advice on speaking. Grow in confidence, unleash your personal power and find your unique style as you learn to take your speaking to the next level--polished and professional.
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Small Group Communication: Forming & Sustaining Teams
Jasmine Linabary; Moon Castro · Jasmine R. Linabary · 2021
Small Group Communication: Forming & Sustaining Teams is an interdisciplinary textbook focused on communication in groups and teams. This textbook aims to provide students with theories, concepts, and skills they can put into practice to form and sustain successful groups across a variety of contexts.
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New Media Futures
Daniel Faltesek; Daniel Adams · Oregon State University · 2019
This book is intended for use in a large introductory class in new media in a program that covers the “full-stack” including critical/cultural studies, media management, diffusion of innovation, and synthetic media production. The first half of this basic sequence covered new media and democracy, finance, intellectual property law, basic games, and transmedia. The second half of the sequence covers many topics related to aesthetics, design, technology, and methodology. To that end, this book needed to be written so that it would be helpful for many different professors and trajectories of study. This book is in neither engineering, social science, nor the humanities, but also all of those. At the same time, this is a program in the Communication Studies and Media Studies traditions of the United States and that texture will come across.
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Communication, Affect, & Learning in the Classroom
Jason Wrench; Virginia Richmond; Joan Gorham · Jason S. Wrench · 2020
Communication, Affect, & Learning in the Classroom was original published by Virginia Richmond and Joan Gorham in 1992 and then updated a decade later by Virginia Richmond, Jason S. Wrench, and Joan Gorham in 2001. As we enter into the revision of the 3rd edition of the text, the basic content has not been drastically altered over the years. However, the research in Instructional Communication has clearly become more prominent and stronger. Probably the single most important development in the past two decades was the publication of the Handbook of Instructional Communication: Rhetorical and Relational Perspectives edited by Mottet et al. (2006). The purpose of the handbook was to synthesize the first three decades of research in instructional communication into a single volume that could help both researchers and instructors understand the value of communication in the instructional process.
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Be Credible
Peter Bobkowski; Karna Younger · Peter Bobkowski and Karna Younger · 2018
The primary audience for this book starts with students in Journalism 302: Infomania, a course we teach at the University of Kansas. When they take this class, these students usually are in their second or third semesters in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. They have varied career aspirations. A few of them want to be “traditional” journalists, writing for online news sites, magazines, or newspapers. Some of them want to be broadcast journalists. Many of them want to work in strategic communications, which encompasses public relations, advertising, marketing, and related fields.
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Tools for Podcasting
Jill Olmsted · American University · 2019
Welcome! If you’re interested in learning about the growing universe of podcasting, how it works and finding tools and inspiration to create your own podcast, this online resource is for you. My focus is on audio podcasting and this practical guide will help you navigate the technology and best practices in an easy-to-understand handbook. You will also find many audio and video clips that provide examples and video tutorials leading you through editing software, vocal delivery, promotion ideas and more. All videos have closed captioning and there is an extensive section on the importance of transcription of podcasts to enable web accessibility for the deaf, hearing impaired and language learning audiences. There is also an emphasis on diversity and inclusion with resources listing mentorships and employment opportunities. For even more information click on the extensive links throughout this e-book. In addition, each chapter has learning objectives and there are practice exercises in Appendix C at the end of the e-book along with additional resources about podcasting from newsletters and conferences to how-to-create tools and podcast recommendations. Podcasting is a dynamic way to use your smarts and creativity to tell stories about compelling subjects. This handbook provides instruction and tools to produce your own podcast — whether you are a professional in journalism, the arts, sciences, business or law, an activist or just someone who has a story to tell. The tools discussed are focused on keeping costs low for entry-level podcasters and designed to help anyone who wants to record, edit and distribute podcasts.
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Digital Foundations: Introduction to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Cloud
xtine burrough; Michael Mandiberg · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2017
Digital Foundations uses formal exercises of the Bauhaus to teach the Adobe Creative Suite. All students of digital design and production—whether learning in a classroom or on their own—need to understand the basic principles of design in order to implement them using current software. Far too often design is left out of books that teach software for the trade and academic markets. Consequently, the design software training exercise is often a lost opportunity for visual learning. This revised edition updates the original text for use with Adobe Creative Cloud 2017 software.
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OER: A Field Guide for Academic Librarians
Andrew Wesolek; Jonathan Lashley; Anne Langley · Pacific University Press · 2018
We intend this book to act as a guide writ large for would-be champions of OER, that anyone—called to action by the example set by our chapter authors—might serve as guides themselves. The following chapters tap into the deep experience of practitioners who represent a meaningful cross section of higher education institutions in North America. It is our hope that the examples and discussions presented by our authors will facilitate connections among practitioners, foster the development of best practices for OER adoption and creation, and more importantly, lay a foundation for novel, educational excellence.
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Media, Society, Culture and You
Mark Poepsel · Rebus Community · 2018
Media, Society, Culture, and You is an approachable introductory Mass Communication text that covers major mass communication terms and concepts including "digital culture." It discusses various media platforms and how they are evolving as Information and Communication Technologies change. This book has been peer-reviewed by 6 subject experts and is now available for adoption or adaptation. If you plan to adopt or adapt this open textbook, please let us know by filling out our adoption form. You can view the book's Review Statement for more information about reviewers and the review process. An Accessibility Assessment for this is book has also been prepared to see how this book meets accessibility standards.
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Media Studies 101
Erika Pearson · BCcampus · 2013
Media Studies 101 is the open educational resource for media studies studies in New Zealand, Australia, and Pacifica. We have constructed this text so it can be read in a number of ways. You may wish to follow the structured order of 'chapters' like you would in a traditional printed textbook. Each section builds on and refers back to previous sections to build up your knowledge and skills. Alternatively, you may want to go straight to the section you are interested in -- links will help guide you back to definitions and key ideas if you need to refresh your knowledge or understand a new concept.This text is open under a Creative Commons NZ BY license.
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Communication in the Real World - An Introduction to Communication Studies
University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing · 2016
Communication in the Real World: An Introduction to Communication Studies overviews the time-tested conceptual foundations of the field, while incorporating the latest research and cutting-edge applications of these basics. Each chapter will include timely, concrete, and real-life examples of communication concepts in action. A key feature of this book is the integration of content regarding diversity and organizational communication in each chapter through examples and/or discrete sub-sections. Discussions of diversity are not relegated to feature boxes. Also integrated into the content are examples that are inclusive in terms of race, gender, sexuality, ability, age, marital status, religion, and other diverse identity characteristics.
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Understanding Media and Culture: Mass Media in a Free Society
Geoff Carr · North Idaho College · 2026
Mass Media in a Free Society provides an engaging and interesting course experience for students that will not only show them the powerful social, political, and economic forces that will affect the future of media technology but also challenge them to do their part in shaping that future. This 2026 edition is the definitive version of Understanding Media and Culture, featuring extensive updates reflecting modern thought and practices. For questions about this textbook, please contact oer@nic.edu. Previous edition: Understanding Media and Culture: Mass Media in a Free Society
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Tutorials of Visual Graphic Communication Programs for Interior Design, Volume 2
Yongyeon Cho · Iowa State University · 2022
This book is for advanced-level architecture and interior design students who have in-depth knowledge and skills with computer-aided visualization software. The author developed a total of twenty-two chapters to teach practical graphic presentation techniques for architectural presentations. Readers will learn these techniques by following step-by-step tutorials. This book includes multiple exercises for the reader's practice. After completing the tutorials, readers will be able to apply these techniques to their design projects.
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Communication Across Cultures
Heejin Chang; Scott Windeatt; Esther Stockwell · University of Southern Queensland · 2024
These resources will prepare culturally and linguistically diverse students for academic study in situations involving intercultural communication.
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Interpersonal Communication: Context and Connection
Hilary Altman; Kristine Clancy; Elizabeth Coleman; Liz Encarnacion · Academic Senate for California Community Colleges · 2023
Interpersonal Communication: Context and Connection provides an engaging overview of interpersonal communication grounded in theory, research, and practical application, with an eye to the lived experience of college students. The first three chapters provide the foundation of interpersonal communication with an examination of the theoretical and conceptual background of communication, self, and perception. The next section of the book examines unique features of messaging, with an exploration of listening, verbal, and nonverbal communication. Chapters 7, 8, and 9 explore dynamic factors that shape interpersonal relationships, including emotions, climate, and conflict. The final chapters of the book delve into communication in context through building and maintaining relationships, the dark side of communication, and workplace relationships.
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It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century
Sara Kim; Douglas Marshall; June Pulliam · LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network
In addition to original material this book is an adaptation of Introduction to Speech Communication authored by Sarah E. Hollingsworth, Kathryn Weinland, Sasha Hanrahan, and Mary Walker with a CC BY-NC-SA license. Introduction to Speech Communication includes original work as well as adapted and remixed material from Exploring Public Speaking: 4th Edition licensed CC BY-NC-SA, Stand Up, Speak Out licensed CC BY-NC-SA, and Fundamentals of Public Speaking licensed CC BY. It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century also adapted a chapter from Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy authored by Meggie Mapes that is licensed CC BY-NC-SA. The information on “What is an Open Textbook?” is adapted from Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology by Christina Hendricks with a CC-BY license. See the Adaptations section for specific changes. This textbook was created as part of the Interactive OER for Dual Enrollment project, facilitated by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network and funded by a $2 million Open Textbooks Pilot Program grant from the Department of Education. This project supports the extension of access to high-quality post-secondary opportunities to high school students across Louisiana and beyond. This project features a collaboration between educational systems in Louisiana, the library community, Pressbooks technology partner, and workforce representatives. It will enable and enhance the delivery of open educational resources (OER) and interactive quiz and assessment elements for priority dual enrollment courses in Louisiana and nationally. Developed OER course materials will be released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification and sharing with others.The target audience for this project and this textbook are dual enrollment students. Dual enrollment is the opportunity for a student to be enrolled in high school and college at the same time. A dual enrollment student receives credit on both their high school and college tr