Research Guides @ Fordham: Communication & Media Studies: Advertising & Public Relations

Best Business Databases for Communications Industry Research

ABI/INFORM Collection
On ProQuest's platform. Comprises ABI/INFORM Global, ABI/INFORM Trade and Industry, and ABI/INFORM Dateline. Features thousands of full-text journals, dissertations, working papers, key business and economics periodicals such as the Economist, country-and industry-focused reports, and downloadable data. Its international coverage gives researchers a complete picture of companies and business trends around the world.
Business Insights: Gale Business Insights
Research and analyze worldwide companies and industries. Extensive reference content from scholarly journals, news, market research reports, market share reporter, SWOT reports and more.
Business Source Complete
Full text for thousands of journals and other sources. Covers business, economics, management, accounting, etc.
Communication & Mass Media Complete
Index with full text of hundreds of journals and other sources.
Mergent Intellect (Access ENDS 6/30/25)
Enhances Mergent Online with details of public and private companies in the US and worldwide. Includes contact information, financials, and key personnel.
Note: You may need to enter your Fordham email address to access some of the content in this database.
S&P Global NetAdvantage
Broad spectrum of industry and company analysis including S&P Industry Surveys, S&P Equity Research, and new “Markets” tab with drill downs to industry and sub-industry key ratios, benchmarks, constituents. Company data covers a global universe of over 3 million private companies and 250,000 public companies. There are only some Capital IQ functions in the NetAdvantage platform. Fordham does not subscribe to Capital IQ.
Sports Market Analytics (SBRnet) - Access Ends 7/31/25
Market research and industry news about professional and collegiate sports and sporting goods. Includes brand share-of-market for over 100 leading consumer product brands that are involved in sport sponsorship. (Click on “Brand Share of Market”).

CLIO Award Winners

CLIO Awards
Looking for the best?
Check out the CLIO Awards! Clio's mission is to "celebrate bold work that propels the advertising industry forward, inspire a competitive marketplace or ideas, and foster meaningful connections with the creative community."
New York Public Library Insta Novels
A 2019 CLIO Award Winner

Sample Advertising & PR Handbooks (search catalog for more)

The SAGE Handbook of Advertising by Gerard J. Tellis (Editor); Tim Ambler (Editor)
Call Number: (LC, RH, W) HF5823.S17 2007

Los Angeles: Sage, 2007.

Articles discuss history, theory, process, practice, planning, strategy, and public policy.
The Advertising Age Handbook of Advertising by Herschell Gordon Lewis; Carol Nelson; Rance Crain (Foreword by)
Call Number: (RH, LC) HF5823.N36 1999

Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books, 1999.

A comprehensive survey of advertising techniques and processes.
Public Information Campaigns and Opinion Research by Hans-Dieter Klingemann (Editor); Andrea Roemmele (Editor)
Thousands Oaks: SAGE, 2002.

Theoretical and practical approaches delineated, assessment techniques discussed.
Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits and Congress by Brad Fitch (Supplement by); Mike McCurry (Foreword by); Beth Gaston (Contribution by)
Call Number: (RH) HM1221.F58 2004.

Alexandria, VA: The Capitol Net, 2004.

Targets the unique media relation concerns of government agencies, a national associations, nonprofit organizations, and elected officials

Advertising & PR Trade & Industry

Winmo (former NY Redbooks)
Profiles of over 15,000 U.S. and international advertising agencies and 21,000 global advertisers.

The links below contain limited free content. For articles, search the periodical title in the library catalog to see if the full text is available via a library database.

Ad*Access
The Ad*Access Project, via Duke University, presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Ad*Access concentrates on five main subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II.
AdAge
Fordham does not subscribe. You may register for free to get very limited access to Ad Age articles and content.
AdForum
With nearly half a million monthly users, AdForum.com is a leading information provider focused on the global advertising industry. Click on the "Creative Library" tab to search for specific brands, companies, agencies, etc.(limited access, subscription required for some areas of the website)
Advertising Archives
The Advertising Archives was established in 1990 by Larry and Suzanne Viner and is the largest and most comprehensive resource of its kind in Europe. Images are not free.
Adweek
Fordham has access to Adweek articles via a number of databases.
Adweek.com
This is the Adweek website. (Limited access, subscription required for some areas of the website.) Adweek publishes a series of annual directories: the Adweek Agency Directory, the Brandweek Directory, the Mediaweek Marketer’s Guide to Media. Fordham does not subscribe to them, but they are very useful, and Advertising majors should be aware of them.
* Fordham does not provide password access to the website.
CLIO Awards
The CLIO Award is the world’s most recognized international award competition for advertising, design, interactive and communications. The CLIO Awards honor work in a broad range of media types. In addition to honoring specific work, CLIO bestows an annual Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of outstanding and ongoing contribution by an individual who leads the industry forward, as well as Network, Agency, Production Company and Advertiser of the Year awards.
The Emergence of Advertising in America
The Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850 - 1920 (EAA), from Duke University, presents over 9,000 images, with database information, relating to the early history of advertising in the United States.
Medicine and Madison Avenue
The Medicine and Madison Avenue Project, from Duke University, presents images and database information for approximately 600 health-related advertisements printed in newspapers and magazines. These ads illustrate the variety and evolution of marketing images from the 1910s through the 1950s.
O'Dwyer's Public Relations Industry Website
Public relations news and industry information. Company rankings and directory of top firms. Fordham does not subscribe. Some content is limited to subscribers only.
ROAD (Resource of Outdoor Advertising Descriptions)
ROAD, the Resource of Outdoor Advertising Descriptions, is a Duke University database providing access to over 50,000 descriptions of images of outdoor advertising dating between the 1920s through the 1990s.

Communication & Media Studies: Advertising & Public Relations

Best Business Databases for Communications Industry Research

CLIO Award Winners

Sample Advertising & PR Handbooks (search catalog for more)

Advertising & PR Trade & Industry

Reference & Instruction Department