Encyclopedia of New Media
An Essential Reference to Communication and Technology
- Steve Jones - University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Communication and Media Studies (General)
The Encyclopedia is edited by Steve Jones, one of the most renowned scholars of new media studies, and editor of two SAGE texts in this area Cybersociety 2.0 (1998) and Doing Internet Research (1999).
The 275 entries are balanced between information technology and the social landscape, include entries on both themes and theorists, and the volume includes 25 photographs.
Unlike many encyclopedias that provide short, fragmented entries, the Encyclopedia of New Media examines each subject in depth in a single, coherent article. Many articles span several pages and are presented in a large, double-column format for easy reading.
The Encyclopedia of New Media includes a comprehensive index as well as a reader's guide that facilitates browsing and easy access to information.
Each entry includes a bibliography and suggestions for further reading, together with links to related topics in the Encyclopedia, making this an indispensable resource for students and academics in media and cultural studies and a must for both public and university libraries.
"Scholars and students finally have a reference work documenting the foundations of the digital revolution. Authoritative and well organized, edited by communication professor and prominent new media scholar Jones, the encyclopedia's scope follows his wise tenet that any definition of the subject matter 'derives from an understanding of history, technology, and society in combination.' In this spirit, the signed articles by more than three dozen contributors, mostly academics, provide clear, critical overviews of the people, products, events, social implications, trends, texts, and concepts related to contemporary innovations in communication and information technology. Selected bibliographies, suggested readings, and cross-references to related subjects appear throughout, and thorough indexing bridges any perceived omissions among individual entries. Were it not the only reference book to cover this emergent field, Jones's encyclopedia would still likely be the best."
“There is something for everyone within the just over 250 entries….All entries conclude with useful bibliographies, which, not surprisingly, feature a large number of Web citations….Recommended for all public and academic libraries.”
“The articles are interesting, entertaining, well written, and reasonably long. . . . Highly recommended as a worthwhile and valuable addition to both science and technology and social science reference collections.”
"From Space Invaders to digital television, the 275 entries explore the developments of computer and Web applications and related media. Most take a historical perspective to innovation, but many explain such concepts as access, firewalls, information design, linking, markup languages and usability. . . . This informed and up-to-date guide to emerging technologies is highly recommended to academic and public libraries."
