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RR 2016/084 The International Encyclopedia of Digital Communication and Society Edited by Robin Mansell and Peng Hwa Ang Wiley Blackwell Malden, MA and Oxford 2015 3 vols. ISBN 978 1 118 29074 3 (print); ISBN 978 1 118 76777 1 (online) £350 $595 The Wiley Blackwell International Encyclopedias of Communication Available online through Wiley Online Library
Keywords Digital communication, Encyclopedias, Sociology
Review DOI 10.1108/RR-12-2015-0292
The three separate volumes that make up this set draw together 155 thematic chapters written in association with The International Communication Association (ICA). The work is intended to be a companion to The International Encyclopedia of Communication (Donsbach, 2008) (RR 2009/013) and The Concise International Encyclopedia of Communication (Donsbach, 2015). Thus, despite first appearances, this is very much a sub-disciplinary niche work, which engages in some depth with five particular areas of research interest: commercial digital communications, social media, online gaming, law and policy and information and communication for development (ICT4D). Those seeking a more general reference resource to support media and communications should perhaps consider the previously named works. The first volume contains the preface and introductory materials, along with entries A-K, the second entries L-O with the final volume presenting the remaining alphabetically sorted articles along with a subject index. There are no appendices.
The first volume opens with information on the ICA, along with the editorial team and a listing of the contributors. Notably, this work uses a mix of established authors, along with PhD candidates, which while enhancing the coverage perhaps...