Scope

Pornography represents a unique dilemma in American society. Does research support the claim that exposure to pornography affects the viewer's attitudes and behavior? Would censorship of pornography violate First Amendment protection? The prevalence of violent pornography, child pornography and Internet pornography has sparked a heated debate over moral, legal, and civil rights issues.

Overview

Pornography in America: A Reference Handbook
College Library Main Collection: HQ 471 S59 2000

The Encyclopedia of Marriage, Divorce and the Family
College Library Reference Collection: HQ 9 D38 2000
Refer to: "Pornography" pp 373-375

Women's Studies Encyclopedia
College Library Reference Collection: HQ 1115 W645 1999
Refer to: "Pornography" in volume 2, pp 1119-1123

Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
College Library Reference Collection: BJ 63 A66 1998
Refer to: "Pornography" in volume, pp 605-614

Intellectual Freedom: A Reference Handbook
College Library Reference Collection: KF 4770 Z9 H3 1992

The Encyclopedia of Censorship
College Library Reference Collection: Z 657 G73 1990

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 1992 (updated daily)
Britannica Online is a searchable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest encyclopedia articles. Basic instructions for Encyclopædia Britannica Online

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Pornography: Opposing Viewpoints
College Library Main Collection: HQ 471 P64619 2002

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

porn*
children and porn*
obscenity and law
porn* and internet
children and internet
porn* and censor*
telephone sex
erotica
violence and mass media
sex crimes
child pornography

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

CQ Researcher November 1991 - to date (updated weekly)
Contains weekly reports from Congressional Quarterly that cover the most current and controversial issues. Basic instructions for CQ Researcher

GenderWatch 1980 - to date (updated quarterly)
A women's and gender issues database with full-text coverage of most journals. Basic instructions for GenderWatch

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

PsycINFO 1872 - to date (updated weekly)
Indexes 1,300 scholarly journals along with books and book chapters in psychology, educational psychology, and behavioral sciences. Basic instructions for PsycINFO

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on pornography can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

porn? and internet
"children in pornography"
porn? and "first amendment"
"internet pornography" and law
"sex crimes" and porn?
"violence in mass media"
http and pornography

Internet Sites

Google: Pornography
http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Sexuality/Politics_of_Sexuality/Pornography/
Provides links to advocacy organizations, articles and information about the cyberporn debate, with some bias in favor of increased regulation of pornography.

Firstamendment.org: Speech - Adult Entertainment
http://www.fac.org/Speech/adultent/index.aspx
Firstamendment.org's collection of articles describing the legal/free speech issues surrounding such adult entertainment as pornography, adult bookstores, and nude dancing. "Pornography and Obscenity" includes a discussion of how courts define obscenity and indecency, and which types of pornography are protected by the First Amendment.

About.Com: Child Pornography
http://crime.about.com/od/childporn/
Information about child pornography with a particular emphasis on the Internet's role in child sexual abuse.

American Porn
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/porn/
A PBS FrontLine report on the pornography industry. Includes interview transcripts, information about landmark court cases, and surveys dealing with pornography.

Statistics

Statistical Universe 1973 - to date (updated monthly)
Contains the full text of more than 800 U.S. government statistical publications. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe is available to UW-Madison registered users.

Videos

American Porn
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/porn/view/
College Library Main Book Collection: HQ471 A44 2002

The Sexual Exploitation of Children: Taking a Stand
College Library Main Book Collection: HV6570 S493 2003

Organizations

Association of Sites Against Child Pornography
http://www.asacp.org
Anti-child pornography movement investigating child pornography websites.

Free Speech Coalition
http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/
The Free Speech Coalition is a trade association for the adult entertainment industry. It works to "limit the legal risks of being an adult business, increases the profitability of its members, promotes the acceptance of the industry in America's business community, and supports greater public tolerance for freedom of sexual speech."

Morality in Media
http://www.moralityinmedia.org
Morality in Media is a national, not-for-profit, interfaith organization established to combat obscenity. It maintains the National Obscenity Law Center, a clearinghouse of legal materials on obscenity law, and conducts public information programs.