Library Home Page > Research Topics consumers' rights This guide is an introduction to the research process that, while not being an exhaustive list of information resources available, should be helpful in getting started in your research about consumers' rights.  Below you will find pointers to suggested research terms about consumers' rights, materials in the library catalog about consumers' rights, websites relevant to consumers' rights, and links to library databases that contain information about consumers' rights.  Please use our email reference service, contact us at (310) 434-4254, or visit us in the library at the reference desk if you need further assistance. Go to:    Suggested Research Terms    Materials in the Library Catalog     Websites    Library Databases Suggested Research Terms One of the really helpful things when searching for information about a topic is a short list of terms related to a topic.  We think the following terms will help with your research about consumers' rights: consumers' rights consumer fraud scam Back to top of page Materials in the library catalog about consumers' rights We have the following materials in the library catalog about consumers' rights: consumer protection product safety Back to top of page Websites on consumers' rights The following websites will help you with your research on consumers' rights: Better Business Bureau http://www.bbb.org/ Provides information on making a consumer complaint and researching a company. Public Citizen http://www.citizen.org/ Ralph Nader's consumer education and advocacy organization. Consumers International http://www.consumersinternational.org/ A worldwide non-profit federation of consumer organizations, dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumer interests. Includes reports and position papers. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse http://www.privacyrights.org/ Publications in English and Spanish on a variety of privacy issues: credit reports; cordless and cellular phones; caller ID; employment checks; credit cards; stalking; junk mail; telemarketing; medical information; government records; identity theft; etc. The PRC was founded with funds from the Telecommunications Education Trust, a program of the California Public Utilities Commission and is now a project of the Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN). Consumers fight corporations on the Web http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/03/17/online.protests/index.html CNN report on various organizations who monitor web-based companies' treatment of consumers. Fraud_Report.org http://www.fraud-report.org/ Tracks scams and other Internet crimes against consumers. PassengerRights http://www.passengerrights.com/pages/index.asp Organization that helps consumers file complaints against airlines. Includes a list of "horror stories" as well as general information about passenger rights and hot topics. Includes some statistics on the number of complaints filed against particular airlines. Back to top of page Library Databases relevant to consumers' rights The following Santa Monica College Library online databases may contain material relevant to consumers' rights.  Databases may include magazine, newspaper and journal articles.  Off-campus users, please note: you must be a Santa Monica College student, faculty or staff member to use these services. ABI/INFORM Business news and information from more than 410 full text journals. Coverage includes all subject areas related to business. Business Source Premier Business Source Premier provides full text for nearly 8200 serials. Coverage includes all subject areas related to business. Regional Business News Regional Business News provides full text coverage for regional business publications. Includes coverage of 75 business journals, newspapers and newswires from all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States. Academic Search Premier, MasterFile Premier Academic Search Premier and MasterFile Premier provide full text for over 6200 periodicals including full text for more than 3,500 peer-reviewed journals. Coverage spans virtually every area of academic study and offers information dating as far back as 1975. Encyclopedia Americana Includes 45,000 articles, plus thousands of hypertext links to web sites featuring additional data. It is updated quarterly. Encyclopedia, Funk and Wagnalls New World Provides over 25,000 encyclopedic entries covering a variety of subject areas. National Newspapers (U.S.) Searchable index for recent issues of the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor. Full-text for newer issues and citations for older materials. More information on coverage Newspaper Source (Regional, National and International) Provides selected full text for 25 national (U.S.) and international newspapers. The database also contains full text television & radio news transcripts, and selected full text for more than 200 regional (U.S.) newspapers. NetLibrary Over 10,000 electronic books (e-books) from leading university, trade and professional publishers. Titles across all subject areas. Includes an extensive collection of e-books in the public domain, featuring classics in literature and history. (One maximum simultaneous user per book) Researched and evaluated by: Paula Zeszotarski, Librarian, 17 June 2002 Back to top of page