Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics
Gary HandmanGary [email protected]@library.berkeley.edu3-86663-8666
Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics
Gary HandmanGary [email protected]@library.berkeley.edu3-85663-8566
1. Describes organization of library information
2. Point out some unique aspects of film as a research topic
3. Discuss how to select article databases (and determine what’s in them)
4. Discuss how to develop search strategies5. Introduce a group of basic moves and
features common to many online catalogs and indexes.
6. Practice using these features in selected databases
The Information Universe •BooksBooks
•Journals (Magazines) & Journals (Magazines) & Newspapers Newspapers
•Government docsGovernment docs•MapsMaps
•Media (video, sound Media (video, sound recording, etc.)recording, etc.)
•Computer files (e.g. CD-Computer files (e.g. CD-ROMS, data files)ROMS, data files)
•Dissertations Dissertations •ManuscriptsManuscripts& THE WEB…& THE WEB…
The guy next to meis soooo hot!
The Information Universe
Not all books or journals are
created equal
Why/when books?Why/when journals
CurrentCurrent
ScholarlScholarly/y/In-depthIn-depth
Pop and Pop and fanfan
HistoricalHistorical
Writing About Writing About Film…Film…
IndustryIndustry
•Periodicals (aka magazines, Periodicals (aka magazines, journals, serials)journals, serials)•NewspapersNewspapers
•Pop periodicals: Pop periodicals: ReviewsReviews
•Scholarly and professional Scholarly and professional periodicalsperiodicals
•ReviewsReviews
•Critical analysis/scholarly Critical analysis/scholarly writingwriting
•BooksBooks•From schlocky to scholarlyFrom schlocky to scholarly•Biography, genre writing, Biography, genre writing, individual films, individual individual films, individual directorsdirectors
•Web Sites (more about this later…)Web Sites (more about this later…)
•Other online databasesOther online databases
Sources for Film & Scholarship and Sources for Film & Scholarship and ResearchResearch
Reviews:
•Assessment of aesthetic and content merits of a film
Found in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journals
In pop periodicals: Current and Historical (older)
Usually cover current releases, more pop theatrical releases
Tend to be relatively short and relatively superficial (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)
Interesting sources of info about audience reception and “current think”
Reviews? Critical Writing? Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the diff? What’s the diff?
Periodical Articles:Periodical Articles:
Periodical Articles:Periodical Articles:
Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff? Critical analysis: Discuss films in:
broader historical, cultural, political, artistic context and/orFocus on a specific aspect of a film, film genre, or filmmaker
Found in books and scholarly or film-related journalsTend to be longer, more substantive than reviews (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)Often include notes, bibliographies, other scholarly apparatus
Robert DeNiroRobert DeNiroTaxi DriverTaxi Driver
……But how do you locate this stuff?But how do you locate this stuff?
The Information UniverseThe Information Universe
Library Catalog(s)
Journal/NewspaperIndexes (article databases)
Library Catalog(s)
OskiCat: UCB Library holdings only
MELVYL (CDL cat): All 9 UC Campuses
•An inventory of what the library owns
•Search by Author, Title, Subject
•Whole books and print and electronic journals, NOT what’s inside of those publications
The Information Universe: Books
Doherty, Thomas Patrick.Teenagers and teenpics: the juvenilization of American movies in the 1950s Philadelphia : Temple University Press, 2002.
UCB Main PN1993.5.U6 D53 2002
Get da Book in da Stax
Call #
Look it Up in Pathfinder or MELVYL by Author, Title, or Subject :
The Information Universe: Finding ArticlesArticle Databases (Indexes/Abstracts)
• Allow subject/author searching in a group of journals in a particular discipline or topical area.
• Produced by different commercial publishers; often look/act differently from one another.
• Some indexes also offer:
•Abstracts
•Full-Text
•UC e-Links
All databases are not created equal (or by the same company)…All databases are not created equal (or by the same company)…
•Two possibilities:
•Links you to full-text in Links you to full-text in ANOTHER article databaseANOTHER article database
OrOr
•Flips you over to MELVYL so Flips you over to MELVYL so you can locate a physical you can locate a physical copy of the journal at UCB or copy of the journal at UCB or elsewhere.elsewhere.
Choosing an Articles database (index)•Look at the listings of article databases available via the library www.lib.berkeley.edu: includes listings by SUBJECT, NAME, etc.
•General Databases are often good places to start (particularly for newsy/topical issues)
•Listings of subject-specific electronic resources
GH Desert Island Index/Article Database List: Current
NoNow Playing
•Academic Search Complete
•MLA Bibliography
•International Index to the Performing Arts
•JSTOR
GH Desert Island List:Film reviews 1945-1980
NoNow Playing
•Readers Guide Retrospective
•International Index to the Performing Arts
•JSTOR
•New York Times (ProQuest)
•Periodicals Archive Online
Off-line: Variety Film Reviews (in MRC)
The Information Universe (Now)
But Remember: Not everything is online!!!!!:
•Article Databases: Generally only go back 10-20 yrs online (some exceptions – e.g. Historical Newspapers)
•Not every publication is indexed
•Fairly small (but rapidly growing) subset of the books and journal universe is currently available in full-text
Online is Cool
The Information Universe
Remember Also:
•Not every topic has lots written about it, either in books or journal lit.
--Research on very current topics--Research on radically specific topics--Research on topics off the beaten
academic track or off the pop culture radar
How to Begin? Before you click: THINK
•Formulate a concise, concrete statement of
the research problem•Formulate your search in terms of
keywords and key phrases:
The impact of television advertising and television violence on school performance and pre-adolesecent social interaction.
How to Begin? Before you click: THINK
•Think of synonyms for key words/phrases
The impact of television advertising and television violence on school performance and pre-adolesecent social interaction.
ChildrenYouthAdolescents…etc.
CommercialsAds…etc.Academic achievement
Grades…etc.
MediaTV…etc
Socialization, relationships,peer interaction…etc.
The Information Universe
What to do if nothing is turning up:
•Tweak your topic: Broaden it / select a different angle•Rethink your search strategy (new keywords, new concepts, etc.)•Bail out completely and choose another topic
A few cautionary words about research on the Net
LibraryLand
The NetGoogle Rocks!
Google ScholarGoogle Scholargoogle.scholar.comgoogle.scholar.com
Common Search Features:
•Basic and Advanced Search Screens
•Trunction: “wild card” that allows you to scoop up broader results:* # or ? Depending on db
--e.g.: Advertis* will give you:advertise, advertising, advertisers, advertisements
•Search by keyword or by phrase•Search specific fields (e.g., SUBJECT, TITLE)•Use of AND, OR, NOT
<Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson>< Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen>< Bob Dylan not Bruce Springsteen >
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/FilmBibMenu.html
a growing listing of bibliographies on various film topics and individual films compiled by MRC (includes bibs for genres, filmmakers, national cinemas, and individual film).