Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics

Gary HandmanGary Handmanghandman@library.berkeley.edughandman@library.berkeley.edu3-86663-8666

Film Research: The BasicsFilm Research: The Basics

Gary HandmanGary Handmanghandman@library.berkeley.edughandman@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

Gary’s Desert Island Index/Article Database List

NoNow Playing

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 >

Common Search Features:

--Save list of good stuff--Mail Articles/Citations to yourself

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).

Connecting from off-campus

…being driven over the edge by your research?

Call me:Gary Handman

643-8566

ghandman@library.berkeley.edu