Looking for Hitch: Looking for Hitch: A (Not So) Frenzied Strategy A (Not So) Frenzied Strategy

for Researchfor Research

Looking for Hitch: Looking for Hitch: A (Not So) Frenzied Strategy A (Not So) Frenzied Strategy

for Researchfor Research

Gary HandmanDirectorMedia Resources CenterMoffitt Libraryghandman@library.berkeley.edu643-8566

1. Describe organization of library information2. Introduce selected sources for finding

books and journal articles in film studies and related fields

3. Discuss how to select article databases (and determine what’s in them)

4. Discuss how to develop search strategies (and practice them if there’s time)

Writing About Writing About Film…Film… IndustryIndustry

Pop and Pop and fanfan

ScholarlScholarly/y/In-depthIn-depth

CurrentCurrentHistoricaHistoricall(The movies are (The movies are over 100 years over 100 years old!)old!)

•ReviewsReviews•Critical/Scholarly Articles Critical/Scholarly Articles

inin•Periodicals (aka magazines, journals, Periodicals (aka magazines, journals,

serials…)serials…)•NewspapersNewspapers

•BooksBooks•Biography, genre writing, thematic Biography, genre writing, thematic writing, individual films, individual writing, individual films, individual directors, specific erasdirectors, specific eras

•Web Sites (more about this later…)Web Sites (more about this later…)

•Other online databasesOther online databases

LookingLooking for Hitch: What Kinds of Stuff is out for Hitch: What Kinds of Stuff is out there?there?

Reviews? Reviews? Critical Articles?Critical Articles?

Whas tha Whas tha difference?difference?

Journal Articles:Journal Articles:

Reviews: Found in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journalsAssessment of aesthetic and content merits of a filmUsually cover current releases, more pop theatrical releasesTend to be relatively short and relatively superficial (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)

Journal Articles:Journal Articles: Reviews? Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?

Critical analysis: Found in books and scholarly or film-related journalsDiscuss films in:

broader historical, cultural, political, artistic context and/orFocus on a specific aspect of a film, film genre, or filmmaker

Tend 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

Journal Articles:Journal Articles:

Critical analysis:

Scholarly writing about film…really only took off after the 1950s

So…..So…..

Critical analysis of pre-WWII films written atCritical analysis of pre-WWII films written atthe time the movie was released are rarethe time the movie was released are rare

BooksBooks•Scholarly/authoritative worksScholarly/authoritative works

•Pop schlock and fan worksPop schlock and fan works

• Author’s credentials/affiliationsAuthor’s credentials/affiliations• Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI,

University University Presses vs pop Presses vs pop press)press)

• Scholarly apparatus and Scholarly apparatus and sources: sources: notes, bibliographies, notes, bibliographies, other other documentationdocumentation

• If they’ve been widely cited by If they’ve been widely cited by other other scholarsscholars

How Do You Tell em’ apart?How Do You Tell em’ apart?

……But how do you locate all this stuff?But how do you locate all this stuff?•Catalogs: Catalogs: OskiCat;OskiCat; MELVYL MELVYL (aka CDL Catalog)(aka CDL Catalog) •Article databases Article databases (Indexes)(Indexes)

Inventory of what the Inventory of what the Library owns:Library owns:BooksBooksJournals (Journals (BUT NOT what’s BUT NOT what’s inside of them!!!!!!inside of them!!!!!!) )

……But how do you locate all this stuff?But how do you locate all this stuff?

Search by:Search by:•AuthorAuthor•TitleTitle•Subject (keywords)Subject (keywords)

MediaMediaManuscripts, documents, Manuscripts, documents, maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.)maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.)

What What isis OskiCat, OskiCat,my darling?my darling?

A Hitchcock reader / edited by Marshall Deutelbaum and Leland Poague Chichester, U.K. ; Malden, MA : Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Location(s): PN1998.3.H58 H574 2009

Get da Book in da StaxCall #

Articles/Reviews Articles/Reviews (how do you find this (how do you find this

stuff?)stuff?)

Article databases Article databases (aka Indexes)(aka Indexes)

•Library subscribes to hundreds of Library subscribes to hundreds of them in all disciplinesthem in all disciplines•Can’t find what’s in the by using Can’t find what’s in the by using GoogleGoogle•Often look/feel/behave differently Often look/feel/behave differently from each other (proprietary from each other (proprietary products from diff commercial products from diff commercial vendors)vendors)•Need to come in from berkeley.edu Need to come in from berkeley.edu account or use account or use Proxy ServerProxy Server (more (more later)later)

Look at the listings of article databases available via the library www.lib.berkeley.edu: includes listings by SUBJECT, NAME of resource, etc.

General Databases are often good places to start (particularly for newsy/topical issues)

Article Databases Article Databases (how do you know which (how do you know which ones to use?)ones to use?)

Gary’s Desert Island Index/Article Database List

NoNow Playing

GH Desert Island Index/Article Database List

NoNow Playing

•EBSCO dbs: Academic Search Complete and others •MLA Bibliography•FIAF Index•Communication Abstracts

•Two possibilities:

•Links you to full-text Links you to full-text in ANOTHER article in ANOTHER article databasedatabaseOrOr•Flips you over to Flips you over to MELVYL so you can MELVYL so you can locate a physical copy locate a physical copy of the journal at UCB of the journal at UCB or elsewhere.or elsewhere.

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.

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 >

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 extremely specific topics--Research on topics off the beaten

academic track or off the pop culture radar

What to do if too much is turning up(“I’m doing a paper dealing with murder in

Hitchcock’s films ”)

•Narrow your topic: •e.g.: geographically, chronologically; by race, gender, ethnic group; •Specific focus or aspect of the topic (e.g. ethical, social, economic, political aspects)

What to do if nothing is turning up:(I’m doing a paper on the use of the color blue

in Hitchcock’s films”)•Broaden your topic / go for the more general / select a different angle•Rethink your search strategy (new keywords, new concepts, etc.)•Bail out and choose another topic

A few cautionary words about research on the Net

LibraryLand

The NetGoogle Rocks!

Gooooogle Scholar???

Connecting from off-campus

Instructions at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/HELP/CONNECTING FROM OFF CAMPUS

Why Didn’t He Give Us Paper HandoutsWhy Didn’t He Give Us Paper Handouts About All This Stuff???? About All This Stuff????

Handman Hitchcock Bibliography:www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/hitchcockbib.html

…being driven totally psycho by your research?Call me:

Gary Handman643-8566

ghandman@library.berkeley.edu

Mother would have Mother would have wanted mewanted meto use to use Pathfinder! Inventory of what the Inventory of what the

Library owns:Library owns:BooksBooksJournals (Journals (BUT NOT what’s BUT NOT what’s inside of them!!!!!!inside of them!!!!!!) )

……But how do you locate all this stuff?But how do you locate all this stuff?

Search by:Search by:•AuthorAuthor•TitleTitle•Subject (keywords)Subject (keywords)

MediaMediaManuscripts, documents, Manuscripts, documents, maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.)maps…etc. etc. etc. etc.)

•Critical writing about film Critical writing about film ain’t limited to film studiesain’t limited to film studies

•Language & LitLanguage & Lit•Ethnic studiesEthnic studies•Women’s studiesWomen’s studies•Gay/Lesbian studiesGay/Lesbian studies•Area studies…etc.Area studies…etc.

•

Critical/Scholarly ArticlesCritical/Scholarly Articles