Quick Check
- Step 1: decide on key films
Develop your knowledge of the films that relate to your title, use basic reference sites to discover the names of films, read synopses and decide which films are most relevant to your research. Try to find 3 contrasting texts (where possible) so that you have a lot to talk about.
- Step 2: search for research sources
(a) Decide what key words (film titles, topic, country, director/s etc.) are relevant to your research
(b) Put these key words into the library search engine: make a list of the sources you find (if they are electronic- put them on your bookshelf)
(c) Check the Journal Database– search by “film” and/or “cinema” publication first, then use the key words – make a list of the sources you find (also use Intute database)
(d) Check the BFI and British library catalogues and do the same, making a list of the sources again (+ Amazon)
(e) Put the sources you found on BFI/ British library search into a googlebooks search- place any books which are available online here onto your bookshelf
(f) Put the key words into google scholar, again bookmark/ make a note of any sources you find.
(g) Use the key film journal/ newspaper sites and do the same as you have for the other sources
- Step 3: start researching
(a) Find a general book/ chapter on your topic- first search general film text books and/or a book on the topic
(b) Identify the key issues/ debates –use this to refine your title
(c) Work through the research list you compiled for step 2, take notes from each source, but also keep a research log explaining why each sources was/wasn’t useful (consider its reliability/ viability in your comments too!)
Useful links
Intute academic database: www.intute.ac.uk
British Film Institute library catalogue: http://webview.bfi.hostedbyfdi.net/webview/
British Library catalogue: http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/catblhold/all/allcat.html
Google books: http://books.google.co.uk/bkshp?hl=en&tab=wp
Google scholar: http://scholar.google.co.uk/schhp?hl=en&tab=ps
Moving image research guide (database for journals): http://www.movingimagesource.us/research/guide/type/23/20/3