Research Basics - Film Studies
Choosing a topic
If your topic has been assigned, then one of the hardest parts of writing
your research paper is done for you already. If it is not, here are some important
things to consider:
- Select an area of study that really interests you - You
will be more motivated to dig deeply into your research and your engagement
with the topic will animate and inform the finished product.
- Take into account the amount of time you have to complete the
project - If you must gather a lot of background information to
acquaint yourself with the terminology and important concepts involved,
make sure that you allow for this process. Do not expect to get everything
you need "from the computer." Electronic reference tools, including the
Internet, can be very useful and efficient, but it takes a lot of time to
learn how to use and evaluate these resources. Keep in mind that some of
the books or journals you need may be unavailable locally; requesting items
on Interlibrary Loan can take several days.
- Topics that are very broad - e.g., Billy Wilder's dramatic works,
Depictions of the military in Hollywood films, Kubrick's use of violence,
etc., may capture your interest, but you may find yourself overwhelmed with
too much material and it will be difficult to decide what to write about.
Topics like these need to be broken down into more manageable parts.
- By the same token, avoid topics that are too narrow or of only
local interest - These can be fascinating, but the material about
them may be very difficult to track down and you may not find enough information
in the amount of time that you have.
Developing your research strategy
- Determine what general fields or disciplines you need
to explore in order to find material that relates to your research. Do not
limit yourself to one field of study; it usually takes research in many
different areas to provide broad coverage of almost any topic.
- Decide whether you want to focus on a popular or scholarly
treatment of your subject. Popular sources include newspapers and magazines
intended for a broad audience; scholarly sources include journals that are
published with a very narrow readership in mind, usually academic or professional.
In addition, you should decide whether or not you wish to deal only with
current issues or you might determine that a historical perspective would
be more practical. Sometimes a combination of the two works well.
- Identify the types of reference materials you will most
likely need and seek help from a reference librarian in locating and using
them:
- background information: subject encyclopedias, specialized
dictionaries, bibliographies
- factual data: handbooks, almanacs, timelines, yearbooks
- biographical: a wide range of biographical sources
is available, from Contemporary Authors to online full-text
biographical databases
- primary sources: firsthand accounts of the subject,
issue, or event - these include interviews, eyewitness accounts, research
data, etc. Primary sources include newspapers, manuscripts, testimonies,
research reports and some government documents
- secondary sources: commentary, articles about an event,
issues, or reviews. Secondary sources include books, journal articles,
and encyclopedia entries
Evaluating your Sources
Examine your sources carefully using the following criteria:
- Accuracy: As far as you can tell, is the information presented
free of errors and omissions?
- Authority: Who is the author? What are his/her credentials?
Does the publisher have a respected reputation academically? A large publishing
house or major university is a safe bet; but look very critically at documents
found on WWW pages. Check carefully to see if the item is signed, copyrighted,
dated, etc.
- Objectivity: For factual information, check to ensure that
it is free of bias and that statistical information is not so selective as
to skew results.
- Currency: How up-to-date is the information presented?
Does the time frame covered meet your research needs?
- Coverage: Is the author's treatment of the material broad
or narrow? Are footnotes and references to additional reading provided?