Finding Information for

1
Finding Information for Film Studies
412 by Denis Lacroix French/Spanish Librarian
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Session Outline

• Finding Basic Research Information and Subject
  Guides
• Finding Books by author, subject, title, numbers
• Boolean, Truncation, and Advanced Searching
• Finding Articles in Periodicals using Databases
• RefWorks
• Scholarly vs. Popular sources

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The Research Question
Film Indexes Online
Film Literature Index
Academic Search Premier
Marguerite Duras and India Song?
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Finding Basic Research Tools

• Subject Guides
• Click on the Subjects tab on the Library home
  page.
• Find Film and Media in the A-Z list of Specific
  Subjects and click on Go to Subject Page.
• On the right-hand side, click on
• a course guide of your choice
• Recommended Web Sites

5
Useful Reference Resources

• Une encyclopédie du court métrage français - PN
  1993.5 F7 E49 2004 Ruth. Ref
• The encyclopedia of underground movies - PN
  1995.9 E96 H35 2004 Ruth. Ref.
• The new biographical dictionary of film - PN
  1998 A2 T48 2004 Ruth. Ref
• The complete index to world film since 1895 - PN
  1998 G63 2003 Ruth. Ref.
• Dictionnaire du cinéma - PN 1998.2 T79 2003 v.1
  Ruth. Ref.
• Dictionary cinema, video, sound, multimedia,
  interactive medias English- French,
  French-English - TR 847 P47 2001 Ruth. Ref.
• Encyclopedia of film themes, settings and series
  - PN 1997.8 A76 2001 Ruth. Ref.
• The film studies dictionary - PN 1993.45 B49
  2001 Ruth. Ref.
• International dictionary of films and filmmakers
  PN 1993.45 I625 Ruth. Ref.
• Le dictionnaire du cinéma québécois - PN
  1993.45 D42 1999 Ruth. Ref.
• Canadian film and video a bibliography PN
  1993.5 C2 Z9 L47 1997 Ruth Ref.
• Encyclopedia of European cinema - PN 1993.5 E89
  E56 1995 Ruth. Ref.
• Women's companion to international film
  PN 1993.45 W6 1994 Ruth. Ref.
• The International film index, 1895-1990
  PN 1998 I614 1991 folio
• Cinéguide PN 1998 C39 2005 Ruth. Ref.
• Dictionnaire du cinéma populaire français
  PN 1998.2 D53 2004 Ruth. Ref.

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Finding Basic Research Tools

• Subject Headings search in the Catalogue
• Motion pictures Dictionaries
• Motion pictures Encyclopedias
• Cinéma -- France
• Films Quebec
• Women in motion pictures
• Feminism and motion pictures France
• Motion pictures Africa, French speaking

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Books vs. Periodical Articles

• Books are a good place to start for
• an author or subject that is well-known and not
  too recent
• Check book bibliographies for references to
  other books and articles
• Use the NEOS Libraries Catalogue to find books

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Finding Books

• By author
• By title
• By subject

• Request or place a hold on a book

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Advanced Searching

• Finding books about a topic
• Think of variant or similar terms and click
  Advanced Search
• Use Boolean operators, e.g. and, or
• Use truncation symbols ?
• Finding Reference titles in advanced search

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Advanced Searching

• Finding books about a topic
• Think of variant or similar terms for each
  subject.
• Try not to be too specific at first
• Try your search and find variant terms from the
  catalogue records, e.g. postmodernism
• Be more specific if your results are too great
• Add limiters, if necessary, e.g.
• subject field, language, format, location, etc.

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Increase your results by using variant terms
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Limit your results!
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Other Limiters
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Sample Catalogue Record
If possible, add relevant catalogue subject terms
to your own search.
15
Lets Practise

• How many books can you find in the NEOS
  catalogue on
• French New Wave cinema?
• Find a Video on the French New Wave cinema in
  the NEOS catalogue.

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Books vs. Periodical Articles

• Periodical articles are a good place to start if
• an authors reputation is recent or local
• you are looking for a detailed analysis(e.g.
  Marguerite Duras India Song)
• To find articles, search periodical databases,
  which are accessible through the librarys
  website http//www.library.ualberta.ca/databases/
  index.cfm
• Databases are also browseable by
  subjecthttp//www.library.ualberta.ca/subject/in
  dex.cfm
• Scholarly versus popular journals

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Finding Articles in Periodicals

• The library catalogue cannot be used to find
  articles on your research topic. Instead, you
  need to search databases.
• Databases are all different
• some contain full-text articles,
• some list only citations and abstracts,
• some are interdisciplinary
• others are subject specific
• Use database Help features for searching
  assistance

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Databases for Film Studies 412

• General Databases Academic Search Premier, Arts
  and Humanities Citation Index, BHI British
  Humanities Index, CBCA Complete, Expanded
  Academic ASAP, Francis, Humanities Abstracts,
  Humanities International Index, IBZ, MLA
  International Bibliography, PCI full-text,
  Readers Guide Abstracts.
• Specialized Databases African Journals Online,
  Art Abstracts, Bibliography of Africana
  Periodical Literature Database, Caribbean
  Abstracts, Erudit, Repère.
• Film Studies Databases Communication and Mass
  Media Complete, Film Indexes Online, Film
  Literature, IMDb.

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Academic Search Premier

• Searching examples
• Default Fields Duras Marguerite AND Default
  Fields motion picture or cinema or film
• To view full-text, click on HTML or PDF.
• To save, mail, or print citations
• Click on Add folder,
• Click on Folder has items,
• Click on print, e-mail or save options.
• Send citations to RefWorks

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Limit your results
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Save to RefWorks
Sample Record
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Film Literature Index (1976-2001)

• Click on Advanced Search in the sites toolbar
• Consult searching tips on the right-hand side
• Search generally first, then limit by field or
  filter
• Save, print, or e-mail citations
• Search for periodical in Library catalogue, e.g.
• Search for Literature Film Quarterly 26.2
  (1998) 124-129.
• In Library Catalogue Choose Starting with and
  Periodical Title
• Periodical is available online and in print!

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Film Indexes Online

• Contains Film Index International, which gives
  full international coverage of films and film
  personalities from over 170 countries. All eras
  of film-making are covered.
• Use this database to find information about
  films, but also bibliographic listings of
  resources relating to the films.

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Results from previous search
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Finding Periodicals in the Library

• Search the NEOS Libraries Catalogue
• Limit by Periodical Title in the drop-down menu
• Click on Starting With
• Click on the Search button
• Or
• Use the Getit Citation Linkerhttp//www.library.
  ualberta.ca/getit/citation/index.cfm
• Input all the article information into the boxes

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GetIt Citation Linker
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• Current Issues
• Kept in Rutherford South 2nd floor
• Shelved around the perimeter
• Organized alphabetically by title
• Older Issues
• Located in Rutherford North or South
• Interfiled with books by call number

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Lets Practise

• How many peer-reviewed articles can you find on
  Marguerite Duras film, India Song, using the
  database entitled MLA International
  Bibliography.
• Send the previous articles to RefWorks.
• In which format is the following article
  available? Film Criticism 1991 Winter 15 (2)
  2-12

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Inter-Library Loans

• When a periodical or a book is not located at the
  University of Alberta Libraries, request the
  items through ILL.
• Click on the link Request an Inter-Library loan
  on the right-hand side of the main library web
  page.
• Click on Request Material from another library
• Input your Library barcode number and pin.
• Fill in the form with as much information as you
  have.
• Check availability of document worldwide using
  the OCLC WorldCat database
• Allow 2 weeks for ILL requests

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Reference Services

• This slide show is downloadable
  athttp//www.library.ualberta.ca/subject/film/in
  dex.cfm
• Contact Librarians through Chat reference,
  E-mail reference, telephone reference, or
  in-person at the reference desk
  http//www.library.ualberta.ca/askus/
• Good luck in your searches!