Step 1: Pick Your Terms
Your assignment will vary depending on your instructor, but you will probably be asked to research a subject and compare what you learn about it with its film treatment. The first step should be to get clear on the terms you want to search. This may not be an easy task. Ideas can be expressed in many ways. For instance the topic of "gender" could be researched using terms such as feminism, feminist theory, masculinity, gay, women, woman, men, sexuality, homosexuality, androgyny, etc. Depending on the database used and how it searches, you may have to do multiple searches trying various keywords.

To begin, brainstorm and create a list of possible terms you may use in researching. First, try a preliminary search in a database and look carefully at the results. From the first set of results, you can find other terms you may not have thought of. Add them to your list. Then modify your keywords and your strategy to clarify your topic.

A definition of a term could be a good way to start off a paper. The Oxford English Dictionary would be a good starting point for that.


Step 2: What Kind of Information Do You Want?
Identifying the type of information that you need will help in formulating a search strategy. Think about this and get as specific as you can. Here are some examples:

Step 3: The Annotated Bibliography
You'll need to create an annotated bibliography or "works sited page" similar to the one you created for Introduction to Visual Culture. There's an excellent guide to Citing Sources online.

Many faculty at Otis require annotations in bibliographies. They're looking for brief descriptions that evaluate the quality and credibility of your sources. Include the following information:

1. Description of the author's credentials
2. Type of information the source represents
3. How the source was located. (database, search engine, terms)
4. Specifically how the source will be useful in writing your paper. Give examples.

Example of an annotation:

Arnault, Lynne S. "Cruelty, Horror, and the Will to Redemption." Hypatia 18:2 (Spring 2003) 155-88. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Select. Otis College Library. Los Angeles. 11 Sept. 2003. <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/ hww/shared/shared _main.jhtml; sessionid= RN4QLLBVJFLFDQA3DI LCFFI? _requestid=103785>
How located: As a research tool, I used OmniFile through Wilson Web to find this citation. Author's credentials: I first clicked on her name to see if she had written other articles that appear in this database. But there weren't any others. So I looked her up on Google. There's a professor by this name, a Phd. in the Communications Department with a specialty in Feminist Theory at Leymoyne College in NY. Type of information:This article would be considered "scholarly" because it's long, in-depth. It was somewhat difficult to read and seems to be directed towards educated readers. Also, there were many footnotes. Why what's written will be of benefit in your paper: From the abstract it says that "Americans cherish the idea that good eventually triumphs over evil" and that she argues that "a proper understanding of the moral harm of cruelty calls into question the credibility of popular American idioms of redemption." This seems to be directly related to the role of horror films in Americans culture.

Remember:
The librarians and the library staff are available. Ask for reference/research assistance at any time. It's our job. You're not bothering us.

The LAS department also has tutors available to assist you with the writing or word processing. Start early so that you will have time to avail yourself of these services. We all want to support your learning experience.