Best Bets for Starting Your Research in... :: Film, Television & Radio ::
Use databases to find articles on your topic. These databases are the best place to start.
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Humanities Full Text
Feature articles, interviews, obituaries, bibliographies, original works of fiction, drama, and poetry, book reviews, and reviews of ballets, dance programs, motion pictures, musicals, operas, plays, radio and television programs, and more.
Date coverage: 1984-present.
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Academic OneFile
With extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects, Academic OneFile is both authoritative and comprehensive.
Date coverage: 1980-present.
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Communication & Mass Media Complete
Journals in areas related to communication and mass media. CMMC incorporates the content of CommSearch (formerly produced by the National Communication Association) and Mass Media Articles Index (formerly produced by Penn State) along with numerous other journals in communication, mass media, and other closely-related fields of study to the communication discipline.
Date coverage: 1915-present.
Tips: When searching databases, use AND, OR, and parentheses to focus your search.
The asterisk * symbol will search for all variations of a word. For example: basket* will search for baskets and basketry. Using quotes will search for a phrase.
Combine synonyms with OR and put them inside parentheses, like this:
(films OR movies OR "motion pictures") AND (animals or pets)
Here's another example:
(broadcast OR cable OR satellite) AND (television OR tv)
Already have the citation? Find an article with citation linker!
Did you know...Databases are basically just search engines for articles on specific subjects. |
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Find books using the library catalog. Browse these subjects to get general information on your topic.
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Motion pictures—United States—History
Television in Education
Radio Broadcasting
Search the library catalog! Find books, media materials, and more.
Other searches:
Browse | Advanced Search
Tips: When searching the library catalog with keywords, use the dollar sign ($) to search for a word and all of its variations.
For example: Judai$ will search for Judaic and Judaism
Did you know...
- WorldCat is a catalog of thousands of libraries around the world!
- If a book isn't in the Fairfield U. catalog, search WorldCat and request the book from another library. Just click on the Interlibrary Loan button.
- You can search ReQuest to search just the libraries in Connecticut.
- Contact John Cayer, Interlibrary Services, with questions.
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Reference tools such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are good places to start your research because they provide an overview of the topic as well as keywords, dates, and facts.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
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Encyclopedia of Radio
Ref. PN 1991.2 .M84 2004
Comprehensive three-volume set published by the Museum of Broadcast Communications. International in scope, but focusing on the United States and a few key English-speaking countries, the books’ entries are more topical or subject-oriented (as opposed to people and programs); includes an extensive bibliography in Volume 1.
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Magill’s Cinema Annual
Ref. PN 1995 .M252
Our collection runs back to the 1982 volume, with each one profiling the films of the previous year. Includes reviews, trivia, awards, box office statistics, and a select bibliography of film books published that year.
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American Film Institute Desk Reference
Ref. PN 1994 .A599 2002
This one-volume access to all things cinema is divided into six sections:
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Encyclopedia of Television
Ref. PN 1992.18 .E53 2004
Four-volume sister set to the Encyclopedia of Radio, also published by the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
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On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
Ref. PN 1991.3 .U6 D8 1998
Excellent starting point for information on radio shows airing before 1960.
Tips: Try looking at the bibliography at the end of the entry for a list of other sources such as relevant journal articles and books.
When you have found books on your topic, look at the books on the shelf nearby to see if they are related to your topic.
Did you know...
Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, so make sure you use another source to confirm the information you find there. |
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These web sites have been evaluated by librarians (that's a good thing) for your use in an academic setting.
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Internet Movie Database http://imdb.com
The premier source for information on films and the people who make them. Profiles of personnel, cast lists, filmographies, awards nominees and winners, synopses, trailers, reviews, and more can all be found at this huge, growing, and constantly updated site.
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The Paley Center for Media
http://www.paleycenter.org
The renamed Museum of Television and Radio, with branches in New York and Los Angeles offers on-line video and information about the physical locations, where more extensive research and media are available.
Tips: Any web site can be changed without notice, so be sure to evaluate every site you use.
Did you know...
There are billions of web pages and Google only finds a fraction of them (about 15%). The rest is held in what's called the "Invisible Web", which is made up of dynamically generated information, password protected sites, and databases-driven sites!
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