Why use this guide?
This guide is a great place to start when researching for information for your CDES 303 papers, especially if you are feeling unsure regarding what information resources will be considered to be of acceptable quality by your instructors.

Ask for help
Keep in mind that this guide does not list every possible source you could use to find information for your project. Please remember that you can always AskALibrarian for additional research help. If you'd like, you can contact Aaron Bowen, the liaison librarian to the Department of Communication Design directly at 898-5686, or asbowen@csuchico.edu.

If you haven't already chosen a topic, you'll need to. My recommendation? Read books. By browsing through and reading books you can generate topic ideas...plus you'll also have a source for your reference list!

• Check out this list of books I've selected for you.
  

You'll need background and practical information about the "artifact" (TV show, movie/film, advertisement) you have chosen.

• Choose the "What Happened When" link to find sources that will help you place your artifact in the time period from which it was created.
• To find background information select the link for the type of artifact you're interested in.

• American Decades  Call Number: E169.12 A42 (Reference)
  
• Our Glorious Century [20th Century]  Call Number: E741 O96 1994 (Reference)
  
• Timelines of the 20th Century: A Chronology of 7,500 Key Events, Discoveries, and People that Shaped our Century  Call Number: D422 B76 1996 (Reference)
  

• Digital History Timeline [an interactive US history timeline]
  http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/timeline/timelineO.cfm
  
  
• Digital History Website [chronologies that list events]
  http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/timelines.cfm
  
  
• HyperHistory [3,000 years of world history]
  http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html
  
  
• Timeline of Art History [from the Metropolitan Museum of Art]
  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm
  
  

• The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising  Call Number: HF5803 A38 2003 (Reference)  HELD ON BUSINESS SERVICES TABLE 2B
  
  
• Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns  Call Number: HF5837 E53 2000 (Reference) HELD ON BUSINESS SERVICES TABLE 2B
  

• Ad*Access [great for print ads 1911 -- 1955]
  http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/
  
  
• Adbusters [activist website concerned with "erosion of our physical and cultural environments by commercial forces"]
  http://adbusters.org/home/
  
  
• FactCheck.org [great for political ads]
  http://www.factcheck.org/
  
  
• Television Bureau of Advertising
  http://www.tvb.org/

• The GATF Encyclopedia of Graphic Communications  Call Number: Z118 G29 1998 (Reference)
  
  
• The Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of 20th Century Design and Designers  Call Number: NK1165 J94 1993 (Reference)

• The New Biographical Dictionary of Film  Call Number: PN1998.2 T49 2002 (Reference)
  
  
• The Film Encyclopedia  Call Number: PN1993.45 K34 2001 (Reference)
  
  
• Film it with Music: An Encyclopedic Guide to the American Movie Musical  Call Number: PN1995.9 M86 H57 2001 (Reference)
  
  
• Halliwell's Film & Video Guide 2002   Call Number: PN1993.45 H27 2001 (Reference)
  
  
• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (4 volumes)  Call Number: PN 1997.8 I58 1997 (Reference)
  
  
• Magill's Survey of Cinema (1st and 2nd Series)  Call Number: PN 1995 M25 1981 (Reference)
  
  
• The Motion Picture Guide (10 volumes)   Call Number: PN 1995 N3467 1985 (Reference)

• The Internet Movie Database
  http://www.imdb.com/
  
  
• AMG: All Movie Guide
  http://www.allmovie.com/
  
  
• "The Greatest Films" Site
  http://www.filmsite.org/
  
  
• Movie Review Query Engine
  http://www.mrqe.com/
  
  
• Rotten Tomatoes: Movie Reviews & Previews
  http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
  
  
• Script-O-Rama (movie scripts)
  http://www.script-o-rama.com/table.shtml

• The American Musical Theatre Song Encyclopedia  Call Number: ML102 M88 H59 1995 (Reference)
  
  
• Film it with Music: An Encyclopedic Guide to the American Movie Musical  Call Number: ML102 M88 H59 1995 (Reference)
  
  
• Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (6 volumes)  Call Number: M 102 P66 G84 1995 (Reference)
  
  
• A Resource Guide to Themes in Contemporary American Song Lyrics, 1950-1985  Call Number: ML156.4 P6 C66 1986 (Reference)

• All Music Guide
  http://www.allmusic.com
  
  
• Musicals 101.Com: The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, TV and Film
  http://www.musicals101.com/
  
  
• Song Lyrics & Libretti
  http://www.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/songlyr.html

• Encyclopedia of Television
  Call Number: PN 1992.18 E53 1997 (Reference)
  
  
• Encyclopedia of Television News
  Call Number: PN4888 T4 E53 1999 (Reference)

• The Internet Movie Database (Yes, this is goo for television too!)
  http://www.imdb.com/
  
  
• TV Tome
  http://www.tvtome.com/

If your "artifact" has been around for awhile and is relatively popular, chances are there has been books written about it.  In addition to finding background and practical information in books, you can also find critiques.

• Search the Meriam Library's Catalog to determine what books the library has related to your "artifact".  The Library Catalog is available from the ReSEARCH Station 24 hours a day.
  
  
  • The Meriam Library Catalog
  
  
• Use MELVYL, PHAROS, or any other library catalog to identify books on your topic that are available in the CSU, UC, and other library systems. Once you identify a book, you can order it via Interlibrary Loan.
  
  
  • List of Library Catalogs

• Conduct a subject search using the phrase "motion pictures",  keyword searches using the terms "film" and "criticism",  or browse the Main Collection of the library (3rd floor) in the PN 1993-1995 Call Number area.
  
  

• Conduct a subject search using the phrase "television programs",  keyword searches using the words "television" and "criticism",  or browse the Main Collection (3rd floor) in the PN 1993-1995 Call Number area.
  

You can find both current and older articles about your "artifact" using periodical indexes/databases. You can find background information as well as reviews and criticism.  Try some of the following indexes.  If these don't seem to have information about your "artifact" AskALibrarian to recommend others (the library has over 50 databases.)

• Use Academic Search if your "artifact" is from 1985 to the present. You will find many full-text magazine and journals articles that contain reviews and other information.
  • Academic Search Database

• Use Communication & Mass Media Complete  to find quality research in areas related to communication and mass media.  Included is full-text for over 200 titles and citation coverage for additional over several hundred sources.
  • Communication & Mass Media Complete Database

• Gender Watch  "is a full text database of unique and diverse publications that focus on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas.  With its archival material, dating back to 1970 in some cases, GenderWatch is a repository of an important historical perspective on the evolution of the women's movement and the changes in gender roles.  Publications include academic and scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books, booklets and pamphlets, conference proceedings, and government, and special reports."
  • Gender Watch Database

• Find full-text newspaper articles about your "artifact" going back to 1986 using LEXIS/NEXIS Academic.
  • LEXIS/NEXIS Academic Database

• The Film Literature Index is a print periodical index that will help you identify articles about both film and television.  It covers approximately 300 periodical titles including well-known, established film journals as well as "exotic or fugitive film publications".  The library owns this index from 1973 to date.  Reminder: Use The Meriam Library Periodicals List in conjunction with the Film Literature Index to determine if the library owns the articles you find listed in the Film Literature Index.
  • Located in the 2nd Floor Index collection, which is behind the Reference Desk. Call Number: PN1993 F58 (Index)

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You will need to cite all the sources you use.  If you use a lot of online resources the citations are sometimes a little tricky.  Remember: When you cite and Internet web page, you must list much more than just the URL (web address).  You also need to look for a title,  author,  the date the page was created,  and the date you accessed the site.  For help, try looking at the following:

• APA Style Basics  (.pdf)
• Citing Full-Text Articles from Subscription Databases (.pdf)

• Citation Formats & Style Manuals