ENGL 1301 - Miller: Before you start researching...

Questions to ask yourself before you start:

• Do I already know enough about my topic to choose meaningful search terms?
  • Use your film's production details in your search for film reviews and criticism.
• Does the kind of source I am evaluating contain the kind of material I'm looking for?
  • Initial reviews:  search newspapers, magazines, journal articles (find articles in the library databases)
  • Film criticism over time:  search journal articles (library databases) & books (library catalog)
• Does the publication date of my resources matter?
  • Initial reviews:  published at the time of the film's original release date
  • Film criticism:  published significantly later than the original release date
• What level of scholarly research does this resource contain?  Who is the audience?

There are MANY, MANY people who write about films.  Not all of them are acceptable to use as sources for this assignment, even if you might read them in your personal life.

Consider the following:

• What qualifications does the author have to write about film?
  • Do they write for a mainstream newspaper, magazine, journal or major website?
  • Did they get paid for writing their article?
    • In this case, getting paid is a good sign.  It shows that someone respects their writing enough to pay for it.
  • Do they have any formal education in the field?
  • Do they have significant experience working in the film industry?
• Different types of writing may require different author qualifications.
  • Authors who write films reviews may be journalists or professional reviewers.
  • Authors who write film criticism are usually academics.
  • Sources that provide film production details may not even list authors.

The library provides access to some of the films from the list included in your assignment.  Check here for your film: