Visual Culture 1: Gateways to Art and Culture
Librarian
9045 Lincoln Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Research is a Process
Getting Started
Here are some suggestions for getting started with research:
- Choose a topic (i.e., what you want to research)
- It's okay—even helpful—for your topic to be broad initially; it should become more concentrated as you research.
- When selecting your topic, keep in mind your assignment's parameters, including any requirements and the due date!
- Gather background information
- Consult sources like encyclopedias, including Wikipedia, to get an overview of your topic.
- Refine your topic
- Use the information you've gathered to refine your focus. This will strengthen your project.
- Beware of your topic being too narrow or broad. You may have trouble finding sufficient sources to back your claims if it's too narrow. If it's too broad, it will be difficult to cover all aspects of the topic in enough depth.
- Formulate a relevant question
- This may shift as you research.
- Respond to this question. Support your claim with evidence/reasoning.
- Develop your research strategy
- Determine keywords related to your topic.
- Determine where to search for sources related to your topic’s subject area.
- Find and evaluate sources
- Cite sources
- Review and edit your project
Where to Look
ProQuest eLibrary
The ProQuest eLibrary provides an encyclopedic view of historical events, persons, and topics. It also includes many international newspapers.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a good source for biographical information as well as general overviews of millions of topics. Check out the references included at the bottom of each entry, as this can direct you to sources relevant to your topic.
It can also be useful to identify keywords and phrases related to your topic to integrate into your search queries.
Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints
Gale in Context presents varying points of view on trending topics and social issues.
The New York Times
In existence for over 150 years, the NYT contains many different types of articles, including opinion pieces, interviews, reviews, news reporting, and letters to the editors. Through its digital archive and current issues, you can observe how coverage of a person or cultural topic changes over time.
We have a site license, meaning you can create an account with your Otis credentials; visit this guide for more information on how to sign up.
ProQuest Research Library
Once you have a name or issue that interests you, look them up in our research databases to find related articles.
ProQuest Research Library is one such database; its contents are multidisciplinary and include varius newspapers.
OwlCat
Search OwlCat—the library catalog—for books, ebooks, articles, videos, materials, zines, artists' books, and more! Extended Search pulls from many of our research databases simultaneously, providing you with more search results.
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