ARTH 295: Representing Africa on Film

Fall 2009

Joanna Grabski

woven.jpg

Woven and hand embroidered blue striped indigo cloth (Burkina Faso). Image by Christopher D. Roy, courtesy of ARTstor

Lareese Hall, Fine Arts Liaison Librarian
halll@denison.edu  / x6688

Research Basics

Information on citing resources (including images) is available on the library Citation Help page.

Information on creating an annotated bibliography can be found here.

Reference materials are useful for finding a topic, narrowing an idea, and/or starting research.  In our library, reference materials can be found in on the 3rd floor by the Learning Commons (they will also say "DEN Ref" in their call number) and online.  DEN Main books are in the stacks. Dictionaries and encyclopedias are good for quick reference and starting research.  Encyclopedias are written by leading scholars and often have bibliographies for further reading and research.

Databases and Web Resources

Databases are infinitely more organized than some random online searches.  Remember the subject headings and keywords that were successful for you in the catalog and start with those here. Use indexes and databases to search for articles that appeared in periodicals. After you find relevant articles, see if the database you are using has full text (usually PDF) files available for you to download.  If the full text is not available, use the CONSORT Catalog to see whether we subscribe to the journal. If we don't have the journal available make a request for the article using Interlibrary Loan.)


Finding Books, Journals, and other materials

Use the library catalog (CONSORT) in one of the following ways:

  • You can search by title, author, keyword, subject, or journal title.  The information you find as you do your research will lead you to additional keywords and subject headings.  Remember to look at the subject headings for the things you find that are useful - that will give you specific search terms to use as you continue with your research.

    • SUBJECT Search: Artist name
      Enter an artist's name (Lastname, Firstname)
      RESULT: All the books by or about the artist, divided up by the type of book (e.g., "Exhibitions," "Criticism & Interpretation")

    • SUBJECT Search: Theme or topic
      Enter a topic or medium, such as: "Painting American"
      RESULT: All the books about the topic, subdivided by time period or geographic region

    • KEYWORD Search: When you're not sure of the exact name or topic
      Use AND between terms to narrow your search
      Use OR between like terms/synonyms to expand your search
      Use * to search all forms of a word
      Use " " to search for a specific phrase

    • Make Lists!!! Save your catalog searches using  "Saved List" (the "save" button is listed under the number of each item)

    • You can continue to save items on your list throughout your search session
    • To get to the Saved List, click "View Saved Records" at the top of the screen
    • You can print the list or email it to yourself
    If you cannot find something in the CONSORT catalog, check OhioLINK to see if there is a copy available.  You can "Request this item" if you find something in OhioLINK (follow the prompts on the screen).


    Good General Resources:

  • Aluka
    A collection of materials from and about Africa. It includes archival documents, periodicals, books, reports, manuscripts, and reference works, to three-dimensional models, maps, oral histories, plant specimens, photographs, and slides. NOTE: Denison has access to "African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes" and "Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa."
  • JSTOR
    Historical full text (up to last 5 years) for 32 art history journals.  Searching in JSTOR allows you to search for images in both the articles themselves and in ARTstor.  Magic...
  • Art Abstracts
    Indexes art periodicals back to 1929.
  • Project Muse
    Project Muse is online archive of 400 high quality humanities, arts, and social sciences journals from 100 scholarly publishers.
  • The Times (London) Digital Archives
    Full-page images of the newspaper, 1785-1985.
  • New York Times Digital Archive
    Full-page images of the newspaper, 1851-2003.
  • Periodicals Index Online
    A periodicals database covering 300 years.

    • Image Databases:

  • ARTstor
    Images only; a collection of over 300,000 images from museums and cultural sites all over the world. Click on "Search and browse for images" (lower left side) to begin.
  • Art & Architecture Digital Media
    Access more than 60,000 art and architecture images.
  • Digital Video Collection:
    Access digital videos from Films for the Humanities. Many films on various periods and themes in Art History; also, films on modern artists and techniques.
  • VADS the online resource for visual arts
    The Visual Arts Data Service is based at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design at University College in Farnham, Great Britain. The services offered include a searchable catalog of image collections and other collections. Subject areas include fine arts, design, architecture, applied arts, history and theory, media, museum studies and conservation, and professional practice

    • SUBJECT RESOURCES

    + AIDS, Human Rights, and Social Topics

    Reference Books:

    • The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide:
      • Vol. 4: The Middle East and North Africa / DEN Ref HQ1726.5 .G74 2003 v.4
      • Vol. 6: Sub-Saharan Africa / DEN Ref HQ1154 .G74 2003 v.6
    • Women in the Third World : An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Issues / DEN Ref HQ1870.9 .W6548 1998
    • The Human Rights Encyclopedia / DEN Ref JC571 .L523 2001
    • International Encyclopedia of Human Rights: Freedoms, Abuses, and Remedies / DEN Ref JC571 .M3243 2000
    • Encyclopedia of AIDS / DEN Ref RA644.A25 E5276 1998
    • Statistical Handbook on the World's Children / DEN Ref HQ767.9 .K38 2002
    • Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases / DEN Ref RC112 .T87 1998
    • New Encyclopedia of Africa (e-book)
    Databases: Web Sites:

    + Art & Architecture

    Reference Books:

    • Grove Art Online: The best place to start; articles on artists, countries, and media.
    • The Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism, and Culture in Africa, Oceania, and Native North America / DEN Ref E98.A7 W49 2000
    • The Arts of Africa: An Annotated Bibliography / DEN Ref N7380 .A78 [6 vols.; 1986-1992]
    • New Encyclpedia of Africa (e-book)

    Databases:

    Web Sites:

    + Cinema

    Reference Materials:

    • The Film Studies Dictionary / DEN Ref PN1993.45 .B49 2001
    • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers
    • Eye on the World: Conversations with International Filmmakers / DEN Ref PN1995.9.P7 S75 1997
      Includes interviews with Idrissa Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Cheick Oumar Sissoko (Mali), Elaine Proctor (S. Africa), and Ridha Behi, Ferid Boughedir, & Moufida Tlatli (Tunisia).
    • World Film Directors / DEN Ref PN1998.2 .W67 1987
    • Magill's Survey of Cinema, Foreign Language Films / DEN Ref PN1993.45 .M34 1985 [8 vols.]
      Indicates where to find articles & reviews on foreign language motion pictures.
    • The Middle East and North Africa on Film: An Annotated Filmography / DEN Ref DS44 .M43 1982

    Databases & Indexes: Databases and Indexes help you find relevant articles from journals and magazines. After you find a good article, use the CONSORT Catalog to obtain the journal issue (if the article is not in full text online). If Denison does not own the journal issue you need, simply place an Interlibrary Loan request.

    Web Sites:
    + Dance

    Reference Books

    Databases Web Sites

    + Development and Economics

    Reference Books:

    • African Development Indicators, 1996 / DEN Ref HC800 .A5653 1996
    • World Development Indicators / DEN Ref HC59.15 .W656
    • The A to Z of World Development / DEN Ref HD82 .A25 1998
    • The World : A Third World Guide / DEN Main HC59.69 .G843
    • Global Trends : The World Almanac of Development and Peace / DEN Ref HC59.15 .G564 1994
    • World Economic and Social Survey / DEN Main HC59 .A169
    • Environmental Performance Measurement : The Global Report 2001-2002 / DEN Ref HD75.6 .E575 2002
    • Statistical Handbook on Poverty in the Developing World / DEN Ref HC59.72.P6 S73 1999
    • New Encyclopedia of Africa (e-book)

    Databases: Web Sites:

    + Education

    Reference Materials

    Databases

    Websites

    + History & Politics

    Reference Books:

    • Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History / DEN Ref DT29 .E53 2003
    • Encyclopedia of Modern Ethnic Conflicts / DEN Ref GN496 .E56 2003
      Has sections on Nigeria and Rwanda.
    • Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations (e-book)
    • Encyclopedia of African Peoples / DEN Ref DT15 .E53 2000
    • Historical Dictionary of Civil Wars in Africa / DEN Ref DT21.5 .G89 1999
    • Political Parties of the Middle East and North Africa / DEN Ref JQ1758.A979 P65 1994
    • New Encyclopedia of Africa (e-book)

    Databases:
     Web Sites:

    + Literature

    Reference Books:

    • Encyclopedia of African Literature / DEN Ref PL8010 .E63 2003
    • The Companion to African Literatures / DEN Ref PR9340 .C65 2000
    • African Literature and Its Times / DEN Ref PL8010 .M65 2000
    • South African Writers / DEN Ref PR9350.2 .S68 2000
    • African Writers / DEN Ref PL8010 .A453 1997 (2 vols.)
    • New Encyclopedia of Africa (e-book)
    Databases: Web Sites:

    + Music

    Reference Books:

    • The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music / DEN Ref ML100 .G16 1998
      Has a companion CD: DEN Circ Desk CO 02650 CD1
    • World Music : The Rough Guide / DEN Ref ML102.W67 W67 1999 v.1
    • African Music : A Bibliographical Guide to the Traditional, Popular, Art, and Liturgical Musics of Sub-Saharan Africa / DEN Ref ML120.A35 G7 1991
    • Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara / DEN Ref DT351 .E53 1997 

    Databases:

    Web Sites:

    + Religion

    Reference Books:

    • The Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions / BL2462.5 .E53 2001
    • Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life / DEN Ref GN333 .W67 1998 (Vol. 1 is on Africa)
    • Encyclopedia of Religious Rites, Rituals, and Festivals / DEN Ref BL31 .E47 2004
    • Encyclopedia of Women and World Religion / DEN Ref BL458 .E53 1999
    • Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions / DEN Ref BL31 .M47 1999
    Databases: Web Sites:

    + Science & Medicine

    Reference Books:

    • Encyclopedia of Insects / DEN Ref QL462.3 .E52 2003
    • Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia / DEN Ref QL7 .G7813 2003
    • The Atlas of Endangered Species / DEN Ref QH75 .A85 1999
    • Medicinal Plants of the World / DEN Ref RS164 .R676 1999
    • Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases / DEN Ref RC112 .T87 1998
    • Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara / DEN Ref DT351 .E53 1997
    Databases: Web Sites:
    • African Wildlife Foundation
      Web site of an organization dedicated to preserving Africa's animals; check out the Wildlife Library to see characteristics of various African animals.
    • Nature.com
      The web site for the Nature Publishing Group; search their publications for articles on health, medicine, biology, zoology, and more.

    + Women

    Reference Books:

    • The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide:
      • Vol. 4: The Middle East and North Africa / DEN Ref HQ1726.5 .G74 2003 v.4
      • Vol. 6: Sub-Saharan Africa / DEN Ref HQ1154 .G74 2003 v.6
    • Women in the Third World : An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Issues / DEN Ref HQ1870.9 .W6548 1998
    • The Human Rights Encyclopedia / DEN Ref JC571 .L523 2001
    • International Encyclopedia of Human Rights: Freedoms, Abuses, and Remedies / DEN Ref JC571 .M3243 2000
    • Statistical Handbook on the World's Children / DEN Ref HQ767.9 .K38 2002
    • Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases / DEN Ref RC112 .T87 1998
    • Science, religion, and society : an encyclopedia of history, culture, and controversy / DEN Ref BL240.3 .S37 2007 v.1 and 2

    Databases:

    Gender Studies Database

    Social Sciences Citation Index

    Women's Studies International

    Women's History Online

    Web Resources:

    Web Sites
    Web portals (the first four sites listed) direct you to other web sites which are pre-selected for quality and content.

    Facts & Stats:
    Good sites for basic info such as population statistics, capitol cities, etc.

    • CIA World Factbook
      An excellent web site, run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency; begin by selecting the country. Each country's entry has a map of the country along with facts about population, economy, and the political climate.
    • World Data Analyst
      Use the "Country Snapshots" to find basic facts; you can also use the "Chronological Comparisons" feature to compare historical data.
    • United Nations Statistics Databases
      Contains numerous statistical databases dealing with population, urbanization, and social indicators such as income, health, and education.
    • # UN Population Division / World Population Prospects
      Lets you run a program which shows urbanization & population growth rates.
    • World Development Indicators
      Published by the World Bank. Statistics on every facet of a country's development, including urbanization.
    • Statistics South Africa
      Many statistics (including census information) for South Africa

    News Sources: