Dance:Dance:

A Research Strategy A Research Strategy

Anne Harlow

Reference and Information Services

Samuel Paley Library

Temple University

October 4, 2004October 4, 2004

Goals and ObjectivesGoals and Objectives

• To provide a research strategy for writing scholarly papers

• To familiarize students with scholarly print and electronic resources in dance

• To enable students to effectively locate and retrieve materials in the field of dance

Getting StartedGetting Started• Start Early!

• Do research when you are well-fed, rested, and can spend a few hours exploring!

GroundworkGroundwork

• Find information sources in dance

• Find background information in dance

• Find books in dance

Research Guides in DanceResearch Guides in Dance

• Bopp, Mary S. Research in Dance: A guide to resources. Z7514.D2B6 1994

• Edsall, Mary, ed. A Core Collection in Dance. GV1594.C674x 2001

• Overby, Lynnette. Dance: Current selected research. GV1594.D34x 1989

• Spain, Louise. Dance on Camera: a guide to dance films and videos. GV1595.D342 1998

Finding Background Information Finding Background Information in Dancein Dance

• Check Reference Works and Circulating Collection for Overviews and Background Information

Search Tip!• Located with other materials on the same

topic within the Reference Collection, subject encyclopedias concentrate on specific areas of knowledge or subjects.

• They provide information on dates, terms, key people, and major theories.

• You may also find selective bibliographies of both primary and secondary sources within these books.

Areas of Interest May Include:Areas of Interest May Include:

GV1580-GV1799.4 Dancing

GV1585 Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

GV1601 Dance History

GV1743 National Dances. Folk dances and dancing

GV1751-1753.5 Social Dancing. Ballroom Dancing.

GV1763 Square dances. Quadrilles. Country dances.

GV1781-1783.5 Theatrical dancing

GV1785-1786 Dance - Biography

GV1787 Ballet

GV1799 Dance for children

ML3400+ Dance music

Note:Note:

• Key terms which you find in your background reading

• Authors and texts which are of interest or are cited often

• Copy relevant bibliographies

Finding Books in DanceFinding Books in Dance• Temple University Samuel Paley Library

Homepage: http://www.library.temple.edu

• Diamond: The Online Catalog

• Keyword Search

A Useful Search Strategy

• Start with a keyword search

• Examine the list of materials to find one that seems to match your topic

• Once you have the record for this one item on your screen, look at the subject heading that matches your topic

• Click on that subject heading to find other materials on the same topic.

Keyword SearchesKeyword Searches

• Use only important words

• Use Boolean Operators

• Great for beginning a research paper

Boolean OperatorsBoolean Operators

• AND AND - requires that both words are present in the document

• OR - OR - requires that at least one word is present

• NOT - NOT - excludes the word it precedes

T h is D o cu m en t W as L ast M o d ified O n :Ju ly 2 1 , 2 0 0 0

Finding ArticlesFinding Articles

• Use computerized indexes

Useful Databases for DanceUseful Databases for Dance• Academic Search Premier• America: History and Life• Arts and Humanities Citation Index• Biographies Illustrated• Education Abstracts• ERIC – Education Database• Historical Abstracts• International Index to Music Periodicals• International Index to the Performing

Arts• Lexis-Nexis (New York Times full-text)

Use the InternetUse the Internet• Online journals

• Resource sites

• Search Engines and Subject Directories

Resource SitesResource Sites• Britannica: The Web’s Best Sites: Dance• CyberDance. http://www.cyberdance.org/• Dance Heritage Coalition. http://www.danceheritage.org/• Dance Notation Bureau. http://www.dancenotation.org/• New York Public Library Dance Collection.

http:www.nypl.org/research/lpa/lpa.html• Society of Dance History Scholars. http://www.sdhs.org• Sapphirre Swan Dance Directory.

http://www.SapphireSwan.com/dance/• Yahoo: Dance

http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/

Finding Dissertations

• For dissertations done at Temple, type a Library of Congress subject heading and - Temple University in the Online Catalogue

• For dissertations from other institutions, use the database Digital Dissertations

One Last Step...Make note of journal

titles that appear frequently during your search, then check the most recent issues of those titles in the Current Periodicals section of the Library.

Ask at the Reference Desk for Assistance in ...

• Developing Search Strategies

• Using Resources

• Finding further information on your topic

A Final Reminder...A Final Reminder...

• Have fun!

• Focus!

• Evaluate resources as you go.