About Reference Sources
Reference sources (encyclopedias, catalogs, dictionaries etc.) can be useful to get an overview of topics you may be interested in researching and to develop your research question. The more background information you have on a topic of interest, the more you will be able to think of promising research questions. These reference sources, in addition to academic journals and magazines, are a good place to start looking for film reviews.
Selected Online Reference Sources
- American Film Institute Catalog This link opens in a new windowDetailed filmography of films produced in the United States (1892-1971), including plot summaries, production notes, and subject and song indexing.
- Film Index International This link opens in a new windowProduced in collaboration with the British Film Institute, this resource indexes films from more than 170 countries.
- History of the American Cinema Series (1895-1989)This decade-by-decade survey includes 10 books and is a useful start for understanding historical trends in the U.S. film industry.
- Oxford Bibliographies in Cinema and Media Studies This link opens in a new windowScholars in Cinema and Media Studies provide account of books, articles, and Websites relevant to the field.
Selected Print Reference Sources
- Within our gates : ethnicity in American feature films, 1911-1960 byCall Number: PN1995.9.M56 W58 1997Publication Date: 1997
- The American Film Institute catalog of motion pictures produced in the United States. byCall Number: PN1998 .A57Publication Date: 1971
- International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers byCall Number: PN1997.8 .I58 2000Publication Date: 2000