BEAM

ing

Glob

al L

itera

ture

ENGL 11A- Fall 2016

Nicole BranchSanta Clara University Library

September 28, 2016

Image courtesy of Flickr user AwayWeGo210.

Obj

ectiv

es• Plan & execute a search strategy

• Evaluate sources for relevance & purpose

• Discuss potential value of sources

• Select sources for purposes of your assignment

Way

s of C

ateg

orizi

ng S

ourc

es• Scholarly ------------

Popular

• Primary --------- Secondary

• Good --------------------- Bad

Bizu

p’s “

BEAM

”• Background

• Exhibit/Evidence

• Argument

• Method

Back

grou

nd“Any source, assumed to be noncontroversial, used to provide context… facts and information”

Examples: • Encyclopedia articles• Biographies• Historical background/facts

Exhi

bit/

Evid

ence

Sources you analyze or use as evidence.

Examples: • Quotations/excerpts from your

text• Examples of other texts from

the same period• Images to support your

presentation

Argu

men

t“The conversation of critical views and relevant scholarship” related to the topic.

Examples: • Scholarly articles (history,

culture or intellectual/political issue)

• Critical reviews of a text or genre

Met

hod

“References to the theories or methods the writer is employing”

Examples: • Articles about particular

theories or methods (materialism, feminism, colonialism, etc.)

What can you do with these sources for your writing?

• Obtain objective information about a writer’s life or the period you are investigating

• Gain information about the historical, cultural, and political context of the text or period to help your search

Background• Find specific examples to support your analysis of context• Analyze and understand the text(s) or period• Present your context in a visually engaging wayExhibit• Develop your understanding of the context of your text• Analyze the culture, history and politics of your context for your

assignmentArgument• Explore the intellectual and political dimensions of your text or

period• Help narrow the focus of your presentationMethod

BEAM

You

r (Co

n)Te

xt• In your groups, use the

mind map to brainstorm topics and sources for each BEAM element.

Exam

ple

Where will you find these sources?• Look for encyclopedia entries and biographies in:

• Reference sources (CREDO, Gale Virtual Reference)• Gale Artemis (biographies)Background

• Look for the complete texts or examples of a genre in:• OSCAR Library Catalog (books)• Gale Artemis (primary sources)Exhibit

• Look for articles in:• Gale Artemis • OmniFile• OneSearch

Argument• Look for scholarly articles on theories/methods in:

• Gale Artemis • OmniFile• Social Science Databases

Method

Find

Sou

rces

• As a group, determine who will look for which pieces

• Go to the research guide for this class

• Using the suggested databases, find sources for your upcoming context presentation

• Complete the form• Send a copy to yourself

Que

stion

s? Nicole Branchnbranch@scu.edux5436