BEAMing Your Selfie

Nicole BranchSanta Clara University Library

Summer 2016

Lesson adapted from Woodward & Ganski, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee; Engaging Ideas by John C. Bean, and Joseph Bizup, Boston University. Image courtesy of Flickr user Ayesha Stager.

Nicole BranchInstruction Librarian

Your Librarian

Hi! My name is Nicole and I am the librarian working with your course this summer. I have created this tutorial to help you find sources for your assignments. In addition to this tutorial, I am available to support you if you get stuck– don’t hesitate to contact me. I can help you virtually or in person.

Objectives

This lesson will help you:• Plan & execute a search strategy

• Evaluate sources for relevance & purpose

• Discuss potential value of sources

• Select sources for purposes of your assignment

Researching Archetypes

You will learn about sources of information that will help you:• Develop your archetype character

• Find examples of writing styles associated with your character

• Find sources to understand & develop style

Ways of Categorizing Sources

You have probably learned about different ways of categorizing information. Academics often talk about information in certain ways. Examples of different kinds of categories include:

• Scholarly -------------------------- Popular

• Primary --------------------------- Secondary

• Good -------------------------------- Bad

Another Way of Categorizing Information

These ways of categorizing information can be very helpful, but they do not focus on how we USE information. We will be using a way of categorizing information that focuses on evaluating sources based on how relevant they are to your specific purpose.

Bizup’s “BEAM”The method we will be using is called BEAM and it was developed by a professor named Joseph Bizup. BEAM is an acronym for four kinds of information sources:

• Background

• Exhibit/Evidence

• Argument

• Method

Background

A background source is “any source, assumed to be noncontroversial, used to provide context… facts and information”

Examples include: • Encyclopedia articles• Biographies• Historical accounts

Exhibit/Evidence

Exhibit sources are sources you analyze or use as evidence. For this course you might identify a person that embodies the archetype you would like to create to serve as an example.

Examples include: • Examples of person’s work (author, musician, entertainer,

etc.)• Quotations• Interviews with the author/musician/entertainer, etc.• Field observations or research (for fields like sociology)

Argument

An argument source is a source that tells you about “the conversation of critical views and relevant scholarship” related to the topic.

Examples include: • Critical reviews of a person’s work• Scholarly articles on a particular topic

Method

Method sources provide information about the theories or methods the writer/musician/entertainer or other figure is employing

Examples include: • Articles on a particular writing genre or style• References to particular theories or methods

(feminism, post-colonialism, etc.)

Using BEAM Sources

Now that you know a bit about what BEAM sources are, let’s see how you would use these sources for your assignments in this course. As you are developing your archetypes, gathering BEAM sources will help you develop your character, understand how to write in the style of that character, and make decisions about the topics and structure of your writing.

What can you do with these sources for your writing?

• Understand factors that may impact the “character” of your archetype/creator

• Understand the historical contact of the archetype/creatorBackground• Analyze and understand the style of the archetype (word choice,

tone, structure)Exhibit• Gather information about how the archetype is perceived by

others• Gather additional information about the archetype/style/toneArgument• Explore the genre and style of the archetype as it relates to the

field (of writing, entertainment, art, etc.)Method

Listed below are specific ways that you can use BEAM sources for your work in this course.

BEAM Your Selfies

For each of your three archetypes, use the mind map (linked below this slideshow on the research guide) to brainstorm sources for each BEAM element. See the next slide for an example.

ExampleIn this example, I was working with an archetype that I called the “brash woman.” I first picked a real-life figure who I felt embodied this archetype (Amy Schumer) and then I brainstormed what information/sources I might look for to help me craft my archetype:• Background: biographies

and interviews of Amy Schumer and background on women in comedy

• Exhibit: a transcript of an Amy Schumer sketch or a book written by her

• Argument: Popular and scholarly articles about women and humor

• Method: Articles about comedic techniques that Amy uses

Finding BEAM Sources

Now that you know you have thought about what you might like to find to help you develop your archetypes, you will need to find those sources. While general Internet searches can be useful, you will also find quality information and articles in the library databases. The next slide suggests where you might go to find different kinds of information.

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

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

• Look for the complete text of a figure’s work or interviews in:• OSCAR Library Catalog (books)• Gale Artemis (primary sources)• Google

Exhibit• Look for reviews, interviews, and critiques in:

• Gale Artemis (for literature)• Communication Source (for pop culture figures/genres)• Film & Television Index (for film and television figures)

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

• Gale Artemis (for literature)• Communication Source (for pop culture figures/genres)• Film & Television Index (for film and television figures)

Method

Find Sources

• The research guide for this class has a tab for each kind of BEAM information source

• Using the suggested databases, find sources to help develop your archetype and for your upcoming assignment

• Have a system to keep track of what you find. The library databases have the option to email copies of articles– this can be a great way to keep track of articles.

Don’t hesitate to contact me!

Nicole Branchnbranch@scu.edux5436