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Library Resources for AMID F415 - Good Behavior/Bad Behavior: Critiquing the Apparel Industry
AMID F415 - Good Behavior/Bad Behavior: Critiquing the Apparel Industry
Fall 2012
Professor Ashley Hasty
Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design Department
Getting an overview of your topic
Wikipedia is a great place to start your research: you can quickly figure out what the main issues are about a given topic, and generate some keywords, so you can figure out how people talk about your topic. For example, look up "knock-off" in Wikipedia. Knock-offs are also referred to as
knock offs
counterfeit consumer goods
counterfeit goods
counterfeit brands
counterfeit products
imitation products
If you search only "knock offs," then you might not get information if it refers to the same concept by any of the above terminology. Also, consider what kind of information you're looking for. A government-generated report with lots of statistics? Or an op-ed piece about whether your faux-Gucci bag is as nice-looking as the original? Each of these will probably refer to the same concept with a different term, which is why it's so important to figure out before you begin researching your topic.
Electronic encyclopedias at the library
Gale Virtual Reference Library covers a broad array of reference materials. For example, try looking up "body image." The first return is an article entitled "Body Image" from the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, with a general but precise treatment of the issue written by an expert in the field with a list of further reading on the topic. How useful is that!
Getting the Latest Information
Current awareness is so important when you're arguing for an issue. Here are some suggestions for staying abreast of your field:
WWD, the fashion bible itself!
And, here are some other sources will be extremely useful in building your understanding of your topic.
Thinking about Ethical Dilemmas related to your Topic
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
You can browse by broad topics and drill down into narrower topics too. For broad topics, try Business and Economics, Society and Culture, and Health and Medicine. Opposing Viewpoints explains both sides of the issue, and brings together scholarly articles, popular articles, and reports and statistics, combining the different kinds of information you need to get a handle on your topic and what position you want to take.
Alternative News Sources
In order to understand all sides of an issue, you should make sure you're not just getting one side of the story. The following news sources provide a variety of non-mainstream sources. Ethnic NewsWatch, Alt-Press Watch, AltPressIndex, AltPressIndexArchive will all help you understand many viewpoints on the same issue.
Understanding Different Types of Information
Scholarly vs. popular vs. trade journals
Do you know what a "scholarly article" is, and what makes it different from other types of information? Do you understand why professors request you use scholarly articles in your papers? Here's a webpage that lays out the differences simply and concretely.
Primary vs. secondary sources
If you're going to argue for one side of an ethical issue, you're going to need some evidence. Evidence comes in many shapes and sizes, including statistics, reports, interviews, opinions from experts, and much more. Learning how to use what kinds of evidence can be challenging! but you should refer to this webpage for a more complete understanding of primary and secondary sources.
Finding Images
Here's some links to image databases in which you can find tons of fashion images!
Need help navigating ARTstor Images? Here's some awesome videos to help you figure it out!
Learning How to Cite Sources
Topics for F415:
Click on the links below for resources especially selected for these topics:
Throw-away society and conspicuous consumption
Further Resources
IUB Libraries: Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design
Recommended Resources for your field
Email Emilee for help! or, for immediate assistance, don't forget to Ask a Librarian!
