The document provides guidance on finding secondary sources such as images and sound for coursework on adaptations, remixes, and appropriations by thinking like an information expert - starting with a passionate topic, identifying relevant information types and sources, searching widely and then narrowing, tracking findings, and iterating searches. It offers examples of topic areas and specialized databases for searching, and discusses using creative commons licensed content ethically. The overall goal is to teach students to retrieve scholarly articles and multimedia related to artistic adaptations and remixes.

1. Adaptations & Remixes
Finding Secondary Sources,
Images & Sound
Nicole Branch, Instruction Librarian
Image courtesy of Flickr user Paolobarzman

2. Objectives
• Think like an information expert
• Find images and sound and use them ethically
in your coursework
• Practice finding & retrieving articles related to
artistic adaptations, remixes & appropriations
Background image courtesy of Flickr user Ellen van Deelen

3. “A new
way of
learning…”
Image courtesy of Flickr user Leo Hidalgo

4. Thinking Like an Information Expert
• Pick a topic you are passionate about
• Identify the type of Information (and where you’ll find
it)
• Cast a wide net (and then strategically narrow)
• Have a system (to keep track of what you find)
• One search is never enough (searching is iterative)

5. Thinking Like an Information Expert
• Pick a topic you are passionate about
• Identify the type of Information (and where you’ll find
it)
• Cast a wide net (and then strategically narrow)
• Have a system (to keep track of what you find)
• One search is never enough (searching is iterative)

6. Topic Selection
• Artist
• Genre
• Artistic work
• Type

7. Topic Examples
• Artist
– Kara Walker
• Genre
– Film
• Artistic work
– Othello
• Type
– Erasure poems; Hip Hop sampling

8. Think & Share
• Brainstorm a potential topic or topic area
• Turn to your neighbor and share

9. Thinking Like an Information Expert
• Pick a topic you are passionate about
• Identify the type of Information (and where you’ll find
it)
• Cast a wide net (and then strategically narrow)
• Have a system (to keep track of what you find)
• One search is never enough (searching is iterative)

10. Thinking Like an Information Expert
• Pick a topic you are passionate about
• Identify the type of Information (and where you’ll find
it)
• Cast a wide net (and then strategically narrow)
• Have a system (to keep track of what you find)
• One search is never enough (searching is iterative)

11. Secondary Sources
• Secondary source
• Scholarly
• Related to adaptation/appropriation/remix

12. Specialized Databases
• Subject-specific
• Content-specific
• Advanced search options

14. Thinking Like an Information Expert
• Pick a topic you are passionate about
• Identify the type of Information (and where you’ll find
it)
• Cast a wide net (and then strategically narrow)
• Have a system (to keep track of what you find)
• One search is never enough (searching is iterative)

15. Thinking Like an Information Expert
• Pick a topic you are passionate about
• Identify the type of Information (and where you’ll find
it)
• Cast a wide net (and then strategically narrow)
• Have a system (to keep track of what you find)
• One search is never enough (searching is iterative)

16. Hip Hop
Image by Banksy; photo courtesy of Flickr user Tim Fuller.

17. Creative Commons
A Shared Culture: http://creativecommons.org/videos/a-shared-culture

18. Creative Commons License
Image courtesy of sourcefabric.org

19. Thinking Like an Information Expert
• Pick a topic you are passionate about
• Identify the type of Information (and where you’ll find
it)
• Cast a wide net (and then strategically narrow)
• Have a system (to keep track of what you find)
• One search is never enough (searching is iterative)

20. Nicole Branch
Instruction Librarian
nbranch@scu.edu
408.554.5436