Are documentaries a good source of information?

Documentary films are an in-depth and informative resource which are a perfect platform to create dialogue. Not only do documentaries provide an opportunity to understand and connect with the world, they are also a great way to gather together with friends to watch and engage around the important issues of our times.

What makes a documentary credible?

Documentary film speaks about situations and events involving real people (social actors) who present themselves to us as themselves in stories that convey a plausible proposal about, or perspective on, the lives, situations, and events portrayed.

Are documentaries considered scholarly sources?

Scholarly or other articles about a topic, especially by people not directly involved. Documentaries (though they often include photos or video portions that can be considered primary sources).

Can I use a documentary as a source?

While you might think of books and journal articles as the go-to sources when writing essays, documentaries can also be a great source of information—and they can also serve as a form of entertainment.

What kind of source is documentary?

A documentary can either be a secondary or a tertiary source. It is a secondary source if it analyses different types of sources, and a tertiary source if it only repackages information and doesn’t provide interpretations or opinions.

What are the characteristics of a documentary?

Characteristics documentaries have in common that are distinct from other film types (especially from the fiction film) can be thought of in terms of: 1)subjects; 2) purposes, points of view, or approaches; 3) forms; 4) production methods and techniques: and 5) the sorts of’ experiences they offer audiences.

What is a factual documentary?

Documentaries and Factual Films. Works consisting of films, videos, and programs which depict actual persons or actual events. They do not include frank historical re-creations and do not attempt to judge the truth of the depiction in a film purporting to be factual or documentary in character. (

Are documentaries secondary sources?

A documentary can either be a secondary or a tertiary source. It is a secondary source when it analyses different types of sources, and a tertiary source when it only repackages information and doesn’t provide interpretations or opinions.

What is a documentary source?

Documentary sources are sometimes described as life stories because they are the accounts of the lives of individuals, families, or other social groups. They include diaries, letters, memoirs, photographs, even shopping lists and random jottings.

Is a documentary italicized?

Title of the documentary: Titles are italicized when independent. If part of a larger source add quotation marks and do not italize.

Can you cite a documentary in an essay?

Documentaries are cited as motion pictures when using APA format. First, you must write the producer’s last name and first initial, followed by the director’s last name and first initial. However, if you cite quotes from a performer in your paper, you must include the performer in your reference.

Is documentaries a primary source?

Although documentaries contain primary sources, they are selecting, framing and interpreting them and so are typically not considered to be primary sources as a whole.

What Makes a Credible Documentary. A documentary is successful when it is able to combine both the appearance of historically accurate elements and present believable situations through a false lens, leading the audience to question the reality of what they are seeing.

Can documentaries be used as a primary source?

However, interviews unique to documentaries can be considered primary sources, but it is always a good idea to track down the original source of evidence (if possible) if you want to use it as a primary source in your research. The USC Libraries have numerous documentaries available on DVD in Leavey Library.

What is the genre of a documentary?

The genre of documentary aims to present a convincing story through the use of credible documentary tactics to portray a “fictional documentary. ” Every documentary depends on its viewers believing its premise. The illusion of believability is most often either confirmed or destroyed by the credits.

What are some good books on documentary research?

A useful recent overview of documentary research can be found in Lindsay Prior’s Using Documents in Social Research (2003). Scott’s A Matter of Record covers the issues involved in handling a range of documents, while Ken Plummer’s Documents of Life, 2 (2001) gives good coverage of personal documents. See also life-history; personal documents.