Research Guides: CMST 101: Multimedia Sources

Evaluate Films and Documentaries

Remember, you should always take the time to evaluate videos and documentaries just as you would any other resource you plan to use in your research.

Who:

Who is responsible for the creation of the video? Do they have listed credentials? Are they associated with a reputable institution? Do they have ties to any communities or cultures discussed in the video?

What:

What is the purpose of this video (i.e. was it made to entertain, inform, or persuade)? Is there a video description that provides an explicit summary of that purpose?

Where:

If this is a documentary or informational video, where is the information coming from? Is there a bibliography or listed references? Is the video hosted on the website of an established institution?

When:

When was the video created? Does the currency of the information directly impact your subject?

Why:

Why is this video useful for your research? Is it necessary for your research or could you find the information through a better source?

Video Databases or Repositories with Multicultural, or Culturally-Specific Content

American Indian Film Gallery
The American Indian Film Gallery (AIFG) is an online collection of films by and about Native peoples of the Americas, compiled and digitized by historian J. Fred MacDonald. In July 2011, this collection was awarded to the University of Arizona. The original films are preserved by the Library of Congress. The AIFG presently contains over 450 non-fiction films that document Native lifeways from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego, with a large concentration on peoples of the Southwest. The films range from a 1922 silent newsreel to recent footage of pow-wows and political meetings in 2011.

Filmakers Library Online This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Provides streaming documentaries with relevance across the curriculum—race and gender studies, human rights, globalization and global studies, multiculturalism, international relations, criminal justice, the environment, bioethics, health, political science and current events, psychology, arts, literature, and more. It presents points of view and historical and current experiences from diverse cultures and traditions world-wide.
Accessibility features: video transcripts, closed captioning, some multilingual subtitle options

YouTube Channels

Explorer - National Geographic
Explorer, the longest-running documentary series in cable television history, honored with nearly 60 Emmys and hundreds of other awards, continues as a series of major specials on the National Geographic Channel. In the course of more than two thousand films, Explorer has taken viewers to more than 120 countries, opening a window on hidden parts of the world, unlocking mysteries both ancient and modern, and investigating stories of science, nature, and culture.
Stories - Discovery Channel
Stories takes a deep look at some of the world’s most unique individuals, places, and cultures. These short documentaries set out to expand our perspective and transform our understanding of the world.