UWS 16a: Sex and Advertising

In Sex and Advertising, students write a 10-12 page research paper with at least four scholarly sources. You will need to locate scholarly sources for your Research Proposal and many of the Pre-Drafts in the Research Unit. Sources discussed extensively in class can be used but don’t count toward the minimum requirement of four. Additional scholarly sources and high-quality non-scholarly sources (including industry publications) can be used. Avoid using sources written by undergraduates and graduate students, including Masters theses and PhD Dissertations; see the instructor if you think an exception should be made.

Your topic can be anything related to sexuality and/or gender, and advertising. Contemporary topics are preferred; see the instructor if you want to propose a historical topic. 

• Start by looking through the Research Topics on LATTE, which are intended to inspire you. Some links and sources are provided to get you started.  You can also look through the Course Bibliography

• For most topic areas, it is best to begin by gathering background with broad Google Searches and encyclopedic sources such as Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia. You can then move on to industry publications and scholarly sources such as books, book articles, and journal articles. 

• Another approach to finding a topic if you have no idea what you want to do is to begin with OneSearch Select Brandeis and more, and enter keywords sex and advertising. You can filter to view peer reviewed journal articles only or just books and ebooks, and you can set the date range for the last 7-8 years ago to reduce the results. Then page through them! Lots of research topic ideas will show up. 

Create a bookmark folder in your browser to save web pages and install Zotero so you can start building a list of sources as you search; you can always narrow them down later. 

Make a copy of the Topic Development Handout and start filling in the columns (see an example).

• Drop-in: Stop by our Research Help Desk on Goldfarb 1 to get in-person help from a librarian during service hours. Masks required. 
• Consultation: Schedule a research consultation with a subject librarian or specialist; consultations can be offered in person or online via Zoom. Masks are required at in-person consultations.
• Email: researchhelp@brandeis.edu
• Chat: Use the "Chat with a Librarian" button on any of the Research pages to chat with a librarian during service hours.
• Phone: 781-736-4627

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Make an appointment or stop by during their drop-in hours.