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Stefan's Florilegium

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research-msg - 10/26/19

 

Useful comments on doing research for SCA projects.

 

NOTE: See also the files: languages-msg, Med-Math-Sci-bib, Redacting-art, info-sources-msg, maps-msg, med-letters-msg, books-food-msg, publications-msg.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

 

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

   Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                         Stefan at florilegium.org

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Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 18:45:29 -0500 (CDT)

From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>

To: ansteorra at eden.com

Subject: Re: A & S standards

 

<Stefan li Rous<"Mark Harris" <mark_harris at riscgate.sps.mot.com>>>

>While I would like to hear your definitions and contrasts between all

>five of these and particularly the last two, we can take this to email

>unless you think others might be interested.

<PUG<Richard Bainter <pug at interval.net>>>

>I'm interested, and think others would be as well. Although I have

>concepts of what these are, I don't know what others think they are, nor

>the proper definitions. (Which I can of course look up, but doesn't tell

>me what others think they are.)

 

Since I have two on-list, and one off-, in favor of more spouting of

opinion :), and one of those is the guy running the place.  

 

Ok, as I learned this way back at the Pompous Academy, a "Primary"

source is the item in question that you are study.  A Secondary source

is one step removed from that item.  A Tertiary source is a further

remove than that.

 

For example, if I were going to discuss Medieval Shoes, if I had

access to a REAL Medieval shoe, that would be a Primary Source. A

photograph, or a detailed description of that shoe, would be a

Secondary source.  Someone relating what someone ELSE had to say about

that shoe would be a Tertiary source (This is the real reason for asking

for citations...  Unless you are a recognized authority in something or

other, and have explored that topic on your own, all you are likely to

be doing when relating "facts" is to be quoting what other people have

said about it, and as anyone who has ever played the "telephone game"

should be able to attest to, sometimes minor details can dissapear -- and

when enough minor details dissapear, the message becomes garbage.

 

(BTW, my shoe site is, with regards to actual medieval shoes, a Tertiary

source (at best); although it can be considered a secondary source regarding

making shoes that resemble medieval shoes, or shoes in a style I believe

resembles a Medieval one (since I *have* done that); and a primary source

(one of many, most of which are IMO better) if you were doing a study on

the various levels of scholarship on the 'Net.)

 

Let's look at this another way.  We have in this Society what has been

referred to as the "ubiquitous Viking Women's Tabard".  Not terribly long

ago, Gunnora made a reference to this on the Historical Costuming List,

and pointing out that this was an erroneous interpretation.  My wife, fussy

costumer that she is wanted me (she would have done it herself, but she

is still without email) to find out on what sources Gunnora had used to base

this statement.

 

(Note that this was not a criticism of Gunnora or her scholastic integrity,

but for something like this, had Talona simply *accepted* someone else's

word would have been inexcusably sloppy without some idea of WHY that other

person had made such a statement.)

 

Gunnora cheerfully supplied some sources most of which we immeadiately

placed InterLibrary Loan requests on.  We have now started to look at

the first of these, and what it appears has happened was that these

dresses were first excavated [Primary Sources]; they were described in

print by the Archaeologist, and the experts they consulted with [Secondary

Sources].  However, these were in German, and when these sources were

first quoted in English [Tertiary Source] a significant error crept in,

transforming the wraparound dress style to be described as a front and

back tabard.  Until recently, all of the costuming works that described

the dress in English, were based on that flawed tertiary source, which

means that (if this is the correct sequence of events, something I will

be able to state with more conviction when the German works we are

waiting on come in) everyone who made an outfit, basing their work, in

Good Faith, upon the work of THEIR sources runs the risk of looking

pretty stupid, or feeling like they look stupid.  (BTW, if you simply

take MY word for it, you are running a great risk, since I have no idea

at this point if the mistranslation hypothesis is supported by the original

German materials).

 

Are you seeing a pattern here ?  :)

 

I. Marc Carlson, Reference Librarian    |LIB_IMC at CENTUM.UTULSA.EDU

Tulsa Community College, West Campus LRC|Sometimes known as:

Reference Tech. McFarlin Library        | Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn

University of Tulsa, 2933 E. 6th St.    | University of Northkeep

Tulsa, OK  74104-3123 (918) 631-3794    | Northkeepshire, Ansteorra

 

 

Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 20:33:46 -0500 (CDT)

From: "I. Marc Carlson" <LIB_IMC at centum.utulsa.edu>

To: ansteorra at eden.com

Subject: Re: A & S standards

 

<Stefan li Rous<"Mark Harris" <mark_harris at riscgate.sps.mot.com>>>

>What is the difference between "Primary" and "Principle" sources? Or

>did I miss something in your explantion, Diarmuit? (Like a second

>message :-) )

 

I left that part out since I was starting to rant and froth at the

keyboard.  I'm better now, and will get to the other part of the topic.

Now, assuming the jargon I described to you is accurate, what is wrong

with the following statement: "I made these shoes using _Shoes and Pattens_

as my primary source"?  *Technically* there is nothing wrong with the

statement, so why are all those academics sharpening their quills with

their grinding teeth?  The problem is that *since* "primary" is a jargon

term for the "original" item, and its meaning of "principle" or "major"

comes second to that (see which definition comes first in the dictionaries),

the use of the term, while technically accurate, can often sound like an

illiterate jargon usage (for example, would you be caught dead saying that

"my car is my main mode of transmission"?).  Yes, the "problem" such as

it is, is with the anal academics (and I speak as somebody that the term

"my primary source" drives insane).

 

In short, by asking the question that way, I was intending to emphasis

the difference in meaning between "Primary" and Primary (we won't even

DISCUSS "primary").  I was asking if people knew the difference between

the jargon term and the simple English word that means the same as

Principle...

 

Diarmuit

 

 

Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 13:04:17 -0800

From: Mary Haselbauer <slaine at stlnet.com>

To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu

Subject: Documentation resource

 

I would like to recommend a book from my art history days.

 

Art Information: Research Methods and Resources 3rd edition

Lois Swan Jones.  Kendall/Hunt Publishing 1990

ISBN 0-8403-5713-3

 

I'm guessing that there is a more recent edition that

includes internet stuff.

This book is great! It has information about planning

searches, bibliographies, museums, citation and resources.

It's intended for all periods of art research but it has

a section on the middle ages and renaissance.

Extremly valuable are the mini dictionaries of art terms in

German, French, and Italian.

Cheers,

Slaine

 

 

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 11:24:23 -0500

From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net

Subject: Inter-Library Loan ( wasRe: Fwd:  RE: SC - Portuguese Cookbook)

 

And it came to pass on 7 Mar 01, , that Stefan li Rous wrote:

> OCLC??? RLIN??? Awk!!

>

> If one of the many librarians on this list would be willing to write

> a short overview article on using ILL (Inter-Library Loan) to do research,

> or how to use library resources in general for this, I'd like to have

> such an article for the Florilegium.

 

I am not offering to write an article, and I'm not sure if I'm really

qualified to do so.  I don't work in a university library, as some of

my colleagues on the list do.  I don't have access to OCLC or

RLIN, which are databases of the holdings of academic and major

public libraries.  I am a reference librarian in a medium-sized

suburban public library.  As such, I am probably typical of the

librarians that SCAdian researchers are likely to deal with, if they

don't have easy access to a university library.

 

Here are a few tips.  I am going to assume that you already have a

specific book in mind.  (Identifying specific titles in one's area of

interest is a whole article unto itself.)

 

1. Ask if your library has the book that you want.  You might be

pleasantly surprised.

 

2. Ask for an inter-library loan.  If the answer to question #1 is "no",

librarians will not always offer an ILL, even if one is possible.  

Depending on the library, that may mean dealing with the same

librarian, or going upstairs to the ILL department, or coming back

on Thursday, because Mrs. Doe is the only person who knows how

to do ILL.

 

3. Give as much information as possible about the book -- author,

title, publication date.  The ISBN (if any) is usually helpful.

 

4. If you need a particular edition/translation/volume, say so.  If you

only want the Flower and Rosenbaum translation of Apicius, tell

the librarian.  Otherwise, you may wind up with Vehling, or a copy

of the untranslated Latin text.  If you care about format, say so.  

Will a photocopy of pp. 27-35 do, or do you need the whole book?  

What about microfilm?

 

5. Ask about borrowing fees.  Sometimes there is one, sometimes

there isn't.  You may be asked to specify a fee limit.

 

6. Be prepared to wait.  An ILL request may take several weeks to

produce results.  Remember that your local librarian cannot make

the book arrive any sooner.  Once he/she has sent in the request,

it is out of his/her hands.

 

7. Be aware that the loan period is set by the lending library.  Two

weeks may not be long enough to study "The History of Pre-

Modern Ruritania", but complaining to your local librarian won't

help.  You can ask about renewals, but don't be surprised if the

answer is "no".  Or, as I sometimes tell patrons when they

complain, "Their book, their rules."

 

8. When the book arrives, treat it with care and respect, and be

sure to return it promptly and in good condition. "Lost book" fees

for out-of-print titles can be astronomical. Repeated problems may

cause your local library to cut off your ILL privileges.  Repeated

problems may cause a research library to cut off your local

*library's* ILL privileges.  ILL is a system of organized cooperation,

and if a certain library feels that the system is being abused, it can

tighten the restrictions on what it will loan, and to whom.

 

9. Be nice to your local librarian. Theoretically, every patron gets

the same level of service.  In practice, librarians are human beings,

and are likely to go a little further for people who treat them nicely.  

Joe Grumpy will get the ILL he asks for.  Jane Smiley will get her

ILL, but may also get unsolicited recommendations on other useful

books, or an offer to search a relevant database for more

information.

 

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

 

 

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 16:54:29 -0800 (PST)

From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: Inter-Library Loan ( wasRe: Fwd: RE: SC - Portuguese Cookbook)

 

- --- rcmann4 at earthlink.net wrote:

> And it came to pass on 7 Mar 01, , that Stefan li Rous wrote:

>

> > OCLC??? RLIN??? Awk!!

 

OCLC = Ohio College Library Computer system [IIRC]

RLIN = Research Library Information Network

 

And, no, individuals don't have access to either of

these.  They are inter-library computer systems, which

help libraries identify names, titles, & editions and

saves time and money with cataloging them.  My library

pays approximately $80,000 per year on our RLIN use.

 

> 6. Be prepared to wait.  An ILL request may take several weeks to

> produce results.  Remember that your local librarian cannot make

> the book arrive any sooner.  Once he/she has sent in the request,

> it is out of his/her hands.

 

And sometimes the local librarian has to ask more than

one library to borrow said book.  Said book could

already be circulating, or lost, or on the reserve

shelf and not available for ILL.  Or some libraries

are very selective about the kinds of libraries they

loan out to.  I once had to wait 6 months for a book

on ILL because the librarian had to go through at

least 6 libraries before she found one who would loan

the book out.  Sometimes it just takes time.

 

Thank you Brighid for such a well written post. I

couldn't have said it better.

 

Huette

 

 

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 23:58:14 -0500

From: rcmann4 at earthlink.net

Subject: SC - Re: Inter-Library Loan

 

And it came to pass on 7 Mar 01, , that Huette von Ahrens wrote:

> OCLC = Ohio College Library Computer system [IIRC]

> RLIN = Research Library Information Network

>

> And, no, individuals don't have access to either of

> these.  They are inter-library computer systems, which

> help libraries identify names, titles, & editions and

> saves time and money with cataloging them. My library

> pays approximately $80,000 per year on our RLIN use.

 

It is worth mentioning that the Library of Congress catalog is online

at http://catalog.loc.gov

It does not list every book in existence,and it does not tell you

what other libraries own a certain title, but it is quite useful.

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)

 

 

Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 09:11:40 -0500 (EST)

From: Jenne Heise <jenne at mail.browser.net>

Subject: Re: Inter-Library Loan ( wasRe: Fwd: RE: SC - Portuguese Cookbook)

 

> Only six months, eh? Four months ago, I was notified by

> the university library that a microfilmed thesis, ordered

> through ILL, was finally in and did I still want it considering I'd

> asked for it three years before?

> One wonders.

 

Oh. Important note: getting dissertations and theses through ILL is

generally pretty tough. (Well, if you had one of only two copies in the

world of something, how would YOU feel about loaning it to a complete

stranger.) If you need a US dissertation, blow the $25-$30 and buy it from

UMI. Some ILL departments will process this for you, but if you're an

independent scholar, you'll probably have to contact UMI directly, and

maybe get your copy electronically:

http://www.umi.com/hp/Products/Dissertations.html

--

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise             jenne at tulgey.browser.net

 

 

Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 09:14:47 -0500 (EST)

From: Jenne Heise <jenne at mail.browser.net>

Subject: Re: Inter-Library Loan ( wasRe: Fwd: RE: SC - Portuguese Cookbook)

 

> OCLC = Ohio College Library Computer system [IIRC]

> RLIN = Research Library Information Network

> And, no, individuals don't have access to either of

> these.  They are inter-library computer systems, which

> help libraries identify names, titles, & editions and

> saves time and money with cataloging them. My library

> pays approximately $80,000 per year on our RLIN use.

 

However, OCLC markets an 'end-user' system to libraries, called Worldcat,

which contains the OCLC holdings database but is searched like any other

index database. A very handy tool if you or some sympathetic librarian can

get access to it. (Many academic libraries buy access to Worldcat via a

subscription, which makes it economical for them to do marginal searching

which is impractical in the per-search charging model of the OCLC database

itself.)

- --

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise             jenne at tulgey.browser.net

 

 

Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 09:58:58 -0800 (PST)

From: Ginny Claphan <mizginny at yahoo.com>

Subject: SC - OCLC

 

And it came to pass on 7 Mar 01, , that Huette von Ahrens wrote:

> OCLC = Ohio College Library Computer system [IIRC]

 

Actually it's Online Computer Library Center in Dublin, Ohio (USA). Several SCA

people work there.

http://www.oclc.org.

 

Gwyneth

 

 

Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2007 19:17:09 -0500

From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] EEBO was tisane

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

EEBO_TCP is an academic database available through libraries.

Ask if your university library subscribes to it. It can run as much $30,000

per year to subscribe so not every library subscribes. Once in, search functions

are well described. You'll also want to check out the scanned images available as part of EEBO. Also the 18th century English texts are being put up as

part of ECCO.

 

Johnnae

 

emilio szabo wrote:

> I appreciate your help very much! Of course I was excited to hear

> about EEBO-TCP and a searchable text of Gerarde 1633 etc. snipped

> Again: I would be happy to learn more about the EEBO-TCP facilities.

> Emilio

 

 

Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:34:31 -0400

From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Two questions

 

On Sep 11, 2009, at 10:11 PM, David Walddon wrote:

<<< Johnnae,

Tell me it isn't so!

A coin operated microfilm reader!

I bet it has the slimy paper too!

Seattle has the new USB Microfilm reader.

SO COOL!!!

It "prints" (I think to PDF) right to your USB thumb drive!

And then you can ZOOM in!

Eduardo >>>

 

Part of the problem with microfilm collections is that if the old technology

works and they can still get supplies .. well yeah you might well encounter

slick paper copiers in the microfilm rooms. They are so underutilized these days...

Or you could encounter an excellent new reader scanner/printer or nothing at all in terms of a printer that makes copies.

(Our local public library has a reader but no printer which means those using

interlibrary loaned microfilms must copy information off by hand.)

Numerous libraries did buy Early English printed book collections in microfilm

and those collections are still there. Libraries that can't afford the online EEBO collection can still provide access to the books. It's just more work.

 

(BTW, the trick with slick paper copies is to make a plain paper copy of the slick copies as soon as possible. Then store the slick paper copies in an archival box. I have copies I made from microfilm from the 1980's that are in perfect shape because I did this.)

 

I used a brand new scanner at the UM to make a copy of a work that I  

owned on microfilm several years back.

(I shall just say it's a cookery book from 1500.)

It took hours and hours. Luckily they hadn't connected it to a coin/

charge machine yet, so they let me have my copies for free since I was a librarian.

 

People may gripe about EEBO and EEBO-TCP but they have really  

revolutionized the study of English texts.

 

Johnnae

 

 

Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:12:36 +1100

From: Lalita Tanner <duneheve at gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [Lochac] Question on researching a location

To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"

        <lochac at lochac.sca.org>

 

Im afraid I don't know how ILL (Inter-Library Loan) may differ in the US

vs. Australia/New Zealnad, but perhaps this file in the INFO-SOURCES section

of the >Florilegium might help.

Using-ILL-art      (8K) 11/09/03    "Interlibrary Loan" by Aelfwynn of

Whitby

 

Most of the information looks like what we do in Australia for Interlibrary

Loans. Libraries Australia, the database that can be used to find items in

other libraries in the country has changed to Trove which can be found at :

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ .  Cost and time depend on the level of standard

that has been requested.  Core level takes 4 working days for either the

item or a negative response to be sent. The cost is $13.50 but not all

libraries make the patron pay the cost, it depends on the institution.

There is also express and rush, 2 hours and 24 hours respectively but they

also cost way more.

 

Madelina of Duneheve

 

 

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:56:58 +0000

From: yaini0625 at yahoo.com

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Google and BSB / direct link to grater image

 

<<< Question about Google books:

Is there a way to save a page?

 

I sometimes find some useful information and cannot figure out a way

to save a page. So i retype the text into a text program. I realize

that they are protecting copyright, and i am not trying to save a

whole book. But it sure would be easier to be able to save the page

--

Someone sometimes called Urtatim >>>

 

I have found that it depends on the book or writings. If it is in PDF format or option you can save it to your computer. I have done that for the Gragas. For other books I found you can only save the link only. I have notebooks after notebooks full of notes based on books I have found on Google Books.

One draw back I found with some Google Books is that the publishers don't always post the whole book.

Has anyone successfully downloaded any books to the Kindles-like thingys?

Aelina the Saami

Aka in the Roman World as Tibia Fibula Gimpia

 

 

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2010 11:16:41 -0700 (PDT)

From: emilio szabo <emilio_szabo at yahoo.it>

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Google books: save a single page

 

<< Question about Google books:

Is there a way to save a page? >>

 

One way to save a single page, that is on your screen, is to use e.g. Firefox's

option SAVE AS with the parameter setting "whole/complete website" to a specific

place on your hard drive. If you do that, you will find several files in the

directory <specific place>, one of them is a JPEG file with the page you want.

 

E.

 

 

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:29:14 -0400

From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcarrollmann at gmail.com>

To: yaini0625 at yahoo.com, Cooks within the SCA

        <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Google and BSB / direct link to grater image

 

On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 1:56 PM,  <yaini0625 at yahoo.com> wrote:

<<< Has anyone successfully downloaded any books to the Kindles-like

thingys? >>>

 

Books in public domain, yes.  I use freeware called Calibre to convert

some files into Kindle-friendly formats.

 

Brighid ni Chiarain

 

 

Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2012 13:33:30 -0600

From: James Prescott <prescotj at telusplanet.net>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Search Techniques

 

A brief partial answer.  Five years ago if you wanted an old book you

had to go to a university library.  If it wasn't at your own university,

you had to do inter library loan.

 

Today, that's changing fast.  Very fast.  Google Books, plus the French

Gallica, plus Archive (only the facsimiles), plus Open Library, plus

assorted university and government and even personal libraries now have

facsimiles of old books not only available but also searchable, which is

something you can't do as easily with a printed book, even a well-indexed

printed book.

 

Most of the above are available free.  Some others are behind pay walls

that you would need subscribing library or university affiliation to use.

 

I've done a couple of research projects in the past two years (one cooking,

one non-cooking) that would have been almost literally impossible five

years ago.  A facsimile is 99% primary source, since I don't need to see

the actual physical book for my kind of research.

 

For me entry to all of the above is via Google or Google Scholar.  I will

occasionally check a really tough query using the other search engines,

but in the past two years they've never come through with something that

Google did not know about.  Ten years ago they would occasionally find

stuff that Google couldn't, and I keep hoping.

 

For questions, I'd still use this list, and other SCA lists, rather than

Facebook for queries, though that is slowly changing.  I work from a

desktop computer, not a laptop or phone.  I have one question pending

that I sent to a museum by email.

 

I sometimes will search online before going to a book that I know I have

in my library, because of the online ability to search within the book.

 

There is still nothing online that beats going directly to my big OED

(I have not bought the up-to-date digital version, though I probably

should). Same thing for my half-dozen French dictionaries, Latin, etc.

I pick them up first before going online.  Oh, the older Larousse

Gastronomique also, the one before they modernized it to useless.

 

Still, your question is relevant since I find occasionally that I'm not

going to books that I possess, but hoping instead that an online search

will find me the equivalent information.  A form of creeping laziness.

 

For finding modern interpretations of old recipes, online, though I do

not make frequent use of these.

 

Thorvald

 

At 11:38 AM -0400 10/4/12, Johnna Holloway wrote:

<<< This may seem a bit offbeat, but I thought maybe this list might

like the topic.

 

For a talk I am scheduled to give at a cookery conference down the road,

I have been looking once more into the larger question of how

people go looking for information on historical Medieval and

Renaissance cookery, foods, and/or recipes.

 

Where do you look for information and ideas on medieval foods and

feasts in 2012 as opposed to say back in 2002 or 1992? The web and

lists first?

Have the lists of yesteryear been supplanted by Facebook?

 

If seeking information, do you post the query before attempting to

look on your own?

Or do you Google first? Is this being driven by use of cellphones

and not computers? Is it easier to post the query than to search

on the smartphone? Do people also not respond to a query now

because it's harder to do so from a smartphone?

 

How about Resources at home? Do you buy fewer books?

How about using Resources/databases through a library? Do you ever

look through a book at home first?

 

How have your search techniques changed?

 

Medieval recipes? Do you look at books at home first or turn

to the web?  Which sites do you use and trust?

Have you dropped out of researching ? After an N number of years,

you no longer care to keep up with the field. You've retired.

 

I was told recently that someone did all of his/her medieval

cookery research for an SCA "cookbook"

by using Yahoo and the term "medieval". The author didn't check the

validity of the sources.

Yahoo was good enough! "All of the information [needed] is just there!"

When questioned if this was good enough, the author was of the

opinion that everyone's research was equally valid  and ok because

this was the SCA.

 

Johnnae >>>

 

 

Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:21:41 -0400 (EDT)

From: Galefridus Peregrinus <galefridus at optimum.net>

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Search Techniques

 

I find that the primary reference database that I use the most is Google

Scholar (scholar.google.com), which lists books, theses, scholarly

articles, and various other sources. It works pretty well for culinary

history. I also make extensive use of bibliographies of existing books.

The thing is, these resources are more helpful in locating scholarship

about food and cooking than in locating primary sources that I might not

have been aware of. Interestingly, the bibliographies of Wikipedia

articles tend to be good for finding the primary stuff, especially if

you have a name. Wiki articles about medieval cooks and physicians will

often include a list of their works, and I often find out about useful

primary materials in that way.

 

One trick that I've used productively is to google the primary source,

which often results in a list of articles and books about that source,

many of which may contain redacted recipes.

 

Recently I've taken to visiting the Prospect Books web site every so

often and scanning the tables of contents of their most recent books, or

recent issues of Petits Propos Culinaires. Lots of interesting and

useful stuff to look at there.

 

I tend not to ask for help until after I've exhausted my own resources,

at which point I may post to this list, or possibly contact a known

scholar in the hope that he or she will respond positively to my request

for information.

 

-- Galefridus

 

 

Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2012 09:58:38 -0700

From: David Friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Search Techniques

 

I have machine readable texts of translations of a number of cookbooks

on my desktop--the same texts I have webbed on my site. Unlike printed

books, they are searchable. So one of the first things I would do would

be a search of likely candidates, such as the Anonymous Andalusian. My

current interest, al-Warraq, I only have as hardcopy, and that might be

my next target. I use the web to get information and to find sources for

ingredients I can't find locally, but I don't think I've ever used it to

look for primary source recipes, and my only real interest in secondary

source recipes is to occasionally look at how someone else has done

something I'm already familiar with.

 

 

Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:09:17 +1300

From: tamara at suncrow.com

Subject: [Lochac] Met Publications online

To: "Shambles  \(Lochac\)" <lochac at sca.org.au>

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is putting their publications  

online, including entire eBooks, for free.

 

Oooh. I see at least three books I want just on the first page of the  

"Titles with full text online" section...

 

Kazimira

 

------------------------

 

MetPublications is a portal to the Met?s comprehensive publishing  

program. Beginning with nearly 650 titles published from 1964 to the  

present, this resource will continue to expand and could eventually  

offer access to nearly all books, Bulletins, and Journals published by  

the Metropolitan Museum since the Met's founding in 1870. It will also  

include online publications.

 

MetPublications includes a description and table of contents for  

almost every title, as well as information about the authors, reviews,  

awards, and links to related Met bibliographies by author, theme, or  

keyword. Current titles that are in-print may be previewed and fully  

searched online, with a link to purchase the book. The full contents  

of almost all other titles may be read online, searched, or downloaded  

as a PDF, at no cost. Books can be previewed or read and searched  

through the Google Books program. Many out-of-print books are  

available for purchase, when rights permit, through print-on-demand  

capabilities in association with Yale University Press.

 

Readers may also locate works of art from the Met's collections that  

are included within each title and access the most recent information  

about these works in Collections.

 

Readers are also directed to every title located in library catalogues  

on WATSONLINE and WorldCat.

 

Please check back frequently for updates and new book titles.

 

MetPublications is made possible by Hunt & Betsy Lawrence.

 

 

From: galefridus at optimum.net

Subject: Re: [Sca-librarians] Looking for 'Research Tips" for TI

Date: December 6, 2012 10:43:56 AM CST

To: Jennifer Heise <jenne.heise at gmail.com>

Cc: sca-librarians at lists.gallowglass.org

 

Here's one of my favorites:

 

As a food and cooking geek, I've found that one of the premier publishers of culinary history is Prospect Books (https://prospectbooks.co.uk/intro). Once a month or so I browse through their New and forthcoming titles list, and I often find items of interest. Most title listings include a pdf of the table of contents and front matter; if not, you'll always find at least a table of contents. The individual issues of their journal, Petits Propos Culinaires, are also worth looking at -- not only will you get the table of contents of the individual issue, but you'll also get pretty much the entirety of the news and reviews section, which can be extremely valuable.

 

-- Galefridus

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Jennifer Heise

Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 9:56 pm

Subject: [Sca-librarians] Looking for 'Research Tips" for TI

To: sca-librarians at lists.gallowglass.org

 

> Have a favorite website to use for SCA research? TI can use

> reviews of

> those sites as "Research Tips" and would love to get some.

> Anyone up for it?

>

> --

> Jennifer Heise

> known in the SCA as Jadwiga Zajaczkowa

 

 

From: Chantelle Gerrard <chantellegerrard at gmail.com>

Subject: [Lochac] A useful resource....

Date: May 22, 2014 5:05:21 PM CDT

To: New Zealand SCA discussion <althing at sca.org.nz>, "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list" <lochac at lochac.sca.org>, Barony of Ildhafn <ildhafn at sca.org.nz>, "cluain at sca.org.nz" <cluain at sca.org.nz>

 

This may have come up in discussion before, but I was shown something very helpful the other day that some people may not know about.. Google Art Project.

 

If you type in Google art project into your browser or follow the link

below it will take you to a site that allows you to browse art/design and architecture etc collections all over the world. If you are looking for an artist or designer - it is there. You can also make 'play lists' and a few other things on the site....

 

https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/project/art-project

 

the other thing that some people still may not know about is Google

scholar, if you type it in once again to the browser it may help with

finding journal entries, Theseus publications and more than usual reliable references/articles than the internet can usually provide.....

 

I am not very technological - and so I wasn't exposed to these things until recently - so I am assuming they may be useful to others.....

 

happy browsing!

Christine Bess Duvaunt.

 

 

From: Ian Whitchurch <ian.whitchurch at gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [Lochac] A useful resource....

Date: May 26, 2014 5:58:56 PM CDT

To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list" <lochac at lochac.sca.org>

 

Speaking of theseus publications, I find a useful trick with google to

leave a thread behind me that I can follow is to search for [whatever] as

[whatever] [bibliography] - this ideally throws out all links that dont

have a bibliography.

 

If you need specific journal articles that are behind paywalls, because

Eslevier or some other enemy of learning has walled them up, it usually

works to just ask here, and then someone or other grabs them and passes

them on.

 

Anton

 

 

On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 8:05 AM, Chantelle Gerrard <

chantellegerrard at gmail.com> wrote:

<<< 

This may have come up in discussion before, but I was shown something very

helpful the other day that some people may not know about.. Google Art

Project.

 

If you type in Google art project into your browser or follow the link

below it will take you to a site that allows you to browse art/design and

architecture etc collections all over the world. If you are looking for an

artist or designer - it is there. You can also make 'play lists' and a few

other things on the site....

 

https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/project/art-project

 

the other thing that some people still may not know about is Google

scholar, if you type it in once again to the browser it may help with

finding journal entries, Theseus publications and more than usual reliable

references/articles than the internet can usually provide.....

 

I am not very technological - and so I wasn't exposed to these things until

recently - so I am assuming they may be useful to others.....

 

happy browsing!

Christine Bess Duvaunt. >>>

 

 

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2016 22:38:46 -0500

From: Douglas Bell <debell77840 at gmail.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 2016 Silly Season Starts

 

On Sat, Jul 30, 2016 at 10:21 PM, Susan Lin <susanrlin at gmail.com> wrote:

<<< Thanks.  What is Worldcat? >>>

 

WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog

 

https://www.worldcat.org/

 

Magnus

 

 

Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2016 07:28:07 -0400

From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 2016 Silly Season Starts

 

Worldcat at one time was known as OCLC. It was a shared cataloguing database for libraries. (I can remember the first OCLC terminals arriving at the UofI back in the 1970s.) It's now up online for anyone to use. It allows you to identify items that might be of interest and construct a bibliography, or verify sources as to spelling, year, proper title, etc. In this case browsing the subject headings I gave you should turn up other titles to seek out and loan in. It's a research tool of the first order. We used to wait in line to use a terminal during the half hour free time a day; now you can use it anytime, anyplace.

 

http://www.worldcat.org

 

http://www.worldcat.org/whatis/

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldCat

 

Johnnae

 

 

Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2016 13:19:03 -0400

From: JIMCHEVAL at aol.com

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 2016 Silly Season Starts

 

Worldcat is indeed a precious tool. Regular users should be aware however  

that it is not complete. I was surprised to discover someone had found one

of my  own books in her local library, one not indexed in worldcat. On the

other hand, one of my books is listed as being at a certain library, but that library no longer holds it.

 

Not a big deal - these are what we call in IT "edge cases" - but something  

to consider for some research.

 

Jim  Chevallier

http://www.chezjim.com/

 

 

Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2016 15:33:58 -0500

From: Stefan li Rous <stefanlirous at gmail.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 2016 Silly Season Starts

 

<<< All bibliographic catalogs and databases have their errors and inconsistencies, but Worldcat beats using the printed volumes of the NUC when it comes to a quick search.

 

Johnna >>>

 

Uh, for us non-librarians, can you translate that, please?

NUC? why is using the printed volumes important?

 

Stefan

--------

THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad   Kingdom of Ansteorra

 

 

Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2016 16:35:59 -0500

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 2016 Silly Season Starts

 

National Union Catalog.  It's a publication that was started in the 1950s

as an extension of the Library of Congress union cataloging project.  There

are two sections to the catalog, Pre-1956 and Post-1955.  The Pre-56 section

has been published in hard bound takes 130 feet of shelf space and weighs

roughly 3 tons.  The NUC is now published as microfiche.  It contains

roughly 20% more entries than Worldcat, although that is slowly being

corrected.  The NUC is considered the gold standard for North American

library catalogs.

 

I've encountered it once in my researches, so Johnna can certainly provide

more detail than I.

 

Bear

 

 

Date: Mon, 01 Aug 2016 20:49:04 -0400

From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 2016 Silly Season Starts

 

There's a quick summary here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Union_Catalog

 

There is an entire world of printed library and union catalogs. The best of the research libraries in this country owned them all. What were they used for? Bibliographic verification, cataloguing information, holdings to a degree, etc. They are largely superseded by the online catalogs and databases, yet sometimes they are still valuable and there are scholars who still use them. Today it's often a question of retention. See this paper for information about medium sized libraries keeping or discarding their sets.

 

https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/asu/f/Abbott_Scherlen2013_NUC.pdf

 

Johnna

 

 

From the fb " SCA Library of Alexandria - A&S discussions with the Laurels of our Realms" group:

 

Genny Grim

This book is my go-to for learning to do research. (I'm a university librarian and this is the book I give our new students.)

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Guide-Library-Research/dp/0199931062/ref=redir_mobile_desktop/260-3984167-2592803?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=dp_ob_neva_mobile

 

Sata Prescott

Hi there! Friendly neighborhood librarian speaking! Others have mentioned research classes, but your local college might also offer a free research seminar. For internet research, I can recommend the program Zotero for helping organize notes, sources, and pulled quotes. I can also mention that JSTOR has a generous free membership. It is probably the best access you can get to academic materials online without university or industry buying power. As a last note, one of the quick-n-dirty research techniques I can dispense is: Find one resource you can use, and look to see if they offer a bibliography. If they do, investigate all of those. Repeat process. And primary sources are king.

October 1, 2017 at 10:15am

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
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