Roberto Sifuentes

When doing research, the researcher should be familiar with the basic tools related to the field he is investigating. The researcher could have a manual of the bibliographic style preferred, i.e. M.L.A., to record and organize his/her findings. For the initial work, the investigator should take in consideration the following:

1.Use of special dictionaries and encyclopedias as related to the Arts, the Humanities and other disciplines. Use of the most important common dictionaries, dictionaries of authorities, etymological dictionaries, dictionaries of literature, dictionaries of concepts, dictionaries of citations, vocabularies, and refrain collections.

2.Use and evaluation of the most important manuals, the value of anthologies, and most important anthologies classified by epoch.

3.Use and evaluation of the most important historical manuals in order to understand the specific eras related to the studies chosen.

4.Use of text collections, evaluation and differences.

5.Use of special and general bibliographies. The journals in special disciplines.

6.Chicano studies journals, their evaluation and comparisons.

7.The problems encountered with the editions of certain publications; comparisons between first editions, facsimile editions, principal editions, annotated editions, paleographic edition and diplomatic editions.

Evaluation of Tools in Research and Investigation

1.Problems presented by the text. Difficulties arisen from the texts in relation to the eras. The variants. Evaluation of the variants and final decisions.

2.Biographical problems. Acquisition of documents. Utilization of data and documents. Adaptation of biographical data to the critique.

3.The problems associated with bibliography. Utilization of prior works. Reading a work in order to gather important data. Bibliographic cards. The text card. Notes Development. How to develop a textual transcription. How to do a citation.

4.Source studies. Selection of sources. Intention of these studies. Their value. How to investigate a source and how to elaborate the material.

5.Studies in literary history. Their value. Comparative literature. Evaluation and criticism.

6.Philological studies. Evaluation. Cautionary use of philology. How to annotate a text in a philological manner.

7.Stylistic studies. Definition and history. How to investigate the style. Evaluation and criticism of stylistics.

8.Sociological criticism. Definition and history. Intention and accomplishments. Evaluation.

9.Psychological criticism. Definition and history. Intention and accomplishments. Evaluation.

10.Formal and structural criticism. The structural sense of the work of art. Definition of a structures. Evaluation and criticism.

11.Critical impressionism. Values and errs. Critical eclecticism.

12.Development of a final work. Recommended precautions. Its publication. Problems of publication in given areas and languages.