Research Guides: ARTH 095: Cracking Visual Codes (SC): How to Find Scholarly Sources (Books and Articles)

Search Tripod

Tips for finding relevant articles

• Think up a few synonyms that describe your topic. Think about how scholars might discuss it, and if there are various spellings or translations that could come up in a scholarly article or book on your topic.

• Look out for Advanced Search forms (usually they have multiple search boxes). These can be useful for running 1 search that looks for articles matching any of those synonyms.

• Once you're comfortable with Advanced Search, you can run complex searches that try a lot of possibilities at once. Look for a Search History link, and you might be able to "cross" your various searches to find sources that include both sets of keywords, or match either set. (Confused? Ask a librarian!)

• In most databases, put exact phrases in double quotes "like this." To search for various word endings, use an asterisk, e.g. painting* brings up results for painting or paintings.

Use these websites to find scholarly journal articles

JSTOR
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JSTOR lets you search through scholarly journal articles in many subjects. On the Advanced Search page, check the box for Art & Art History to limit your search to scholarly journals in these fields.

Database quirks: JSTOR generally doesn't include articles published in the last three years - so it's not great for very recent topics.
International Bibliography of Art
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Lets you search for scholarly articles, books, and exhibition catalogs related to global art created since 1945, including architectural history as well as the visual arts.

Database quirks: This database picks up where the Bibliography of the History of Art leaves off. For best results, search both International Bibliography of Art (for articles published from ~2005-present) and Bibliography of the History of Art (for articles published up to 2007).
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA and RILA) This link opens in a new window
Lets you search for journal articles, books, and other sources in art history.

Database quirks: For best results, search both International Bibliography of Art (for articles published from ~2005-present) and Bibliography of the History of Art (for articles published up to 2007).
Art Full Text
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This database lets you find articles relating to art, architecture, and photography. It includes both scholarly journals and art magazines.

Database quirks: Art Index doesn't search the full text of journal articles. However, it does let you narrow down results to articles discussing a specific artist and/or work - run a search, click on an article, and you'll see which exact term is used to describe the artist and work - e.g. "Pissaro, Camile" instead of "Camile Pissaro."
ARTbibliographies Modern
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Abstracts of articles, books, exhibition catalogs and reviews of modern and contemporary art (late 1960s on) including photography, sculpture and art history and theory.
ProQuest Research Library
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Lets you search for scholarly journal articles across many different subjects. Includes recently published articles, so it's good for researching contemporary topics.
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
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Provides citations to journals in the fields of architecture, city planning, interior design, historic preservation and archaeology. Covers 1930-present.
Project Muse journals
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Lets you search for scholarly journal articles across many different subjects.
FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) Index to Film Periodicals Plus
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Lets you find articles from academic and popular film journals from 1972-present.