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, including photography, sculpture and art history and theory. Subject coverage from the 19th century on. Some indexing of publications back to 1960s; full text often available for publications since ca. 2000.
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.