CSUN WordmarkOviatt Library

Art History and Studio Art: Research Strategies

Access Databases from Off Campus

Only current CSUN students, faculty and staff can access our databases from off campus. To access the databases from off campus, click the name of the database. You will then see a screen asking you to log in, using your CSUN User ID and password (the same ID and password you use to log in to the portal).

An alternative is to download and use the campus Virtual Private Network. This allows you to use your computer as if it was on campus. The VPN also supports uploading files to your campus udrive.

For more information, see Accessing Library Resources from Off-Campus and the Library's Copyright Statement (in particular, the Appropriate Use of Oviatt Library's Electronic Resources section).

Know Your Assignment Requirements

Research Assignment and Instructor Expectations

  • Completed by due date (the Research Project Calculator can help you plan to finish on time)
  • Length of finished product
  • Sources selected and used
  • References/citation form
  • Organization and flow of ideas
  • Writing skills

Topic Selection

  • Select/define/refine/focus your idea
  • Brainstorm
  • 5 Ws (who, what, why, when, where) and how
  • Determine if you will be able to cover all the important points of your topic in the space you have to fill

Developing a Search Strategy

  1. Once you have chosen a topic, write it down in the form of a question or brief statement:
    What was the influence of the Ottoman Empire on the art & architecture in Venice?
  2. Underline the key words and phrases that are most specific to your topic.
    What is the relationship between Ottoman and Venice?
  3. Write down each key word or phrase, and underneath it, list synonyms or related terms.
    Use a dictionary or thesaurus to find additional keywords.  For example:
Ottoman Venice Arts
Turkish Turk  Northern Italy painting architecture sculpture 
  1. Think about the singular, plural, and other endings of words and write down the root of the word.
    Art Architecture  
    arts artists church churches basilica  
  2. Write down your key words and phrases along with their synonyms in the form of a Boolean search statement. Use the root word, and truncate it with an asterisk (*). Note: Different databases use different truncation or wildcard symbols. Check the database's help page. For example:

    (Art or painting or sculpture) and (turk* or ottoman) and (church* basilica)

Keyword Searching

  1. Use keyword when your term may be very new, very distinctive, or jargon, e.g. "instant messaging", "XML".
  2. Use a variety of keywords. There may be additional items on your topic that use different terms.
  3. Be aware that you may retrieve items not related to your topic (called false drops)
  4. When you cannot remember the exact title of an item, do a keyword search using the title words you remember.

Subject Searching Examples

Looking at the results, you would hopefully recognize the book you were seeking (in this case, #2).

  1. Conduct a keyword search using the term "ocean birds"
    You searched for the WORD: ocean birds
      QL673.L73 1984b
    Author: Lofgren, Lars.
    Title Ocean birds: their breeding, biology & behavior / Lars Lofgren.
    Publisher Beckenham, Kent: Croom Helm, c1984.
    Description 240 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm.
    Bibliography Bibliography: p.236
    Subject Sea birds.
  2. Once you have a relevant item, check the subject heading.
  3. Now conduct a subject search using the correct subject heading, sea birds.

    You searched for the SUBJECT    : sea birds.
    23 SUBJECTS found with 37 ENTRIES
    1. Sea Birds---3 related Subjects
    2. Sea Birds- (11 entries)
    3. Sea Birds--Behavior
    4. Sea Bird-Ecology

By selecting #2, you will get a list of all the items on the topic of ocean birds (indexed in the database as "sea birds"). Note also the list of subject headings allows you to locate items on more specific topics as well as related topics.

Narrow or Broaden Your Search

Use AND between terms to narrow your search

example: television and violence and children

Use OR and/or truncate (*, ?) words to broaden your search

example: children or youth or adolescents
example: child* (will find child, children, etc.) Note: check online help for  the correct truncation symbol

Find a Book on the Shelves

  • Check the Status field of the book's record in the catalog.
    • IN LIBRARY - book is available for checkout.
    • DUE + date - book has already been checked out.
  • The Location field shows the general location of the book.
  • The Call # field gives the book's call number, which serves as the book's address in the library. Each row of books on the 2nd and 3rd floors will have a sign at the end indicating which call numbers can be found on that row.

How to Read Call Numbers

Scholary Journals (Peer-Reviewed/Referred)

Peer-reviewed/Referred  Peer Reviewed

 

  • AuCover image for Vol. 17 Issue 4thors are authorities in their fields.
  • Authors cite their sources in endnotes, footnotes, or bibliographies.
  • Individual issues have little or no advertising.
  • Articles must go through a peer-review or refereed process.
  • Articles are usually reports on scholarly research.
  • Illustrations usually take the form of charts and graphs.
  • Articles use jargon of the discipline

 

Saving Items to E-mail, Print or Download from the Library Catalog

To save items:

  • From a multiple item results list, select the checkboxes next to the items you wish to save, then click Save Marked Records.
  • In an individual record, click Save Record.

To export items:

  1. To e-mail, print or download saved items, click the "View Saved" button.
  2. Choose an export format:
    • "Brief Display" includes publication information only.
    • "Full Display" includes location, call number, subject headings, and other descriptive information.
    • "End-Note/RefWorks" to export citations for use in EndNote Web, EndNote Desktop, or Refworks.
  3. Under "Send list to" choose an export method:
    • For e-mail: select E-mail and provide a "Mail To" address and subject line
    • For printing: select screen (you will use the browser's print function)
    • For saving as a text (.txt) file or other file format: select local disk
  4. Click Submit.

Evaluating Print & Electronic Resources

World Wide Web sites come in many sizes and styles. How do you distinguish a site that gives reliable information from one that gives incorrect information? Below are some guidelines to help.

For both print and Internet resources, consider:

  

Authority
Content
Coverage
Timeliness
Accuracy
Objectivity

Types of Web Sites: the url is a key

.gov
.edu
.org
.com

Citation Styles: APA, Chicago, MLA, and others

APA Style

Chicago

MLA

Other Styles