Art 311b: Bibliography, Methods and Historiography of Art History: Your Assignment

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

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

1. New topics may not yet be included in the database's controlled vocabulary.
2. Using the appropriate subject heading for a topic will retrieve all items in the database indexed under that topic.
3. If you do not know the appropriate subject heading for your topic, conduct a keyword search first and look at the subject heading(s) of a relevant item.

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.
  • Most books are on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
  • For other locations, check the location codes table.
• 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.

Scholarly Journals (Peer-reviewed/Referreed)

• Authors 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 .
• In an individual record, click .

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:

Types of Web Sites: the url is a key

.gov .edu .org .com

Citation Styles: APA, Chicago, MLA, and others

APA Style

Chicago

• Chicago Manual of Style Online: Citation Quick Guide
• Chicago Manual of Style Online
• Brief Citation Guide for Internet Resources based on Turabian's principles.
• The Chicago Manual of Style (print version)

MLA

• MLA handbook for writers of research papers (print version)
• MLA Style - Quick Guide by Eric Garcia
• Sample MLA-Style Annotated Bibliography (PDF) by Dr. Karin Durán
• MLA Style Guide (PDF) by Eric Garcia
• MLA - Frequently Asked Questions
• EasyBib MLA style bibliography compose

Other Styles

• Scientific style and format: the CSE manual for authors, editors, and publishers (print version)
• The ACS style guide: effective communication of scientific information (print version)
• AIP Style Manual: online or print
• American Sociological Association Style Guide (print version)
• American Anthropology Association citation style guide

Art Writing

Writing Guides

A short guide to writing about art/ Sylvan Barnet.

Location: Reference  N7476 .B37 2011

Writing about art / Henry M. Sayre

Location: FLOOR3 BOOK N7476 .S29 2002

Writing for the visual arts / Mashey Maurice Bernstein.

Location: FLOOR3 PE479.A76 B47 2001

Contact Mary Woodley

Phone: (818) 677-6302
FAX: (818) 677-4928
Email address is mary.woodley@csun.edu