Getting started with academic research in architecture, art, and design

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Introduction to academic research

Academic research is is a multi-step process that doesn't always go in a straight line; you may find yourself returning to previous stages as you refine your topic. Steps include

We recommend you become familiar with the types of sources required for your research project:

At any stage during the research process, you can get help from a librarian by using the Ask a Librarian chat and email service, emailing or phoning a librarian or in person at one of the reference desks.

Databases listed here are good general-purpose databases for architecture, art, and design research. See the subject guides for lists of recommended, discipline-specific databases, plus contact information for that subject librarian.

World Book Advanced Encyclopedia

The World Book Advanced Encyclopedia provides HTML full-text reference articles, ebooks, literary criticism, U.S. Supreme Court cases, U.S. presidential papers, special reports, research guides, timelines, maps, images, and multimedia in all academic disciplines.

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Use this encyclopedia for background research on a topic, to refine or narrow a research topic, and confirm terminology (that you'll also use in subject-specific databases).

LexisNexis Academic

LexisNexis Academic is a collection of hundreds of databases covering topics such as news, business, legal research, people, and company information. The default start search form uses the Easy Search method in the General search tab. Select Power Search for more advanced search options. Use the Sources link to choose from individual databases. All content is full text in HTML. News sources 1977-present; legal source 1789-present.

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Use LexisNexis Academic to find recent news articles on architectural or art topics and to find people working in a design or professional area. Newspaper articles will be written for a popular audience, which will provide a general understanding of a research topic before you move on to scholarly articles.

Art & Architecture Complete from EBSCOhost

Art & Architecture Complete from EBSCOhost

Art & Architecture Complete indexes citations, abstracts, and some full text from journals, magazines, trade publications, and books covering all aspects of art and architecture. It also includes a large image collection. 1901-present.

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Art & Architecture Complete provides articles from both popular sources like magazines and trade journals that will give a general overview of a topic, and from scholarly sources that will go into much more depth. Use this database for general research into any architecture or art topic.

Art Full Text and Art Retrospective from EBSCOhost

Art Full Text indexes citations, abstracts, and full text from journals and other publications in art, architecture, design, and cinema. It also indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in indexed periodicals. Some full text available as HTML and PDF. Allows limiting to peer reviewed sources. Citations 1929-1984, abstracts from 1994, full text from 1997.

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Art Full Text is the comprehensive database to use for any architecture or art research. Use this database to find criticism or commentary on creative works, or to follow the works of an individual or movement.

Arts & Humanities Citation Index from Thomson Reuters

Arts & Humanities Citation Index from Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge

Arts & Humanities Citation Citation Index indexes citations and abstracts of journal literature of the arts and humanities. It also includes citations that refer to or review books, works of art, music scores, and performances. You can search cited references. 1975-present (older data available in print).

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Arts and Humanties Citation Index is a comprehensive arts database, covering hundreds of scholarly journals. Its features that analyze sets of citations is a vital step in advanced research.

2012-2013 Student Research Guide (PDF | 2MB)