How to Do Research at Paul Robeson Library: Art

Liaison Information: Vibiana Bowman Reference Librarian Phone: (856) 225-2832 bowman@crab.rutgers.edu

Welcome to the Research Help Page for the Paul Robeson Library.  The purpose of this page is to guide our students, faculty, staff, and visitors to through the research process in the area of Art.  In addition to links for locating print and electronic resources, this page will also guide you to links on general topics related to writing a research paper, such as “Citing Sources” and “How to Avoid Plagiarism.”

You input is valued and appreciated.  If you would like to comment or make a suggestion for a resource that you would like to see linked to this site, please contact the Web Administrator at bowman@crab.rutgers.edu. Thanks! 

Finding Books(Back to Top)

To Find a Book at the Paul Robeson Library Use:
IRIS the Rutgers University Libraries Catalog

Selective List Reference Books Available at Paul Robeson Library:The Dictionary of Art (REF N31.D5 1996)
International Dictionary of Art and Artists (REF N31.I58 1990)
World's Master Paintings From the Early Renaissance to the Present Day (REF ND40.W75 1991)
Paintings from Europe and the Americas in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (REF N685.A63 1994)
A Guide to the University Museum Archives of the University of Pennsylvania (REF CD3479.P5U55 1984)
Women Artists: A Historical, Contemporary and Feminist Bibliography (REF N8354.P55 1994)

For more detailed lists of Art Reference Books see:
Art Reference Sources
Art Research

Books Available Electronically
General Sites for Electronic Texts:
Australian Catholic University
(Note:  Search by Department – Religion or Philosophy)
Project Guttenberg
(Note:  Search by Title)
Electronic Text Center – University of Virginia
The Oxford Text Archive
(Note:  Search by Title)

Finding Articles  (Back to Top)

Types of Articles
     First, you need to know what kind of articles your instructor wants you to use in your paper.  There are two general types of articles:  those that come from general readership magazines such as Time, or Newsweek or those that come from research journals or scholarly journals such as Artforum International.   For complete information on how to recognize a scholarly journal, please go to “Types of Periodicals” on the Paul Robeson Library Web Site (http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/instruction/typesof.html)

Using an Index
     Now that you know what you are looking for you will need to use an index to find the article. Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) is a good starting place. This database is available on-line and has full-text of the articles from both general readership magazines and scholarly journals.  Search Tip: In order to find journal articles quickly, use the Guided Search instead of the default, Simple Search, and check off the boxes for "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed)" journals and "Full Text."

Scholarly Journals
     At some point, you will need to use the more specialized, scholarly indexes.  A list of these indexes for Art along with descriptions can be found at the Rutgers University Libraries Index Page (http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/art/art.shtml.)           

     The scholarly indexes may give you citations to articles as your search result.  A citation is not the complete article but it gives you enough information to locate the article in our library system.             

How to locate the periodical using a citation:

• Use the Journal name to search in the Catalog (IRIS)     
•  When you enter the search term, click on “Periodical Title” as your “Search Type.”
  
• The catalog will tell you if the periodical is at the same library as you, at a different Rutgers Library, not owned by Rutgers at all, or available on-line.
  
• Make sure that the search results match the date of the article you are trying to locate.
  
• If the periodical is available on-line, the catalog will display a link to use.
  
•  If the periodical is available at a different Rutgers Library than you are at you can click on “Request This Item’ to order it.
  
• If Rutgers does not own the periodical at all, you can request the article through Interlibrary Loan.
  
• If you get confused, contact a Reference Librarian.