research guides

RESEARCH GUIDES

ART 600

•Barnet, S. A short guide to writing about art (7th ed., 2003)

N7476 .B37 2003 Art reference

Good at explaining the difference between various kinds of writing about art--interpretive, analytical, etc. Briefly discusses different critical approaches. Long section, "Getting ideas," suggests questions to ask oneself when confronting an artwork. Effective at integrating the use of reference sources into the research and writing process.

•Barzun, J. and H. Graff. The modern researcher (5th ed., 1992)

LB2369.B28 1992 Art reference

Written primarily for history grad students, but much of it is applicable to any scholarly discipline in the humanities. Covers topics like how to take notes effectively, how to use the library, how to deal with manuscript material, how to figure out if documents are authentic, how to develop an instinct for verifying facts. Long final section on how to write up your research so it is informative and coherent.

•Carrick, N. How to find out about the arts: a guide to sources of information (1965)

Z5931.C3 1965 Art reference

Old but very comprehensive. Contains chapters on types of art reference books--bibliographies, encyclopedias, etc.--then a chapter each on the various art forms and their principal information sources. More than just a bibliography, it explains how reference materials fit into art history research. Illustrated with sample pages from various works.

•Goldman, B. Reading and writing in the arts: a handbook (rev. ed., 1978)

Z5931.G6 1978 Art reference

First half of the book is a general art bibliography; the rest is a long chapter on how to do research and writing in art history. Contains interesting section on how to judge the quality of the art historical writing of others.

•Jones, L. Art information and the internet: how to find it, how to use it (1999)

N59 .J66 1999 Art reference

Thorough, but now somewhat dated, survey of art history-related websites.

•Jones, L. Art information: research methods and resources (3rd ed., 1990)

N85.J64 1990 Art reference

Very comprehensive, but badly written. Includes almost everything you'd ever want to know about art/architectural history research problems and how to overcome them, but there is hardly a sentence in the book that does not make you grit your teeth and strain to figure out its meaning.

•Mann, T. Oxford guide to library research (1998)

Z710.M23 1998 HASRC (Lane Room)

Not specific to any one subject area, but a very well written introduction to many basic research library sources and how to get the most out of them.

•Muehsam, G. Guide to basic information sources in the visual arts (1978)

N7425.M88 Art reference

Very clearly written, but attempts to cover a great deal of territory in very little space, so it gets a bit superficial in places. But useful for basic definitions and information. First two chapters particularly helpful: "How to get information about artists, "How to research a work of art."

•Pacey, P., ed. Art library manual: a guide to resources and practice (1977)

Z675.A85 A78 Art stacks

Not written for graduate students, but for the novice librarian who suddenly finds him or herself managing an art library. Contains useful chapters on various kinds of art history materials--exhibition catalogs, bibliographies, journal article indexes/abstracts, etc.