This guide is intended to help students with their BFA thesis research. Please use this guide as a refresher for library skills shared during class, as well as for additional research guidance. Remember, if you need more help, you can always contact Karen -- see the right sidebar.
As you're moving toward graduate-level studies, it's helpful to start learning about what kinds of information tend to be found in which sources. Here's a crash course, based on your BFA Thesis class.
Background or a broad view of your topic: Usually found in books. (Sample question: What is Impressionism?)
Definitions of art terms; background; artists' biographies: (Sample questions: What is the Heidelberg School? Where did Ronald Chee grow up?)
Includes two major art reference works, which contain bibliographies, articles, and images. Covers ancient to contemporary art and architecture. Oxford Art Online contains many images of art that are not available freely online. Limited to 6 simultaneous users.
Scholarly/peer-reviewed articles on your topic: (Sample question: Do experts believe that Van Gogh's work was influenced by the Italian Masters?)
Access the full-text of thousands of scholarly journals and books covering the humanities, social sciences, and business. Many journals extend to the first volume. Auraria Library has access to the JSTOR Archival Journals and Primary Sources Collection.
Full text plus abstracts of international peer-reviewed journals, exhibition reviews, trade publications, and museum bulletins. Topics inlcude new artists, contemporary art, archaeology, architecture, art history, film, industrial design, landscape architecture, marketing, photography, pottery, and sculpture.
Commentary from art critics: (Sample question: What did the New York Times' art critic think of Ronald Chee's latest gallery show?)
High-resolution images of art, along with basic information on the pieces shown:
ARTstor is a digital library that contains hundreds of thousands of high-resolution images of art, architecture, and archaeological artifacts. Each image is accompanied by descriptive information. The Auraria Library's subscription to ARTstor also offers ArchiVision (architecture) and Shared Shelf (images created and shared by campus faculty).
