AVT 494: Teaching Critical

Response to Art PK-12

March 23, 20104:30PM

Library ResourcesLibrary Website:

Ask-a-Librarian→ IM… InfoGuides Research Portal

Library catalog: Books E-books (Net Library) DVD, VHS WRLC and more…

More Library Resources

Research Databases

Arts Databases Art Fulltext Design & Applied Arts (DAAI) ARTBibliographies Modern Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals Oxford Art Online ARTstor

More Library Databases

General Databases Academic Search Complete (exs: Digital Creativity,

Visual Studies, Visual Anthropology)

ProQuest Research Library (ex: British Journal of Photography, Journal of Glass Studies)

Wilson Omnifile (E-Journal Finder lists art journals, like Art in America, as available here)

JSTOR (exs: Artibus et Historiae, Museum Studies)

Humanities International Complete (exs: Art Asia Pacific, Word & Image)

Education Databases Eric Education Full Text  Education Research Complete

Other Helpful Databases PsycInfo PsycArticles Digital Dissertations Cultural Policy & the Arts National Data Archive

More Library Databases

Types of Information Online Catalog – Books can provide general overview

OR detailed insight about your topic

Research Databases – access to different types of periodicals (articles, reports…)

Primary Sources – Original records like letters, manuscripts, newspapers, interviews, photos, recordings, works of art

Reference Sources – From background information to images

The Web – benefits and limitations for research

Advantages of…Books Good for background information,

timeline, definitions, etc. Length allows author to go more in-depth

into a subject

Articles More specialized searching Better for newer artists/designers (may

not have books yet) More current information—more recently

published

Research Checklist

1. State your topic as a question.

2. Identify main concepts.

3. Narrow or broaden your topic.

4. Keep a list of terms that work best for your topic &

add to it as you go.

5. This works whether you’re writing a brief paper or

an in-depth research paper. It even works for an

artists statement, thesis proposal, or bibliography.

Search StrategiesKeyword:

• Simplest search• Looks for records that match the words typed, not the

ideas represented by the words

Controlled Vocabulary (Subjects):• Uses subject headings for more refined results• Looks for records that match the ideas represented by

the words.• Terms are standardized• Often active links

Keyword: Aboriginal art VS Subject Heading: Art, Australian aboriginal.

Keyword: David Malangi VS Subject Heading: Malangi, David, 1927-

More Search StrategiesBoolean Searching

AND/OR/NOTCombine keywords to narrow/broaden your search

AND— NARROWS YOUR SEARCHEX: Interior Design AND Color

OR—EXPANDS YOUR SEARCH

EX: Film or video            OR

     Wall paintings or murals

NOT—LIMITS TERMS FROM SEARCH             NOT 

Interior design

Wall paintings Murals

Maya Software

ColorAND

More Search StrategiesTruncation

Save time using Truncation searching…

1. In the catalog:Photograph? → Photograph, Photographs, Photography, Photographic, Photographer 

2. In the databases:Architect* → Architect, Architecture, Architectural, Architecturally, Architectonic

Reading a painting from the National Portrait Gallery…

Henry Cabot Lodge

Sitter:  Henry Cabot Lodge,  12 May 1850 - 9 Nov 1924

Artist:  John Singer Sargent, 1856 – 1925

Date of Work:  1890 

Medium:  Oil on canvas

Examples of Portrait Keywords

Portrait Object:  Beard / Facial Hair / Personal Attribute 

Portrait Object:  Chain / Jewelry / Clothing &

Apparel Portrait

Examples of Biographical Keywords

Distinction:  Lawyer / Law and Law Enforcement

Distinction:  Lecturer / Educator / Education

BrainstormLooking at the painting & its subject:

John Singer Sargent or Sargent, John Singer as Subject

Henry Cabot Lodge or Lodge, Henry Cabot as Subject

Oil painting or Oil on canvas

Portrait painting

American art → narrow to 19th-century American art

About the Portrait Sitter: Senator, Boston, Harvard…

Artistic influences or Artistic themes

Art and technique

Evaluate Your Sources

• Evaluate the sources you find!

• Print AND Online

• CRAAP Test:• Currency—Is the information out-of-date?

• Relevance—Is the information on topic?

• Authority—Who wrote the information?

• Accuracy—Is the information correct? • Purpose—What is the information intended to do?

Educate? Persuade? Entertain?

Research Process Define Your Topic (Identify main concepts; Narrow or

broaden topic; List of search terms )

Determine Your Information Needs (how current, specific publication type)

Locate and Retrieve Relevant Information (search strategies)

Access Information using Technology (catalog, databases, web)

Evaluate Information (print & electronic)

Use Information Ethically (cite sources)

Questions Stop by the Reference Desk

Ask-a-Librarian: IM, Email, etc.

(http://library.gmu.edu/ask)

Call the reference desk or your

liaison

InfoGuides (http://infoguides.gmu.edu/)

Visual Arts Liaison: Jenna Rinalducci