Concordia Libraries Art History 200 Workshop Part 2 Finding Journal Articles using Databases
Workshop Session 2 Journal (Periodical) Literature journals magazines newspapers Find journal articles using Database tools
ARTH 200 Assignment 2 Identify and provide brief photocopied or printed information from the following: Databases (choose 2) article databases (choose 2 databases and then list the 10 most promising article records identified through each database); include the records for the 20 articles you choose; also include your search history (using the d database s search history function where available, or creating your own record of searches if it is not). journal articles (choose the best 4 from among the 20 records you found in the previous step); include title page and up to 5 relevant pages, with key passages highlighted.
Journals, Magazines & Newspapers You will usually want to use a combination of academic (scholarly) journals and magazines and sometimes newspapers: Academic/Scholarly authors are usually university professors or researchers articles are generally at least 8-10 pages in length & include extensive bibliographies Ince, J. The Vocabulary of Freedom in 1948: the Politics of the Montreal Avant-Garde. Journal of Canadian Art History 6.1 (1982): 36-65. Magazines authors not necessarily academics or researchers articles generally include images & illustrations and rarely include bibliographies Newall, Christopher. The Last Romantics from generation to generation. Apollo 129 (March 1989): 203-5. Newspapers may be only source of published information on emerging artists, recent event or lesser known artist earlier artists.
Some types of documents in journals Research Article Interviews Book reviews Exhibition reviews Reproductions of art works And more Remember not all articles in scholarly journals are academic or scholarly always evaluate articles
Journals at Concordia Libraries Libraries don t subscribe to every journal, so you may have to check other libraries or use Interlibrary Loans to get a copy of articles you want The library subscribes to many online journals BUT.. some journals are still published only in paper (Paper journals are available on the 4th floor of the Webster Library (older than 10 years are at the Vanier Library). to check if the library subscribes to a journal, search the library catalogue. To check if a journal is available as online subscription, check the e-journal page Use the JOURNAL TITLE search option Type in the journal title. not the article titles Always check to see if the date you require is available You can use Article Delivery service to request scans of articles from paper journals
Steps: Finding articles using Databases 1. Identify key concepts related to object and prepare keywords 2. Identify relevant databases to use check Art History Subject Guide 3. You may have to do many searches using different combinations of keywords to find relevant documents 4. Print or Save Search History 5.Mark records you want to save to e-mail, print, or export 6. If the pdf of the articles are not available in the database, use the linker to check if journal is available in Concordia Libraries If the linker doesn t work or not available, check the library catalogue Journal Title search or contact Reference or Chat services.
Search Example: Marcelle Ferron. Les grandes formes qui dansent. Stained glass. 1968
Getting Background Information identify keywords for searching Marcelle Ferron was an active participant in Les Automatistes, led by Paul- Emile Borduas, and pursued an innovative artistic career including noteworthy work in stained glass. She was made a Knight of the National Order of Québec in 1985 and was promoted to Grand Officer in 2000. After studying at the École du Meuble in Montréal and the École des beauxarts in Québec City, Ferron became part of Les Automatistes, signing that association's polemical manifesto, Refus Global, in 1948. Ferron s Champs-de-Mars window is widely regarded as her masterpiece. Extending across three walls of the station s spacious mezzanine (it is 60 meters long and has a maximum height of nine meters), the piece principally consists of wide, swooping bands of red, blue and green. The Canadian encyclopedia online
Prepare keywords Object type/ medium: glass mural public art Materials / technique: stained glass or window Artist: Marcelle Ferron Country: Quebec Canada Time Period: 20 th century Teachers / Influence: borduas Movement or group: automatists Theme or Subject: abstract danse Political or social context: quiet revolution quebec Others: signed the Refus global manifesto Note: other keywords will emerge as you are searching in databases and other search tools
2. Select Relevant Databases Major Art Databases to use for finding articles Art Full-text & Art Index Retrospective cover about 500 journals covering all art periods and media Avery Index to Architecture Literature covers architecture, urban spaces, decorative arts ProQuest Arts Database: cross searches a number of art databases ArtsBibliographies Modern, DAAI, International Bibliography of Art, and more BHA: Bibliography of the History of Art covers all art periods and media; useful for early art periods; no fulltext JSTOR (full-text searching) covers a small collection art history and architecture journals and many other disciplines useful for artists who are obscure or who worked pre-20 th century These databases cover many of the same journal titles but there are always some that are unique
Database search operators Operators you can use to combine keywords and - looks for records that have all terms or looks for either term (always use on the same line) searches only exact phrase stained glass * searches on variations of word mural or murals
Example of record look for other potential keywords
Click on to find out if the library has the journal
Other Databases to use for Canadian or Quebec objects Although Canadian and Quebec related works are covered in the art databases, it is sometimes possible to find relevant information by using the following databases: Canadian databases (some duplication between the two) CBCA Complete (English Canadian magazines) CPI-Q (English Canadian magazines) Quebec databases (some duplication between the two) Erudit (Quebec and French) Repere (Quebec magazines)
JSTOR collection Covers many different disciplines All articles are available as pdfs Useful for searching for specific concepts May get many irrelevant results Use Limit to focus results ITEM TYPE articles DATE Subject Area To save documents, register for an account where articles and searches will be stored
Google Scholar Covers journal articles, books, theses & dissertations Content not available in Google Scholar but you can check library for availability Settings to Library Links for Concordia and Save
Search Example 2 Nicolas-Andre Monsiau. Ulysses, after Returning to His Palace and Slaying Penelope s Suitors, Orders the Women to Remove the Bodies, 1791, oil on canvas, 38 ⅗ x 76 ¾ in.
Getting background to identify key concepts
Identify keywords Object type/ medium: painting Artist: nicholas-andre monsiau Country: france Time Period: 18 th century Teachers / Influence: Peyron Jacques Louis David Movement or group: Neoclassicism academic painter history painter Theme or Subject: mythology allegory Political or social context: Napoleon exhibited in Paris salons
Example of Database search Operators you can use to combine keywords and - looks for records that have all terms or looks for either term (always use on the same line) phrase searching history painting * searches on variations of word paint* looks for paint or painter
Too many results: focus searches by: Searching on relevant SUBJECT Headings Or Use LIMITs if appropriate: Document type feature articles or scholarly or peer reviewed Date Language
Too few results: broaden Use more general categories for type of object (medium) painting, mural, graffiti, sculpture, decorative art Eliminate some very precise keywords from search
6. Save Search History & Records Save search history when possible; otherwise, copy and paste each search you do into a list for your assignment Save the most relevant records and then use Email, Save, or Print option Search History
Search Tips check spellings and translations for long names, you can often use the most unique part use lower case try keywords in various combinations - usually start with more specific and later broaden to general when searching on full-text you may have to include more terms
Interlibrary Loans for Journals to request journal articles not available at Concordia Libraries Use Create Request option and fill in information about journal
If you have Questions, ask at: Reference Desk Email or chat reference Contact me: melinda.reinhart@concordia.ca