Guides: DIGA 101: Digital Arts Fundamentals: Locating artists in articles (and databases)

Databases for creative arts

You can expand your search for articles by using additional databases, a few of which are listed below:

Artstor This link opens in a new window
A digital image library of collections of art, architecture, humanities, and science images with descriptive information. Artstor migrated to the JSTOR site in 2024.
Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedia entries, biographies, and bibliographies on art topics from Grove Dictionary of Art and Benezit Dictionary of Artists.
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA) and RILA This link opens in a new window
European and American visual arts material published between 1975 and 2007 covering late antiquity to the present.
Gale OneFile: Fine Arts This link opens in a new window
Access to scholarly journals and magazines that support research in areas including drama, music, art history, and film making.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
An archive of scholarly journals. Content spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. The most recent 3-5 years of journals are generally not available. JSTOR has a number of other collections to which we do not subscribe. Provided through a cooperative agreement with Stetson's College of Law Library.
ProQuest Complete This link opens in a new window
Searching most of the ProQuest databases at once, including ProQuest Research, ABI/Inform, GenderWatch, Hoovers Company Records, ProQuest Biology, Science, and Social Science Journals, and ProQuest Newspapers.

Databases for World Culture

Databases for World Culture (and Language)

Sources for Biography and Background information

For your assignments, you will need relevant information on your chosen work of art. The library has several options for you to use.

Consider using encyclopedias and other reference sources when you begin researching a topic. Some encyclopedias will provide more in-depth information than others, but any general encyclopedia is a good source to consult for background information of your chosen subject area. Most encyclopedias provide the following:

Main concepts, including names, dates, places
Keywords and subject terms related to topic
Lists of related articles or additional resources

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
A starting point for research and learning that offers unlimited access to hundreds of full text reference books on every subject. Includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations.
CultureGrams This link opens in a new window
Country reports that include local customs, basic economic and social data, politics and history, national flags, national anthems, etc. CultureGrams consists of three editions of country reports updated annually: World Edition, World Kids Edition, and States Edition.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
A searchable, full-text database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Contains over 100 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press. Also includes the Oxford Companions Series.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Explore tens of thousands of articles, videos, primary sources and journals/periodicals. Browse popular topics, news, biographies, and more! This is a great resource for getting research started or getting more acquainted with a particular topic.

Database Searching

Start by identifying the major concepts, themes, works, or authors that you want to research. These are your keywords. Only type your keywords into the search box -- don't type in an entire thesis statement or research question.
Most of the time, you'll either have too many search results to sort through, or too few to choose from. Use the following tips below to expand or limit your search results as needed. These tips typically work in most library databases. Some databases have additional or different tips you can try. When you're in a database, look for a link labeled Help or Search Help for information specific to that database.

When you’ve found one good source, try this:
Subject headings	Does the database list any subject headings to your source? Click on those links to find more.
Reference List	Browse your source’s reference list or bibliography to find additional sources on the same topic.
Who’s cited this?	Use Google Scholar or Web of Science to find sources that have cited your source since it was published.
Author	Has the same author published additional material on the topic?

DIGA 101: Digital Arts Fundamentals

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Research Help

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386.747.9028

Citations & Plagiarism

Citations & Plagiarism

Benefits of articles

Journal articles often provide the most up-to-date research in a field and present original research findings, a review of research findings on a topic, or take a position on a key question within the field.

Newspaper and popular magazine articles are good sources for current events and controversies.

Some scholarly journal articles are peer-reviewed, others are not.

The library's article databases include scholarly articles, peer-reviewed articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and book review articles.

In some databases, you can search for the type of article you want -- an empirical research article, a review article, a peer-reviewed article, a book review, etc.

Review articles. Sometimes categorized as a literature review in a database, a review article is a survey of articles on a topic with findings summarized. This provides the reader with the current state of research in a field or research area.

Meta-analysis. Similar to a review article, but uses a mathematical method to pool and analyze the findings of the articles.

Empirical research articles. Articles that report findings from an experiment or observation.

Book reviews. These articles typically summarize the plot or thesis of a book and compare it to books on the same topic or in the same genre. A book review can help you determine whether you want to find and read that book or move on to something else.

Databases for creative arts

Databases for World Culture

Sources for Biography and Background information

Database Searching

Start by identifying the major concepts, themes, works, or authors that you want to research. These are your keywords. Only type your keywords into the search box -- don't type in an entire thesis statement or research question.

When you’ve found one good source, try this:

Subject headings

Does the database list any subject headings to your source? Click on those links to find more.

Reference List

Browse your source’s reference list or bibliography to find additional sources on the same topic.

Who’s cited this?

Use Google Scholar or Web of Science to find sources that have cited your source since it was published.

Author

Has the same author published additional material on the topic?

Information Resources

Borrow, Renew, Request

Collections

Research Help

Teaching and Instruction

Information for...

Technology & Equipment

Library Spaces

General Information

Support & Activities

DIGA 101: Digital Arts Fundamentals

Research Help

Call or text 386.747.9028

Citations & Plagiarism

Citations & Plagiarism

Journal articles often provide the most up-to-date research in a field and present original research findings, a review of research findings on a topic, or take a position on a key question within the field.

Newspaper and popular magazine articles are good sources for current events and controversies.

Some scholarly journal articles are peer-reviewed, others are not.

The library's article databases include scholarly articles, peer-reviewed articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, and book review articles.

In some databases, you can search for the type of article you want -- an empirical research article, a review article, a peer-reviewed article, a book review, etc.

Review articles. Sometimes categorized as a literature review in a database, a review article is a survey of articles on a topic with findings summarized. This provides the reader with the current state of research in a field or research area.

Meta-analysis. Similar to a review article, but uses a mathematical method to pool and analyze the findings of the articles.

Empirical research articles. Articles that report findings from an experiment or observation.

Book reviews. These articles typically summarize the plot or thesis of a book and compare it to books on the same topic or in the same genre. A book review can help you determine whether you want to find and read that book or move on to something else.

Databases for creative arts

Databases for World Culture

Sources for Biography and Background information

Database Searching

Start by identifying the major concepts, themes, works, or authors that you want to research. These are your keywords. Only type your keywords into the search box -- don't type in an entire thesis statement or research question.

When you’ve found one good source, try this:

Subject headings

Does the database list any subject headings to your source? Click on those links to find more.

Reference List

Browse your source’s reference list or bibliography to find additional sources on the same topic.

Who’s cited this?

Use Google Scholar or Web of Science to find sources that have cited your source since it was published.

Author

Has the same author published additional material on the topic?

Call or text
386.747.9028