Knowing where to search is just as important as knowing how to search. The following video will help you to understand why and when to use different search tools.
Video length: 2 min 14 sec
Key points from the video:
The Library Collection is a good place to start your search for scholarly material. You can use it to find eBooks, journal articles, reports, videos and more.
Using the "refine my results" menu, you can refine your search to find exactly what you need.
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Databases are online collections of resources including articles, papers, book chapters and reports. Databases have advanced search options, helping to focus your search and find relevant and scholarly references quickly.
Art databases
For a complete list of art databases that the Library subscribes to, click on the database tab located at the top of the Library Collection.
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Finding information about artists is crucial in visual arts, for many reasons including inspiration, contextualisation of your work and understanding of art movements.
Possible sources for material on artists include:
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UniSA Library holds a comprehensive selection of Australian and international contemporary art magazines and journals. While these magazines are not necessarily peer-reviewed, they do provide current, topical information such as exhibition reviews, artist interviews and artist profiles.
Google Scholar searches only within academic or scholarly sites, rather than the whole internet. Access from the Library homepage to see 'Full-text at UniSA' option.
Many art books have been placed in the Special Collections rather than on the open shelves. They have been separated from the main collection for a variety of reasons. The books may be: rare, valuable, limited edition, fragile, or may be considered offensive.
These books are kept on Level 2 of the Jeffrey Smart Building. Items can be found in the Library Collection and identified by the prefix SP as part of the call number in the item record.
UniSA staff and students can access items in the collection by contacting Ask the Library.
The Library holds thousands of exhibition catalogues in the collection. For less well known artists, these catalogues may be one of the few sources of information available about their work. These can include:
To find exhibition catalogues, type exhibitions into the Library Collection and limit to 'Format: Books'.
You can combine the term with others, for example:
For a complete list of art image databases that the library subscribes to, see the Art databases tab.
Sage Research Methods is a comprehensive online collection of resources which you can access through the Library. You can explore methodological concepts to help you design your research project, understand a particular research method or identify a new method, and write up your research.
While you are finding references, you need to think about whether they are appropriate to use in your assignment. You may be asked to use scholarly or peer-reviewed material to support your arguments.
You should evaluate all resources before including them in your assignment - even if you found them through the Library Collection or Databases.
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