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Where to search

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:

  • Knowing where to search is just as important as knowing how to search.
  • Not all search tools will give you access to the same information.
  • Understanding why and when to use different search tools will save you time.
  • The Library Collection is a good place to search for scholarly material and provides free access to a variety of resources types across a range of subject areas.
  • Databases help focus your search and have more advanced searching options.
  • Google Scholar provides access to a wide range of resources, but not all of it is scholarly. Use the Google Scholar link from the Library website for best access to full-text references.
  • Some types of specific information are best found using a search engine or specific website.
  • All resources need to be evaluated before using them.

The Library Collection

The Library Collection is a good place to start your search for scholarly content. 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.

How to start your search (opens in a new tab)

 

Want to know more?

  • Watch this short video (1 min 48 sec) about searching the Collection
  • Test your knowledge with the following interactive tutorial:

How to search the Library Collection

Advanced search tips

Use the advanced search to separate your concepts onto different rows.

A link to a Library collection advanced search (search filters: "visual perception" OR "visual fluency" OR vision AND environment OR "natural landscapes" OR nature).

 

Use Refine my results on the right hand side to narrow your results. The following are useful refinements to try:

  • Show Only > Full Text Online or Peer-reviewed Journals
  • Resource Type > Book chapters
  • Publication Date - limit to the last 10 years

Searching Google Scholar

Google Scholar heading

Google Scholar searches academic and scholarly websites.

Searching Google Scholar via the Library website activates a "Full-text at UniSA" link - this gives you direct access to Library-subscribed content.

Screenshot of Library website, highlighting the Google Scholar tab above the search bar.

Coverage

Google Scholar refers to grey literature in the broad sense of information found outside the recognised databases. It primarily searches academic papers so results are not necessarily grey literature. Results can include:

  • journal and conference papers
  • theses and dissertations
  • academic books
  • pre-prints
  • abstracts
  • technical reports
  • patents; and
  • court opinions

Works are from academic publishers, professional societies and university repositories, as well as scholarly articles available anywhere across the web. Many government documents are indexed from the publisher site not the government site.

Advanced search

The Advanced search option gives you more flexibility when you search. Note: you will have to click on the hamburger menu and select Advanced search to access this function.

Screenshot of Advanced search in Google Scholar.

Want to know more?

Test your knowledge with the following interactive tutorial:

Google Scholar search tutorial

For advanced Google Scholar tips visit the Web searching page in the Library's Grey Literature and Other Sources guide.

Watch the videos below for more searching tips.

Key databases

Databases are online collections of resources, including articles, papers, book chapters, reports, published and grey literature. Databases have advanced search options, helping to focus your search and find relevant and scholarly references quickly.

Databases can be discipline specific, such as medical, art, engineering or business databases, or multidisciplinary, covering all subject areas.

You can look through all the Creative databases available through the Library, or browse relevant sub-sections, including:

Art databases

For a complete list of art databases that the Library subscribes to, click on the databases tab located at the top of the Library Collection. 

Screenshot of Library website banner, highlighting the databases tab.

Want to know more?

Key journals

Journals are publications similar to magazines. They have issues which are published regularly (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually) and which focus on a particular subject. BrowZine allows you to explore and browse a range of journals on broad topics, such as Arts and Humanities, or specific subject areas, such as Film and Media or Fine Arts. Access via Library homepage > Journals.

Specific artists

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:

Search tips

  • Is the person known under any other names? e.g. Brenda Croft, Brenda L Croft
  • Could a book on a particular group, theme, movement, or style contain a section on this artist?
  • Are there multiple people with the same name? You may find irrelevant references when searching search tools like the catalogue. If this happens, try combining the artists' name with other terms such as their medium, geographical location, exhibitions, works, awards etc.
  • The catalogue does not include all journal records. Try searching other visual arts databases such as ARTbibliographies Modern.

Looking for artists' books?

Artists' books are artworks that use the form or concept of a book, and are intended to be viewed as works of art.

The Library holds several hundred artists' books in the collection. Many are available on the main shelves, others have been placed in the Special Collection - usually because of the potential for damage or loss of parts.

To find artists' books and books about them:

  • Type "artists' books" into the Library Collection.
  • Refine by physical items, or by Campus – City West.

More about artists' books:

Contemporary art magazines

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. 

More contemporary art magazines

  • un Magazine

    An independent contemporary art magazine published bi-annually.

  • Eyeline

    Eyeline is a contemporary art magazine in Australia, with a unique content mix of exhibition and book reviews, artist interviews and monographs, specialist columns and researched articles.

  • Currents

    Currents is an interdisciplinary arts and practice-led research journal for early career researchers.

  • ArtForum International

    New York based magazine with a focus on gallery exhibition reviews and artist interviews.

  • Art in America

    Long-established illustrated monthly, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, and show reviews. A number of well-known artists have been commissioned to design special covers for the magazine. These include Edward Steichen, Alexander Calder, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Cindy Sherman.

  • Flash Art

    European-based contemporary art magazine.

  • Art Monthly

    Britain's longest-established contemporary art magazine.

  • Frieze

    A leading platform for modern and contemporary art, dedicated to artists, galleries, collectors and art lovers alike; UK and European focus.

  • E-flux

    e-flux journal commissions and publishes some of the most influential writings on art, film, history, technology, and politics in its monthly online publication and series of books, published together with Sternberg Press and the University of Minnesota Press.

  • Journal for Artistic Research (JAR)

    The Journal for Artistic Research (JAR) is an inter-national, online, Open Access and peer-reviewed journal for the identification, publication and dissemination of artistic research and its methodologies, from all arts disciplines.

Find more information

Special Collections at UniSA

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.

Find exhibition catalogues

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:​

  • Artists' statements
  • Images of the artists' work
  • Essays about the artists' work
  • Artists' biographies including exhibition and award history

To find exhibition catalogues, type exhibitions into the Library Collection and limit to 'Format: Books'.

You can combine the term with others, for example:

You can find exhibition catalogues in print on Level 3 of the Jeffrey Smart Building, City West campus.

Boxes of exhibition catalogues related to Australian art, on a shelf at Jeffrey Smart Building

Find images

Image databases

For a complete list of art image databases that the library subscribes to, see the Art databases tab.

Want to know more?

Find theses

Why look for existing theses?

  • Ensure that your topic has not been, or is not being, investigated by another researcher
  • Gain knowledge of other related research in your area of study
  • Discover the research that has preceded your topic
  • Explore methodologies and layouts used by other researchers in your field

Have a look at the Library's Theses Guide. This guide will help you to search databases to find theses and find exemplars.

SAGE Research Methods

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. 

Select appropriate references

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. These can include journal articles, books, book chapters, reports, and other sources. 

You should evaluate all resources before including them in your assignment - even if you found them through the Library Collection or in databases.

To find out more about academic references, look at the resources below: 

Want to know more?