617-879-7101

IM (via library website)

Reference DeskOpen M-F, 10-6

Research Skills + Strategies

A Workshop on Doing Research at MassArt

The Morton R. Godine Library

Help With Your Research Needs

reference@massart.edu

http://massart.edu/library

617-879-7101

IM (via library website)

Reference DeskOpen M-F, 10-6

Research Skills + Strategies

A Workshop on Doing Research at MassArt

finding, interpreting,

evaluating, organizing,

and sharing

information

reference@massart.edu

Research is

Research Skills + Strategies

A Workshop on Doing Research at MassArt

What is the role of research in art & design?

What about in the following examples?

And in your work?

Research Skills + Strategies

A Workshop on Doing Research at MassArt

Mark Bradford, Potable Water, 2005

Christo & Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, 2005

Chevy Volt, 2010

Asif Khan, Harvest, 2010

5

Research Skills + Strategies

A Workshop on Doing Research at MassArt

The Research Process in

STEPS

6

1.Create + Develop a Topic

Plan Your Time Budget time carefully. Try not to procrastinate

Ask a Research Question Brainstorm. Come up with questions about a topic.

(Who, what, where, when—and especially why, how and should)

Make a concept map to visualize your project (Great demo at http://library.risd.edu/pdfs/conceptmapping2010.pps)

Be willing to change question as research progresses

Think Up Keywords Think of search terms and alternate words/phrases (car

vs. automobile)

7

2. Background Information

Encyclopedias + Other Reference

Sources Instead of—or in Addition to—Wikipedia,

use

Library resources (get to know the library website: http://massart.edu/library)

Look for Reference Books (Ref. Stacks)

Check out our Research Guides by Subject

Use E-Resources such as Oxford Art Online (Find under Library Databases)

8

3. Find Books + Media

Check FLO http://inside.massart.edu/library.html

Holdings for MassArt + other FLO Schools (SMFA, Wentworth, Emerson, etc.)

Not in FLO? Ask a librarian

Simmons (http://lib.simmons.edu/search)

BPL (http://www.bpl.org/catalogs/)

WorldCat (http://worldcat.org) Many items in WorldCat can be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan – ask at the Circulation Desk

9

4. Find Articles in Journals

Articles

Compared to books, articles tend to be shorter, more focused, and more up to date

Use the database tab on the library website

Best bets for VLII: ArtBibliographies Modern; Art Full-Text; JSTOR

Some articles available online; others in print; others through interlibrary loan

Ask a librarian if you would like help/advice (We don’t bite.)

10

4. + Images

Images Use databases instead of Google.

Generally high quality; documentation included; tools for cropping, presenting; copyright safe

MassArt’s Guide to Digital Images

ARTstor

MDID

11

5. Find Reliable Websites

Use Web Tools Websites can be more up to date than

books or articles, but are usually much less in depth

Use Advanced Search in Google – limit by domain (.edu or .org)

Try directories like http://www.ipl.org/

Look at Research Guides by Subject to find some MassArt-recommended websites

12

6. Evaluate Your Sources

Are Your Sources… Current?

Reliable?

Authoritative?

Substantive?

Objective?

Scholarly or peer-reviewed (if required)?

Do they help to answer your research question?

Do you need to modify your question before writing?

13

6. The Writing Process

Use your sources to support your points

Quote and paraphrase properly. See this site for guidance: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/

Allow plenty of time for editing

Back up drafts on USB drives + online

Use books on this slide for guidance on composition + style (located in Reference Section of library)

The Writing Center and Learning Center are located on the 5th floor of the Tower (617-879-7958). A sign up book is in the reception area outside room 538.

Sylvan Barnett, A Short Guide to Writing About Art

(REF N7476 .B37 2008)

William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style

(REF PE1408 .S772 2005)

Andrea Lunsford, The Everyday Writer (REF PE1408 .S772 2005)

14

7. Cite Your Research

Document Your Sources Ask your professor which style to use (MLA, APA,

Chicago, etc.) Be consistent

Find out if you need to cite images

Many databases can generate citations automatically

For formatting, check this site (Purdue Writing Center) https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/

Use the books on this slide for further guidelines

Ask a librarian for help

MLA handbook for writers of research papers

(Ref LB2369 .G53 2009)

Chicago manual of style(Ref PN171.F56 C57 2010)

Concise rules of APA style(Ref BF76.7 .C66 2005)

617-879-7101

IM (via library website)

Reference DeskOpen M-F, 10-6

Research Skills + Strategies

A Workshop on Doing Research at MassArt

Credits:The Seven Steps of the Research ProcessCornell University Librarieshttp://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill1.htm

IconsBritish Columbia Electronic Library Networkhttp://www.eln.bc.ca/askaway/index.php?page=marketing

reference@massart.edu

Last Updated, Greg Wallace, greg.wallace@massart.edu, 1/2011

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.