EVDS 1660

Library Research Methods

Today we will look at:

  • Search strategies
    • Searching Artstor database for images
    • Finding books & peer reviewed journal articles
  • Evaluating websites
  • Citing: Images, articles, books, and more

Log in with your umnetID to access when off campus

  • Create a free account to download the image
  • Beware of errors in automatic citation generators

Preliminary Searching

Start brainstorming keywords: 

What do you know about the subject so far?

  • Name of the building/garden/thing
  • Architect/designer's name
  • period - Renaissance, modern, "20th century"
  • country name
  • style - postmodern, "gothic revival", bauhaus

 

What are some keywords you could use to start searching?

Library Resources

1. UM Library Search

Search box at umanitoba.ca/libraries

  • All physical resources within the Libraries (e.g. books)
  • Some (not all) of the databases we subscribe to
    • Includes some journal articles we subscribe to access
  • Very broad search engine - might get a lot of unrelated results.

Start with a few keywords,

add more if you want to make the search more specific

  • Click on an item to see more details
  • Look at the subject tags 
    • More keywords
    • Links to other resources on those topics

Found one useful result? Check their bibliography for more!

Sources citing this article

Sources cited in this article

Library Resources

1. UM Library Search

  • All physical resources within the Libraries
  • Some (not all) of the databases we subscribe to
  • Very broad search engine - might get a lot of unrelated results.

2. Databases

  • Mainly journal articles
  • May be more narrow in terms of subject
  • Can expand your search beyond UM Libraries

Benefits of searching the Avery Index:

  • All search results will be related to architecture, landscape design, city planning, or interior design
  • Includes results beyond the UM Libraries collection, which we can request for you
    • Important when researching something more obscure

Sign in to your account to request items we don't have

When researching a more obscure topic

(not many results with the name of the building alone),

try using broader keywords in your search

Evaluating Sources: the CRAAP test

Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, & Purpose

Currency

•How recently was the resource/information published or last updated?

•How current are the sources that the author cites?

•Are any of the links broken?

Relevancy

•Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?

•Who is the intended audience?

•Is the information at an appropriate level (ie: not too advanced, etc.)

 

Authority

•Who is the author? What kind of academic or professional background do they have?

•Are they affiliated with any organizations?

•Is the author a recognized expert in the area they are writing about?

 

Accuracy

•Where does the information come from?

•Is the information supported by evidence?

•Has the information been reviewed or referenced by other experts in the field?

 

Purpose

•What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?

•Do the authors make their intentions or purposes clear?

CBS News. "Meet the man behind a third of what's on Wikipedia". January 26, 2019.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meet-the-man-behind-a-third-of-whats-on-wikipedia/

Citing Your Sources

Why do we cite?

Citing Your Sources

Why do we cite?

  • Giving credit where credit is due
  • Help the reader find the sources you used
    • They can check: Did you interpret the work accurately? Or was the quote taken out of context?
  • Makes your writing more credible - it's backed by research done by experts in the field
  • Shows you have researched the subject

Basic intro to citing:

Chicago citation style

 

Chicago style has two systems:

  • Notes & Bibliography System: sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes
  • Author Date System: sources are cited in the text, with author's last name & publication year (Smith 2008)

Basics of Citing in Chicago, Author Date Style

In her book The Great Big Sea & Me, Smith raises the excellent point that "architects handle rising sea levels like champs" (2008, 33).

Bibliography:

Smith, Jessie. 2008. The Great Big Sea & Me. New York:

Routledge.

Page number

Sample paper in Chicago Author Date style from Purdue OWL

Citing Images

Chicago Manual of Style notes how to format the citation for an image

(refer to Notes & Bibliography section, adjust to Author Date style - year comes after creator's name in bibliography.)

Turabian Tip Sheets provide examples and point out all necessary formatting.

The best diptych by far is widely recognized as Rogier  Weyden's Saint Catherine of Alexandria (1430-1432).

Bibliography:

Weyden, Rogier. 1430-1432. Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

Citing an image seen online:

Diptych panel, 18.5 x 12 cm., Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria, accessed January 20, 2012, https://library-artstor-org.uml.idm.oclc.org/#/asset/LESSING_ART_10310120355.

Last Name, First Name. Date. Title of work. Medium, dimensions (if available & applicable). Institute where work is held, location (if available & applicable). URL.

One more example:

Andreu, Paul. 2004. Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Shanghai, China. https://library-artstor-org.uml.idm.oclc.org/#/asset/ARTONFILE_DB_10313253924.

Questions?

  • Environmental Design Research Guide: bit.ly/UMLevds
  • All library staff can help with basic questions
  • Research support: librarians on desk 1:30-4:30 Monday-Friday

EVDS 1660

By Ellen Tisdale

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