Essential Resources
Note
Each kind of research requires its own specific approach. With all of the electronic resources out there in the world, it is important to understand that there is much material that is available only in print. Good research materials on the Art of India are mainly available as print books and journals, so you'll need to get into the Ames Library (in the sub-basement of Wilson) and work with our outstanding collection of print materials. For this work, the Library Search is a better friend than google.
PRO TIP: when you find one good source of information, use the citations in the bibliography, footnotes, or reference list in that book or article to lead you to other sources. Then use the bibliographies and footnotes in those other sources to lead you to still other sources, including not only books and journal articles, but also Primary Sources. This is often a more effective way of conducting research than repeated searching.
- Ames Library of South AsiaLocated in Wilson Library and home to materials on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, mainly covering the social sciences and humanities in English, vernacular, and European languages. The Ames Library includes a special collection of rare books and archives of manuscripts, photographs, maps, prints and drawings, mostly from the period 1600-1900.
Hours
- Libraries SearchSearch the University of Minnesota Libraries to find books, scholarly journal articles, news, magazines, media, and other items in the University's collection. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Key Reference Works
- Oxford Art OnlineThe most comprehensive online resource for all visual arts worldwide from prehistory to the present day. Provides access to Grove Art Online, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Access is limited to 8 simultaneous users.
- Oxford BibliographiesSearch expert commentary and detailed annotated bibliographies to find high quality sources of information in these areas: African American Studies, African Studies, American Literature, Anthropology, Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Art History, Atlantic History, Biblical Studies, British and Irish Literature, Buddhism, Childhood Studies, Chinese Studies, Cinema and Media Studies, Classics, Communication, Criminology, Ecology, Education, Environmental Science, Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Hinduism, International Law, International Relations, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Latin American Studies, Latino Studies, Linguistics, Literary and Critical Theory, Management, Medieval Studies, Military History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health, Renaissance and Reformation, Social Work, Sociology, Urban Studies, Victorian Literature
- Oxford Handbooks OnlineOxford Handbooks contain peer-reviewed scholarly review articles in Archaeology, Business and Management, Classical Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Economics and Finance, History, Law, Linguistics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Religion. Included are classic works of scholarship along with newly-published works. Each handbook offers a critical survey of the current state of scholarship in a particular field of study. Individual articles by leading scholars review key issues and major debates, and discuss how those debates might evolve.
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian HistoryCovers a wide range of topics related to East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. It is substantive, peer-reviewed, and regularly updated.
Key Online Databases
- Art Full TextSearch for articles in fine, decorative and commercial art, as well as photography, film and architecture. Limited to 20 simultaneous users.
- ARTstorARTstor is a cross-disciplinary image database. It offers collections of approximately 300,000 art images and descriptive information covering art, architecture and archeology.
- ArchnetArchnet is an open-access intellectual resource of photos, writings, timeline, and maps focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, visual culture, and conservation issues related to the Muslim world.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art HistoryThe Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History pairs essays and works of art with chronologies, telling the story of art and global culture through the Museum’s collection.
- Smithsonian Collections of South Asian and Himalayan ArtThe arts of South Asia and the Himalayas are closely intertwined with the subcontinent’s many religious traditions. This region, which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet, is the birthplace of three major religions: Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The Islamic kingdoms that were established in South Asia in the twelfth century brought new visual traditions to the subcontinent. With more than 1,200 objects, the museums’ South Asian and Himalayan collections illuminate these richly diverse sacred traditions as well as the secular arts of the Mughal and Rajput courts.
- Ames Library UMedia General CollectionFind South Asian artwork, maps, photos, text, mostly from the late 1800s through early 1900s.
- Journal of Indian ArtFull page images of Volume 1-17 (1884-1916).
Research and Writing Assistance
- Tutorial: Using citations to find journal articles and booksLearn how to use citations in journal articles to identify other relevant articles and books and use Libraries Search to find them.
- Citation Guides and Style ManualsA guide to different citation styles.
- Peer Research ConsultantsMake an online 30 minute appointment for one-on-one peer assistance with your research. Get help with researching your topic, finding sources, citing sources and more. Peer Research Consultants can also help you get started with faculty-sponsored research.
- Academic Success CentersThe Academic success centers website provides you with a variety of services to help you succeed at the University. Find peer tutors for your courses, academic skills coaching, or get support with writing, research, or media projects.
- Center for WritingThey take walk-ins, and both in-person and online appointments. Also find online quick help and resources for writers on the writing process, common assignments, grammar, punctuation, style and more. Put the polishing touches on your work.
- Tutorial: What are citations?Understand what citations are, why they are important, and how to create and use them.