Essential Resources
Note
Each kind of research requires its own specific approach. To research the Art of India, you'll need to get into the Ames Library (in the sub-basement of Wilson) and work with print materials. When you find one good source, use the bibliography and footnotes 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 both books and journal articles. This is often a more effective way of conducting research than using on-line sources, which may not be adequately specific to your topic. Searching the open Web is generally not a good way to find scholarly information on the Art of India. However, more and more relevant scholarly information is appearing in more specialized databases. Below you will find resources to help you find scholarly information for your project.
- Tips for Researching the Art of IndiaA short video with helpful advice
- 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
Key Online Databases
- 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.
- 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.
- Ames Library UMedia General CollectionFind South Asian artwork, maps, photos, text, mostly from the late 1800s through early 1900s.
- 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.
- 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.