Subject guides: Architecture: Articles and Product Data in Databases

Using databases for research

Research databases are organised collections of digital information that can be easily searched, such as journal articles, books, or images. Databases can be general or subject specific, and can include citations, or abstracts (short summaries), and/or full text articles and books. The sources indexed may be written by scholars, professionals or generalists.

Unlike a general Google search, using a database means you can be sure the information you find is high-quality and reliable. Finding 'scholarly' resources is also easier through a database.

There are many types of databases that you can use for your research. The database you choose will depend on what type of information you want to find. Once you choose a database, use keywords on your topic to search. Then try using the 'filter' options, such as publication date, content type, or subject area to refine your results.

Key Databases for Architecture

Art & architecture source (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
A good starting point for finding scholarly journal articles across a wide range of Art, Design and Architecture topics.
Art & architecture archive (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Digitised backfiles of many of the foremost art and architecture magazines of the twentieth century, it is a unique collection of primary sources for studying the history of these subjects.
Art and architecture in video This link opens in a new window
Online streaming film collection of documentaries and interviews illustrating the theory and practice of a variety of art forms, including architectural and graphic design, and providing the context necessary for critical analysis. The collection spans period and region, including coverage of the Renaissance, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Modern, and Contemporary art.
Australian architecture database (Informit) This link opens in a new window
Indexes and abstracts articles from material held by the Stanton Library, North Sydney Council. Subject coverage includes architects, architecture, building, interior design and landscape architecture. Coverage: 1980 to 2015.
Avery index to architectural periodicals (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive listing of journal articles on architecture and design, including bibliographic descriptions on subjects such as the history and practice of architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, and interior design and decoration.
Building types online This link opens in a new window
Provides architectural drawings, photos and information on buildings. Large international collection of contemporary buildings, from housing and offices to museums, schools and other building types.
OnArchitecture : a selection of original content featuring the best architecture in the world. This link opens in a new window
The audiovisual archive features a series of original videos, with interviews of prominent architects, and a focus on buildings and installations.

CumInCAD
CumInCAD is a cumulative index of publications about computer aided architectural design. It includes bibliographic information from journals and conferences. Full text PDFs are also available.

Compendex (Elsevier) This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive interdisciplinary engineering database. Apart from major engineering fields, subject areas covered include bioengineering, computers and data processing, applied physics, electronics and communications, nuclear technology, aerospace and automotive engineering and transportation.
Gale academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
Articles from scholarly journals (including peer-reviewed and full text) and other authoritative sources, including videos, podcasts and transcripts from CNN, NPR and CBC. Full-text of the New York Times from 1985, the Times (London) from 1985 and the Financial Times from 1996 is also available.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Academic journals, books, and primary sources from a wide range of academic publishers and university presses. Titles span across disciplines, including core areas such as business & economics, social sciences, education, history, language & literature and science. Also contains the ARTstor image database.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary portal - covers academic and professional disciplines such as business, law, education, computing, science, technology, engineering, arts, and medicine, and consist of scholarly journals, books, video & audio, dissertations & theses, newspapers and more. Search multiple databases simultaneously or select from amongst individual database titles.
Urban studies abstracts (EBSCOHost) This link opens in a new window
Covering essential areas related to urban studies, including urban affairs, community development, urban history, and other areas of relevance to the discipline.

Acumen : practice advice for architects. This link opens in a new window
Check the 'Environment' tab to access a database of over 175 peer-reviewed design notes covering aspects of sustainability in the built environment for architects and allied professionals.
Ecospecifier Australasia This link opens in a new window
A leading global source of life-cycle assessed product information, search information on thousands of sustainable products.
JSTOR sustainability collection This link opens in a new window
Key journals as well as open research reports from leading research institutes worldwide. The collection looks at sustainability and resilience through a broad lens, spanning over more than 30 disciplines.

Ecospecifier Australasia This link opens in a new window
A leading global source of life-cycle assessed product information, search information on thousands of sustainable products.
Material ConneXion This link opens in a new window
Covers the sustainability, function and physical properties of materials used in design and construction. Entries include a description of the material, properties and the manufacturer contact details.

Miles Lewis Heritage Building Materials Collection
This collection consists of over 300 objects ranging from nails to roofing sheets, with many available as 3D scans. The collection provides an insight into common construction materials and techniques in Australia in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Selector.com
Selector is the premier destination for architects, designers and builders looking for quality products from leading suppliers.

Using Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a subset of Google which searches specifically for scholarly material on the web.

It locates journal articles, theses and dissertations, books, conference papers and other research material from a variety of sources including academic publishers, professional societies, institutional repositories and databases.

Its coverage is strongest in science, technology and medicine.

Strengths:

Useful when searching "Grey Literature" such as conference proceedings
Enables interdisciplinary searches
Accesses multiples types of documents (articles, books, conference proceedings)
Helps identify who is publishing in particular areas of research
Results are ranked by relevancy

Be aware that:

Content is not always equivalent to the scholarly or peer-reviewed content in databases
Difficult to perform a specific search with precise results
Gaps in coverage - a lot of information is not freely available on the web
Citations can be incomplete, and can only be exported one at a time

Full text linking

Google Scholar allows you to set Google Scholar preferences to link to the full text of articles cited in Google Scholar which are available from Monash University Library. Follow these steps to ensure full text links show in your search results, so you can avoid getting stuck at paywalls.

Architecture

Other useful guides

Using databases for research

Key Databases for Architecture

Using Google Scholar

Full text linking