Using reference works
Reference works are a great place to start your research. They are not intended to be read from beginning to end, but rather to provide a quick overview about a subject or person. You can find useful background information, as well as references for further reading.
Just as you might have used Wikipedia, these encyclopedias and publications can help you understand an unfamiliar topic before delving into deeper research. They are preferable to using crowd-sourced encyclopedias, because they are definitive and authoritative - ensuring all content is high-quality, reliable and written by experts.
Note that students generally should not be citing encyclopedia articles, as they do not provide analysis or new perspectives, so check with your lecturer if you plan to do so.
Finding reference works
Some key reference works are listed below.
To locate more, go to the Library's Advanced Search:
- On the first drop-down menu, select 'Subject'.
- Type encyclopedia into the search box.
- In the second search box, type the topic/discipline you are searching for information on.
- Click the 'Search' icon.
Key reference works for Design
- Oxford art online This link opens in a new windowA great starting place for your research. Find artist biographies, images, and encyclopedia articles that span ancient to contemporary art and architecture.
- Design & art Australia online This link opens in a new windowAn open source tool that links biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators with information about artworks, event histories and collection details.
The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design by Publication Date: 2015The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design provides a comprehensive guide to design, with entries on key topics in the history and theory of design, addressing a range of design forms including graphic, textile, furniture, metal, ceramic, fashion, stage and film, vehicle and product design, as well as national histories of design and key design movements. The Encyclopedia provides up-to-date peer reviewed coverage of the last 250 years of design history, with global coverage by leading international design scholars and design historians. Complete with a comprehensive index and full cross referencing, The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design is the definitive guide to Design.
International Encyclopedia of Art and Design Education by Publication Date: 2019The definitive reference for anyone in the art and design education community. It contains accessible introductions to key topics, concepts, and thinkers, as well as sophisticated debates on contentious areas, covering the whole age range from early years to post-university in formal and informal settings. This multi-volume reference work examines historical and contemporary art and design education worldwide, from over thirty different countries, in Africa, Europe Asia, Australasia and the Americas. It includes topics such as Epistemic Disobedience in Contemporary Latin American Art; Visual Arts Education in Museums; Elementary Art and Design Curricula; Social and Mobile Media in Art and Design Curriculum; Performative Literacy; Postmodern Pedagogical Principles of Museum-Informed Art Education and much more.
The Elements of Design by Publication Date: 2003A comprehensive visual survey of the design styles that have had the greatest impact on the decorative arts in the Western world. With more than 3,000 prints, photographs, and line drawings, the book covers five centuries of the Western decorative arts tradition, including Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Regency, Gothic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernism, and the Space Age.The key elements of the Western decorative arts tradition are explored chronologically. Each chapter begins with a broad introduction to the era, summarising its key style features. Within the chapter there follows close examination of individual objects, including ceramics, glass, silver and metalwork, furniture, and textiles. All the items illustrated form a visual vocabulary of each design movement. The book also includes biographies of innovative designers, information on conservation and maintenance, and a comprehensive glossary of design terms.
