Subject guides: Fine Art and Curatorial Practice: Articles 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.

What is a journal?

Journals are ongoing publications also known as serials or periodicals.
Journals allow researchers and scholars to report their findings and ideas. Theories and ideas circulating in contemporary visual culture will be discussed in journal articles.
Some journals are peer-reviewed or 'refereed'. Articles in these journals have been evaluated by specialists or experts within academia and / or industry.
Journal articles often start with an 'abstract' - a brief summary of the article.
The Monash Journals collection also includes some high-quality popular magazines, providing current information and opinions on popular topics for a non-academic audience.
Journal articles are often considered 'academic' or 'scholarly' sources, however magazines and 'trade journals' are usually not. You can read more about evaluating a journal article's quality on the Art, Design and Architecture Theory guide.
Many journals are available through Monash in electronic format, and some of these also have print copies in the Library. There are other journals which are only available in print - browse the shelves on Level 4 of the Caulfield Library's journal section.

Key databases for Art and Curatorial Studies

Arts and entertainment management database (Informit) This link opens in a new window
Focuses on arts and entertainment management. Subject coverage includes the arts and entertainment environment, cultural planning, finance, funding, law, marketing, project/venue management, research, and technology related to the arts and entertainment industry. Coverage: 1982 to Dec. 2000.
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 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.
ARTbibliographies modern (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Provides full abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, PhD dissertations, and exhibition reviews on all forms of modern and contemporary art. ABM is a useful source of information on modern and contemporary arts dating from the late 19th century onwards, including photography since its invention.
Art index retrospective (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
This database provides citations to Art Index volumes 1-32 of the printed index published between 1929-1984. Covering fine, decorative, and commercial art, this retrospective resource includes articles, interviews, reviews, yearbooks, museum bulletins and much more from over 600 publications.
Bloomsbury fashion central. Berg fashion library This link opens in a new window
Interdisciplinary research in fashion and dress, including color images, academic eBooks, a museum directory, a unique exhibition archive, reference works, and teaching resources. Includes: Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion.

Key multidisciplinary databases

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.
Australian public affairs : full text (Informit) This link opens in a new window
Australian social sciences and humanities publications. Source documents include periodicals, newspapers, scholarly journals, conference papers, and books. Subject coverage includes business, health, current affairs, economics, humanities, law, literature, politics and social sciences. Inclusive coverage from 1978 to the present, with full text from 1995 onwards.
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.
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.

Key newspaper databases

Factiva This link opens in a new window
Full text access to Australian and International newspapers. Also includes journals and magazines, websites, blogs, and multimedia, brief company and industry profiles, financial information for listed companies worldwide, and global coverage of financial market data.
Access world news : research collection (NewsBank) This link opens in a new window
Print and online-only newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts and videos. Use it to explore a specific event or to compare a wide variety of viewpoints on topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities and people.

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.

Fine Art and Curatorial Practice

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