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English 2: Mad Quests: Answering Research Questions

Turning questions into search terms

In most cases, you won't be entering your research questions verbatim into internet search engines, library databases, etc. Your questions serve to articulate what you want to know; the next step is translating them into searchable terms.

When finding background information (outlined below), very basic terms like "Jay DeFeo" and "The Rose" will most likely find you what you need.

Don't worry too much about coming up with all of your search terms at this point-- as you delve into the background information and learn more, you will naturally begin thinking about your topic in more precise, sophisticated terms.

Finding background and biographical information

When you set out to answer your research questions, it's good to start basic. At this stage, Google searching and Wikipedia are great ways to gather background and biographical information.

For this assignment, you should also try Oxford Art:

 

Keep in mind: information you find in Wikipedia and Oxford Art is not generally considered scholarly, since it is fact-based and does not represent a unique, research-driven argument. Background information is most useful for:

Learning basic facts about a topic

  • Jay DeFeo was born in Hanover, NH in 1923 and died in Oakland, CA in 1989.
  • Jay DeFeo was associated with other Beat Generation artists such as Allen Ginsburg and Bruce Conner.
  • The Rose was so big that an entire wall of De Feo's apartment had to be removed to safely extract the painting.

Finding links and citations to other sources

  • The Oxford Art biographical entry for Jay DeFeo cites several additional sources, including a 1996 Art in America article called "In the Heat of 'The Rose'" and a 2003 book called Jay Defeo and The Rose.

Generating more search terms about a topic

  • The Oxford Art entry included some names and terms that will lead to more contextual information about DeFeo and her work and make for more precise searching in library databases and the library catalog: Wallace Berman, Bruce Conner, post-Abstract Expressionism, the Sixteen Americans exhibition of 1959.

Finding Criticism and Scholarship

In Books

Search the FLO Library Catalog to find print and electronic books. For titles owned by the SMFA Library, select our location in the right-hand "Filter Your Search" box on the results page.



 

A keyword search will give you results where your search terms appear anywhere in the record (title, author, subject, description, etc.). This is usually the best option for searching.

Select title search if you are sure of the title you are looking for

Select author to see all titles in the FLO library collections by a specific person

A subject search will show all FLO titles on a given subject. The subject headings are defined by the Library of Congress; you might try finding a term in their subject headings database before plugging it into the FLO catalog. 

 

In Article Databases

The following databases are recommended for finding scholarly articles, exhibition reviews, and book reviews about art. Searching databases is a great way to find a diversity of opinions and scholarly interpretations of a given topic.

Database searches are most successful when you use precise and specific terms ("Jay DeFeo" for example, would yield way too many results!). Try adding terms from your background reading or from the assignment requirements ("review," "criticism," "critique")

Contact a Librarian

Please feel free to get in touch with a librarian at absolutely any stage of your research process.

We encourage you to schedule a research consultation with Ashley Peterson (apeterson@smfa.edu, 617-369-3653)  for an in-depth discussion about your research goals. 

For quicker questions, please feel free to stop by the Library's front desk (located on the third floor of the B side of the Fenway building). You can also email or call the front desk at library@smfa.edu/617-369-3650.

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