English 2: Horrific Beauty: Finding Information

After you've done some thinking about your topic and articulated some preliminary research questions, the next step is to come up with keywords.

Keywords are single words or short phrases that distill the essence of your topic and what you want to know more about. They will help you:

• Further focus your thinking on your topic
• Help you build successful searches in article databases, library catalogs, internet search engines, and other resources

In our example about Francis Bacon's Henrietta Moraes portrait, here are some keywords:

As you read and learn about your topic, this list will grow and change. It is helpful to jot down new keywords (names, dates, concepts, movements, art works, etc.) as you encounter them. 

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

• Francis Bacon lived from 1909-1992.
• Bacon incorporated elements of Surrealism and Expressionism into his work.
• Henrietta Moraes was an artists' model who worked with many mid-century British artists. 

Finding links and citations to other sources

• An Oxford Art biographical entry for Francis Bacon cites several books that may be available through the FLO catalog or other area libraries. 

Generating more search terms about a topic

• The Oxford Art entry includes some names and terms that will help you find more contextual information about Bacon and his work: triptych, Eadweard Muybridge, George Dyer, religious art. 

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. 

The following databases are recommended for finding scholarly articles, exhibition reviews, and book reviews. 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 ("Francis Bacon" for example, would yield way too many results!). This is where adding some of your keywords will come in handy. 

Exhibition Catalogs and Artist Monographs

Print books are still one of the best places to find high-quality images with factually reliable information. When looking for art images, exhibition catalogs and artist monographs are great resources.

Image Databases

The SMFA Library provides access to Artstor and Camio, two excellent image databases. Librarians are available to help you navigate these resources.

Other Image Collections

Our Publicly Available Online Image Collections guide will help you navigate the growing number of digitized collections from museums, universities, historical archives, and other cultural heritage institutions

Don't limit your searching to the SMFA Library! As an SMFA student, you have access to several other excellent libraries that will enrich your research. Here are some institutions, with excellent art book and database collections, that you should try:

• MassArt Library (FLO consortium): right across the street, and a great source of information about pre-20th century art. Your SMFA Library barcode gives you full borrowing privileges. 
• The Museum of Fine Arts Library (FLO consortium): they have an extensive collection of books on pre-20th century art. Note that their hours are limited and their books are in-library use only.
• Tufts University Tisch Library: lots of art books, and as an SMFA student you can arrange access to their wealth of article databases.
• Emerson College Iwasaki Library (FLO consortium): a great resource for books on theory, philosophy, and media studies. Your SMFA Library barcode gives you full borrowing privileges. 
• Simmons College Library: you can set up an account and check out books, and use their extensive database collection while inside the building. 

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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