Research Guides: Art History Research Resources: Finding Articles

Other Databases

While Art Full Text is the primary database for art history research, there are other databases that you will find helpful depending on your topic.

Art Databases

Art & Architecture Complete This link opens in a new window Provides full-text and citations for scholarly journals articles, magazines, exhibition reviews, and trade publications, covering antiques, art, art history, architecture, interior and landscape design, and more. Also includes an image collection. Coverage: Details not available
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals This link opens in a new window Covers all aspects of architecture and architectural history, including design, historic preservation, urban planning, and landscape design. Coverage: 1930s-present
BHA - Bibliography of the History of Art This link opens in a new window Covers international literature on the history of art in Europe and North America from late antiquity to the present. Indexed content covers 1975-2007. Coverage after 2007 is found in the International Bibliography of Art. Coverage: 1975-2007
International Bibliography of Art This link opens in a new window Successor to the Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA). Covers current international literature on the history of art in Europe and the New World from late antiquity to the present. Includes both the fine arts (architecture, sculpture, painting, drawing and prints) and decorative and applied arts (popular art, folk art). Indexes and abstracts journals, books, conference proceedings, exhibition catalogues, selected art dealers' catalogues, doctoral dissertations and microform publications. See BHA for coverage from 1975 to 2007. Coverage: 2008-
Communication and Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new window Contains scholarly literature on all aspects of communication studies, including discourse, linguistics, media studies, and rhetoric. Coverage: 1915-
Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window Performing Arts Periodicals Database indexes around 400 scholarly and trade journals, magazines, books, and newspapers covering theater, dance, film, television, stagecraft, broadcast arts, storytelling, and more. It draws from both current files and selected backfiles to 1864 and 134 publications are included in full text. Coverage: 1864-

Historical Databases

America: History and Life This link opens in a new window Search for articles about the history and culure of the United States and Canada. Publications include peer-reviewed journals, magazines, dissertations, books, and more. Access is limited to six simultaneous users. Note: For world history topics, use the Historical Abstracts database. Coverage: 1964-
Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window Provides indexing and abstracts for journal articles, books, and dissertations covering the history of the world from 1450-- except the U.S. and Canada. For similar coverage of the U.S. and Canada, use America History and Life. Access is limited to six simultaneous users. Coverage: 1954-
International Medieval Bibliography This link opens in a new window A bibliography of modern scholarship concerning the European Middle Ages (c. 450-1500). Coverage: 1967-
Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance This link opens in a new window Indexes books and journals concerning Europe and the Middle East from 400-1700. Coverage: 1784-
JSTOR This link opens in a new window A full-text database of archived issues of academic journals. Since JSTOR is a backfiles project, a typical coverage range is the beginning of a journal until three or five years ago. Supported in part by the Dail Endowment Fund. Coverage: Varies
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window Provides access to the full text of scholarly journals and books in the arts and humanities and social sciences. Coverage: Varies

Art Full Text

Art Full Text is the main database you will use when doing art history research. Many of the articles are available full text, but you may also need to use the full text options link to get to the article or book you want. The full text options link in the database checks to see if we have a subscription to the journal or own the book you are looking for.

When searching Art Full Text, you will probably have the best results when using the "multi-field search." This will allow you to combine terms and use truncation symbols (paint* AND france OR french) in the same way as you can in the library catalog when looking for books. Also be aware that many entries in Art Full Text are exhibition or book reviews, as well as art reproductions, which do not qualify as scholarly or academic articles.

If you are looking for scholarly/peer-reviewed/academic articles look for these features:

at least 8-10 pages in length
author is an academic (professor, PhD, researcher, etc...)
published in an academic journal (Oxford Art Journal, Art History, etc...)
the bibliography is appropriate for the article length

Art Full Text This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text and citations for scholarly journals articles, magazines, exhibition reviews, and trade publications. Also indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in periodicals. Topics covered include antiques, archaeology, art, art history, architecture, folk art, graphic arts, interior and landscape design, movies, and television. Also includes an image collection. Coverage: 1929-

New York Times

The New York Times is an important source for information on art historical topics. As a primary source, it can be used for historical documentation of artistic happenings (such as coverage of the Armory Show in 1913), for interviews with artists, to locate gallery and museum exhibition advertisements, for critical reviews of exhibitions, and for general news coverage.

Access The New York Times using the following links:

New York Times: 1857-1922
Select "advanced search" for the best search interface.
New York Times: 1923-2017
Select "advanced search" for the best search interface.
New York Times
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