What is a Reference Source?
What is a Reference Resource?
A Reference Source is usually a physical or digital document that you would refer to for more information about a topic. When doing academic research, it is sometimes much better to consult a reference resource than to type your question into google. Reference resources are usually curated around specific topics, making them more credible and informative than the advertisement suggestion that will pop up at the top of your google search!
Examples of Reference resources:
- Dictionaries
- Thesauruses
- Encyclopedias
- Almanacs
- Indexes
- Concordances
- Atlases
Use these Reference resources to research your topic before looking for sources
- Oxford Reference Books: Art & Architecture This link opens in a new window
Art and architecture encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books, published by Oxford University Press.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online This link opens in a new window
Encyclopaedia Britannica Public Library Edition.
Academic Journal Articles
Academic Journals are professional publications containing articles about a certain field of study written by experts. Articles published in these journals are typically peer reviewed, meaning they are read, edited, and eventually approved by other experts in the field. These articles are an example of a scholarly resource, since they are written and reviewed by experts and published in respected academic journals.
- HC Libraries Arts and Humanities English JournalsThis is a collection of all the E-Journals Holy Cross has pertaining to the arts and Humanities, including literature and creative writing. You can browse through these journals to find resources pertaining to your thesis topic, or search for your topic more directly in Cross Search and narrow the results to Academic Journals in the search filters.
Books and E-Books
Books and Ebooks by experts in any given field of study are considered excellent scholarly resources. Books focused entirely on a certain academic subject are often referred to as Scholarly Monographs. The library has a large collection of physical books for you to use for your thesis, as well as access to a great deal of E-books. You can search the Library Catalog directly by going to the library homepage and toggling the search bar over to "library catalog." This will show you results for what the library physically holds or has digital access to.
Visual Arts Suggested Resources
- Artstor This link opens in a new window
Now part of JSTOR. Library of images relating to art and architecture, humanities, and social sciences.
- Art & Architecture Complete This link opens in a new window
Journal articles, magazines, and book chapters about art, art history, architecture, and design.
- JSTOR Arts & Sciences This link opens in a new window
Journal articles in almost every subject area, including some historical articles back to the 17th century.
- Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA) This link opens in a new window
Citations and summaries for journal articles, books, conference proceedings, dissertations, and exhibit catalogs about art, published 1975-2007.
- Grove Art Online This link opens in a new window
A collection of important reference works in the visual arts, including The Concise Dictionary of Oxford Art Terms, The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Oxford Companion to Western Art.
- Oxford Reference Books: Art & Architecture This link opens in a new window
Art and architecture encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books, published by Oxford University Press.
Grove Art Online video
In Class Activity
In Class Stacks Searching Activity
- Pick an artist and type their name into the catalog search.
- Limit the location to Dinand library using the filters on the side.
- Select a book on that artist in the visual arts stacks. Write down the Call number.
- Use the call number to track down the book in the Visual Arts Stacks
- NOTE: When you find your book, take some time to look at the titles around it- do any of them look useful for research on your topic?
- Show Abby Rose the call number and book you've retrieved. Get a sticker from Abby Rose if you get it right!
- Put book on re-shelving cart and return upstairs