Architecture Research: Identifying Online Resources: Articles
Avery Librarians - Reference
Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Librarians
avery@library.columbia.edu
300 Avery Hall
Finding Articles on Your Topic
Columbia University Libraries provide access to many online resources. For general information about Columbia's online resources and services, click here. As a way to get started with your research, a few interdisciplinary databases are highlighted below, followed by more subject specific resources. These resources are subscription based, so they should be accessed through the links in this guide or through CLIO by searching for the name of the resource. For more resources, check out our more detailed architecture guides here, or this guide by Barnard Library here.
Database Search Tips
- Keep terms together by doing a phrase search using quotation marks, like "Gothic revival".
- Try a truncated search using asterisk. The asterisk allows you to search for any ending to a word. For example, histor* will find history, historian, historic, historical, historiography, etc.
- A wildcard search also uses an asterisk, but replaces just one letter in the middle of a word. For example, wom*n will find woman and women.
- Try using boolean operators (AND/OR/NOT) in your searches. OR is especially helpful for alternate search terms or multiple spellings, while NOT can eliminate unwanted or irrelevant results.
- Most databases have ways to filter your search results, often through a bar on the left hand side of the page. Use these facets to filter by date, subject, language, etc. You can also use sorting to put your results in a particular order--for example, most recent articles first.
- Most databases also have a help or search tips section.
- While some databases, like JSTOR, are entirely full text (meaning they provide the full article for immediate use), others offer a combination of full text and citations (brief information about the article). These citations can be searched in CLIO to find access via other databases or print journals. Most databases have an option to filter so that you can see only full text content.
Finding Articles in CLIO
Articles+
Articles+ searches a large database of mostly full-text journals, encyclopedia and newspaper articles; this database also includes e-books and government documents.
Search Articles+ by clicking the Articles+ tab in CLIO.
Articles+ provides several forms of access, including full text and citation only. To limit your search only to full text (materials that are available for immediate use online), choose Full text online only from the Search Options box on the left of the page, as shown below.
Note that newspaper articles are excluded from the initial search results. To include them, click the x next to Not Content Type: Newspaper Articles above the search results.
Interdisciplinary Databases - ProQuest
ProQuest
This resource includes citations and full text articles in academic & professional disciplines. ProQuest includes journal articles, newspaper articles, and dissertations, among other formats. You can search multiple databases simultaneously or select individually (see below). Includes the Art, Design, & Architecture collection, as well as the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals.
- ProQuest . This link opens in a new window
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This resource includes citations and full text articles in academic & professional disciplines, e.g., business, economics, gender studies, health, literature, management, political science; as well as news and general interest items. Search multiple databases simultaneously or select individually from among ABI/INFORM (business); Accounting & tax; the American Medical Association; Dissertations; Ethnic NewsWatch, GenderWatch, Research Library, or major current and historical US newspapers (including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, LA Times, etc).
ProQuest includes many databases, and allows you to search across all databases or only those which you select. You can choose to filter before or after searching. To select databases or see which ones you're searching, click on Databases on the top of the page.
ProQuest contains the Art, Design & Architecture Collection and Avery Index. To search only these or any other database(s), use the check boxes to select before searching.
Interdisciplinary Databases - EBSCOHost
EBSCOhost
This resource provides access to various interdisciplinary databases. Like ProQuest, you can search multiple databases simultaneously or select individually. EBSCOhost includes Art & Architecture Source (among other relates databases) and the Avery Index.
- EBSCOhost research databases. This link opens in a new window
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Provides access to various databases indexing journals and other scholarly publications, some with full text.
To search only art-related databases, click Choose Databases above the search box on the EBSCOhost home page, as shown below.
Then choose the individual databases you want to search. Unlike ProQuest, which lists databases thematically, EBSCOhost lists databases alphabetically, so you will need to scan the list to find the relevant databases and select them individually as shown below.
Interdisciplinary Databases - JSTOR
JSTOR is an interdisciplinary full-text database. Try limiting your search to Architecture & Architectural History (and/or other related disciplines) through the advanced search feature as shown below, or searching more broadly and then using the menu on the left hand side to filter your results.
- JSTOR. This link opens in a new window
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Provides page images of back issues of the core scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences from the earliest issues to within a few years of current publication. Users may browse by journal title or discipline, or may search the full-text or citations/abstracts. New issues of existing titles and new titles are added on an ongoing basis.
Once you have found an article and opened it, to print or to search within an article on JSTOR, click on the Download PDF button as shown below, then use ctrl+F or command+F to search within.
Subject Specific Resources - USModernist Library
USModernist Library
The USModernist® Library is the world's largest open digital collection of major US 20th-century architecture magazines with approximately 2.7 million downloadable pages - all free to access. Also includes a gallery of Modernist masters (see images tab for more info).