Art Research using Quick Search

Open University Libraries, The University of New Mexico

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Introduction

Welcome to this tutorial on using Quick Search for art-related research. Here you will learn how to:

  • Search multiple databases at once
  • Search selected art databases
  • Narrow search results
  • Locate materials

Please click on the arrows below to move through the tutorial.

Hover over the Table of Contents icon Table of content icon with three horizontal black stripes in the upper right corner of this frame at any time to jump to a different section of the tutorial.

Searching Multiple Databases

Let's begin with a search of multiple databases and the UNM Libraries catalog with Quick Search. This is the default option on the UNM Libraries homepage.

In the search box, type an author, title, subject, or keyword. Let's do a sample search for the artist "cindy sherman" (capitalization doesn't matter). Try the search once with quotation marks and once without quotation marks.

Which search retrieved more results, with or without quotation marks?

Cindy Sherman's 1990 untitled photograph, a self-portrait as Caravaggio's Young Sick Bacchus

(Untitled 1990 photograph by Sherman)

Searching Selected Art Databases

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To search selected art databases, return to the UNM Libraries homepage. Then follow these steps:

  • Click Advanced Search under the main search box.
  • Choose Add / Remove Databases in the middle of the page.
  • In the pop-up window, click clear all.  
  • Choose the database(s) you wish to search, such as Art Index, Oxford Art Online, and/or JSTOR.
  • Click the Save Selections button.

Now you will be searching only the database(s) you selected. You can search by keyword, title, author, subject, or several other fields.

Searching Selected Art Databases

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Let's enter cindy sherman (without quotation marks) in the search box next to Keyword. On the search results page, look in the left sidebar and click each of the databases to see what items they retrieved.

Which database retrieves reference materials such as encyclopedia articles?

Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Still #53

(Untitled Film Still #53, 1980 photograph by Sherman)

Narrowing Search Results

As we saw in our Quick Search of multiple databases, sometimes there are too many results. Now we'll practice "lawn mowing" or narrowing the results.

Return to the UNM Libraries homepage. Enter "cindy sherman" in the main search box. You should retrieve a large number of results.

Scroll through the left sidebar to see all the options there are for narrowing the search results.

Which of the following is NOT an option for narrowing search results?

Cindy Sherman's 1983 photograph Untitled #122

(Untitled #122, 1983 photograph by Sherman)

Locating Materials

Once you've found the record for an item you're interested in, you'll want to determine whether UNM Libraries has the item.

Let's work with the long list of items we found on Cindy Sherman. Choose a record that looks interesting to you and click on it.

As an example, you might take a look at the 2012 book Cindy Sherman by Eva Respini and others. Notice that the record says UNM owns the book. Click Availability

Which of the following does NOT appear when you click Availability?

1996 untitled photograph by Cindy Sherman.

(Untitled, 1996 photograph by Sherman)

Review & Further Help

This tutorial has demonstrated how to:

  • Search multiple databases at once
  • Search selected art databases
  • Narrow search results
  • Locate materials

For further help, see our other tutorials on database searching in art.

You can also contact a librarian at the UNM Libraries homepage. Click Ask a Librarian in the upper right corner. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions! We’re here to help you succeed with your coursework and research.

"Untitled #296", a 1994 photograph by Cindy Sherman

("Untitled #296", a 1994 photograph by Sherman)

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