Merchandising and Interior Design
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Research Tools
Where to Search for Books
| Method | What's there | Why use it |
| IUCAT | Books, journals, maps, etc. already at IU (both physical copies and e-resources) | Covers most topics, materials often immediately available |
| Worldcat | Books, journals, maps, etc. that may or may not be at IU | Covers all topics, can find material regardless whether IU happens to own it |
| Interlibrary Loan | Use this service to order materials that are unavailable at IU (either because IU doesn't own it or it is checked out) | Use alongside Worldcat or when you don't find a book, journal, etc. in IUCAT |
| Google Books | Books and journals that Google has scanned from many Library collections. Many items are available only in preview or snippet view. | Ideal for journals and books in the public domain (usually published before 1923). Preview can help locate particularly useful sections. |
| Hathitrust | Scanned books and journals, often the same materials as Google Books | Navigation is often more cumbersome than Google Books, but locating specific journal issues is often easier |
What Expert Researchers Know
| Type of Book | How to Use These Books |
| Exhibition Catalogues |
These titles document museum and gallery shows; are often the best source for high-quality images; and usually include artist biographies, curatorial essays, artist interviews and/or writings, and career chronologies. Use the term "Exhibitions" as part of your keyword or subject search in IUCAT. To find contemporary designers featured in group exhibitions, search the Designer Directory from the Interior Design Media company. |
| Monographs | These are books by or about designers published independent of any exhibition. Usually, these are in-depth writings that analyze or provide context for a designer and their work. Look for words like "Criticism and Interpretation" in the subject heading of a book. Search in IUCAT using "criticism" or "analysis" as keywords. |
Here are the top six recommended article databases for interior design research. For further options, look at the Specialized Databases page. Articles may be published by scholarly journals, magazines, or newspapers. In addition to news and criticism, you can find case studies and designer interviews in these databases.
- Art & Architecture SourceArt research database covering fine, decorative and commercial art, as well as areas of architecture and architectural design.
- ARTbibliographies ModernSpecialist bibliography of modern and contemporary art from 1974 to the present.
- Avery Index to Architectural PeriodicalsPublished by the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University, this database indexes journal articles on architecture and design, covering subjects such as the history and practice of architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, and interior design.
- Design and Applied Arts IndexInternational index to design and craft journals; contains references to 500+ journals published since 1973 and data on over 50,000 designers, craftspeople, studios, workshops, etc.
- Fairchild Books Interior Design LibraryAccess to e-books and dedicated supplementary resources focusing on interior design curriculum.
- International Bibliography of Art (IBA)Scholarly literature for European art from late antiquity to the present, American art from the colonial era to the present, and global art since 1945.
- ProQuest the ArtsAllows users to search across ProQuest databases with an emphasis on the arts.
Scholarly journals, including those that publish peer-reviewed articles, are a major source of scholarly communication about art and art history.
Use the checkbox in these databases to limit your search results to only scholarly articles or peer-reviewed articles.
- Art & Architecture SourceArt research database covering fine, decorative and commercial art, as well as areas of architecture and architectural design.
- JSTORFull-text of historical runs of important scholarly journals in the humanities, arts, sciences, ecology, and business.
- ProQuest the ArtsAllows users to search across ProQuest databases with an emphasis on the arts.
- ARTbibliographies ModernSpecialist bibliography of modern and contemporary art from 1974 to the present.
- Design and Applied Arts IndexInternational index to design and craft journals; contains references to 500+ journals published since 1973 and data on over 50,000 designers, craftspeople, studios, workshops, etc.
The databases below provide a wide variety of image of visual artworks. Printed books are often the best source of images, when looking for a specific artwork; use IUCAT to look for books about the artist or artistic movement. Find directions for citing images in the Image Citation: Formats and Best Practices guide.
- A&AePortalThe A&AePortal is an authoritative eBook resource that features important works of scholarship in the history of art, architecture, decorative arts, material culture, photography, and design.
- ARTstorA digital image library of over 2.5 million digital images in the areas of art, architecture, the humanities, and social sciences. PLEASE NOTE: to save or download images, users must register for an individual account.
- Image Collections OnlineImage Collections Online showcases image collections curated by libraries, archives, and other cultural-heritage institutions of Indiana University.
- Oxford Art OnlineEncyclopedia articles about artists, architects, and artistic movements & periods, as well as bibliographies for further research. Also includes thousands of searchable images.
- VADS-Visual Arts Data ServicesAn online collection of more than 120,000 images of rare and unique library, museum, and archives collections across the United Kingdom.
Primary Sources provide direct or first-hand evidence about an event, object, person or work of art. Primary sources:
- Are usually contemporary to the events and people described
- May be written and non-written
- Examples include works of art and literature, photographs, architectural plans, newspaper ads and stories, and interviews.
Use the databases below to search for primary sources.
- OnArchitectureIncludes more that 150 interviews and more than 250 portraits of buildings.
- Architectural Digest ArchiveFull text issues of the Architectural Digest, 1922-2011.
The following databases provide streaming films.
- Art and Architecture In Video500 hours of documentaries and interviews illustrating the theory and practice of a variety of art forms and providing the context necessary for critical analysis.
- Criterion Collection/Janus FilmsThe criterion collection is a series of important classic and contemporary films with high technical quality and award-winning, original supplements.
- Docuseek2Provides access to documentary and social issues streaming films.
- Filmakers Library OnlineProvides award-winning documentaries with relevance across the curriculum, presents points of view and historical and current experiences from diverse cultures and traditions world-wide.
- Films on Demand Master Academic CollectionFilms on Demand streaming video collection which includes the Humanities and Social Sciences Collection, Science Collection, Business and Economics Collection, and Health Collection.
- Independent World Cinema: Classic and Contemporary FilmIncludes more than 200 of the most important films produced from the early 20th century to today.
- Kanopy Streaming VideoKanopy Streaming Video gathers streaming videos from a variety of producers and makes them available to students. Faculty and instructors may request titles for purchase by the Libraries via the Kanopy Streaming Video site. Priority access will be given to faculty and instructors for class use.
- PBS Video CollectionThis collection assembles hundreds of documentary films and series from the history of the Public Broadcasting Service into one online interface.
In general, start your search in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. If you are looking for an IU dissertation and cannot find it in ProQuest, search IUCAT. If it is not in IUCAT, search WorldCat.
For search tips, visit the IU Libraries' guide to Finding Dissertations & Theses.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new windowComprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, including millions of works from thousands of universities. Each dissertation published since July, 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts. Simple bibliographic citations are available for dissertations dating from 1637.
- IUCAT Online Library Catalog This link opens in a new windowThe Indiana University online catalog. Find books, magazines, journals, movies, sound recordings, government publications, digital collections, and more.
- Worldcat.orgWorldCat.org lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world.
- OpenDissertationsFree database providing access to records for more than 1.2 million electronic theses and dissertations from around the world.
Looking for examples of IU MFA theses, including accompanying images? Email archives@indiana.edu with your request.