Senior Thesis in Art History: Research Shortcuts

Use a Citation Manager

A citation manager stores all your citations in a searchable database so that you can:

• Format your footnotes or endnotes automatically in the style of your choice (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.).
• Format your bibliography automatically.
• Insert references into a Word document with a click.
• Create and format an annotated bibliography.

The library supports the desktop and online version of EndNote.

Keeping a research log can help you be more efficient while doing research.  You'll avoid duplicating your efforts, and you'll be able to keep track of successful search terms so you can use them again.

Art Abstracts allows you to search for sources about a specific artwork.  To do this:

From the main search screen:

1. Connect to Art Abstracts.
2. Type the name of the artwork in one of the boxes.
3. Choose "AT Artist & Work" from the drop down menu next to the search box.
4. Hit "Search."

From a search result:

1. Look at the items linked under "Subjects."
2. If one is an artwork, click on the link to start a new search for that artwork.

The Clark houses one of the most distinguished art research libraries in the country, with more than 295,000 volumes in over 72 languages. Focusing on post-medieval European and American art, the collection is outstanding in the fields of Italian and Northern Renaissance, Baroque, and nineteenth-century French art, the history of photography, and international contemporary art, as well as theory and visual culture.

Williams students are eligible to get a reader's card for the Clark library, allowing access during extended hours.  Apply for a reader's card.