Arts and Contemporary Studies Research Guide

Introduction

This web page highlights a selection of print and electronic resources available through the Ryerson Library that can be used to undertake research on topics related to Arts and Contemporary Studies. Many of these resources can be accessed via computers in the Ryerson Library and in computer labs on the Ryerson campus. If you are a Ryerson student, staff or faculty member, access is also available through home or office computer systems that are connected to the Internet. For further information on connecting to Library resources from a home system, consult the Remote Access instructions on the Library's home page .

Start by Defining Your Topic

Identify the main concepts in your topic, phrase them as keywords, and try to think of synonyms for your keywords. Use Boolean logic to formulate an effective search strategy. Try using this search strategy worksheet to plan your search.

Check the "help" or "search tips" screens of the database(s) you are using to see which Boolean operators can be used.

If you need help, ask at the Reference Desk, 2nd Floor, Library or Ask a Librarian On-Line.

Types of Information

Find Books or Audio Visual Items by Using The Ryerson Library Catalogue

Ryerson Library Book Collection

Books (also called monographs) typically give a broad, thorough treatment of a subject, usually from a retrospective point of view. If you do not have a specific author or title of a book, and you do not know the Library of Congress Subject Heading, you can search the Library Catalogue by Keyword.

If you are looking for works of criticism about a particular author, search by Subject (LC Heading), using the author's Last Name as Subject.

For example, if you are looking for works of criticism on The Handmaid's Tale, search by Subject - atwood, margaret.

When you find good sources, you can check the subject headings listed in the subject field of the online record for these books. Then do subject searches using those subject headings to locate additional titles.

Print or write down the citation (author, title,etc.) and the location information (call number and floor). Note whether the book is available or out on loan. When you pull the book from the shelf, you can scan the bibliography for additional sources.

Ryerson Library Audio Visual Collection

AV materials are located on the 5th floor, and are listed in the Library Catalogue. For a quick way to find videos, search by Keyword, and type in your keyword(s) followed by the word "videorecording".

Find Journal Articles Using Periodical Databases

Ryerson Library Periodicals Collection

Periodicals generally provide information that is in-depth and focused, usually from a contemporary point of view. Periodicals may be academic/scholarly; popular or trade publications.

Print Periodicals (journals, magazines) are located on the 5th floor, and are listed by title in the Library Catalogue .

The Library provides electronic access to the full-text of a large number of journals. These electronic journals, as well as our print journals, are listed in Ryerson Journals by Title A-Z.

To Find Articles on Specific Topics Within Journals, You Should Consult Periodical Databases.

Web Access to Databases :

The Ryerson Library has a large array of databases (which may be indexes, abstracts or full-text) on a wide range of subjects, accessed through the Library Homepage. (www.library.ryerson.ca)

Connecting from on-campus: Click on Articles and Indexes, then click on Find Articles by SUBJECT. Click on Arts and Contemporary Studies. Click on the appropriate database to connect or for a description of the database.

Connecting from off-campus: Click on Ryerson Library - Remote Access to Periodical Databases . Once you have configured your browser, follow the instructions above

The following are some of the remote databases useful for research in Arts and Contemporary Studies:

Academic OneFile
Academic OneFile is a source for peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the international journals and reference sources. Includes full-text coverage of the New York Times back to 1995.

Proquest Research Library
Proquest Research Library Complete provides abstracts, indexing and full text of articles from academic journals, popular magazines, and business publications. Indexing and abstracting is provided for more than 1,800 titles; ASCII full text for over 700, plus full image for 675, from 1992 onward; and Text+Graphics for 400 from 1996 onward.

Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier provides full text for 1,360 academic, social sciences, humanities, general science, education and multi-cultural journals. In addition to the full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for 2,920 journals. Nearly 1,770 journals are peer reviewed.

Expanded Academic ASAP
This database meets research needs across all academic disciplines. Access scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers with full text and images.

Jstor
JSTOR has created a full text digital archive of core scholarly
journals with complete back runs of many titles, not including current issues (usually the last 3-5 years). The Ryerson University Library has access to two of JSTOR's archival journal collections - Arts and Science, and Business.

Lexis/Nexis

Lexis/Nexis is a full-text database which focuses primarily on business, legal and news resources. Included in the database are law reports, company filings, journal and newspaper articles, broadcast transcripts, etc.

The Lexis/Nexis service is made available exclusively for the use of currently enrolled students and faculty of Ryerson. Commercial use is strictly prohibited.

Project Muse
Project Muse provides online access to the full text of over 250 quality journal titles from 40 scholarly publishers in the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, mathematics and many others.

MLA Bibliography
The MLA Bibliography, produced by the Modern Languages Association of America, is the fundamental research tool for the humanities. The database is an index of international scholarly materials on modern language, literature, linguistics, and folklore. The citations are from over 4,000 journals and series, monographs, working papers and conference proceedings.

Art Full Text
Art Full Text includes citations with selected full text from journals in the areas of Archeology, Architecture, Art, Film, Humanities, Marketing, Photography.

Boolean Searching

For effective searching of the above electronic databases Boolean search strategy should be used.

Search the Web for Resources

You can also check out the Web for additional resources.

Ryerson Library Subject Guides: The Ryerson Library is in the process of developing subject guides to resources on the Internet and in the Library. From the Ryerson Library Homepage (www.library.ryerson.ca), click on Research Guides, then click on your subject.

Subject Classified Directories: Subject Classified Directories are collections of hyperlinks to WWW resources arranged by subject headings: (eg Health, Science, Arts and Humanities, etc.). To get to Subject Classified Directories, from the Ryerson Library Homepage (www.library.ryerson.ca), click on Research Guides, then click on Search the Internet.

Search Engines: Search Engines are designed to search for information available on the WWW using keywords, search commands or search languages specific to the individual search engine being used. From the Ryerson Library Homepage (www.library.ryerson.ca), click on Research Guides, then click on Search the Internet.

Selecting and Evaluating Sources

Cite Your Sources and Use a Standard Format for Your Bibliography

Understanding Citations

It is important to cite all your sources and use a standard format for your bibliography.

Format the citations in your bibliography using examples from sources such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) standards. These are available on the Web. Check Citations and Style Guides.