Research

ARTH 262/EAST 262: Modern & Contemporary Japanese Art

Spring 2008

Mayu Tsuruya

Kazuo Shiraga
Making A Work With One's Body
Image courtesy of ArtSTOR

Nedda H. Ahmed, Fine Arts Librarian
ahmedn@denison.edu / x6688

Starting Points

Japan Encyclopedia / DEN Ref DS821 .F73 2002
Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan / DEN Ref DS805 .K633 1983
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture / DEN Ref DS822.5 .E516 2002

Finding Books

Try the following search techniques in the OhioLINK Catalog:

SUBJECT Search: Artist name
Enter an artist's name (Lastname, Firstname)
RESULT: All the books by or about the artist, divided up by the type of book (e.g., "Exhibitions," "Criticism & Interpretation")

SUBJECT Search: Theme or topic
Enter a topic or medium, such as: "Art Japan" or "Prints Japanese"
RESULT: All the books about the topic, subdivided by time period or geographic region

KEYWORD Search: When you're not sure of the exact name or topic
Use AND between terms to narrow your search (ex.: buddhist and shinto)
Use OR between like terms/synonyms to save time (ex.: temple or pagoda)
Use * to search all forms of a word (ex.: japan* = japan, japanese)
Use ( ) to create a complex search (ex.: (temple or pagoda) and buddh*)
Use " " to search a phrase (ex.: "buddhist temples")

Finding Articles

Databases help you find relevant articles from journals and magazines.
After you find a good article, use the Library Catalog to obtain the journal issue (if the article is not in full text online). If Denison does not own the journal issue you need, simply place an InterLibrary Loan request.

EVERYBODY needs to use Bibliography of Asian Studies.
Then use the following subject-specific databases...

Art:

Art Full Text
Bibliography of the History of Art

Cinema:

Film & TV Literature Index
International Index to the Performing Arts

Gender & Women's Studies:

Gender Studies Database
Women's Studies International

Religion:

Religion Index
Religion & Philosophy Collection