1)
Be sure you understand the assignment. Read it carefully. And then ask for clarification
if needed.
2)
If the assignment is an open topic: Why did you decide to take the class? Right there
is a seed your project can grow from. Of course, this won't be
a helpful question if you're taking the class only because you
must. If your professor gives you a specific topic rather than
an open one, the steps that follow will still be helpful.
3)
Browse through the required and recommended texts for your art
history class. Are there
any images--and text associated with the images--that you're
especially drawn to? Read the sections that attract you, without
taking notes.
4)
Using your reading in the text book(s) as a springboard, do some
surfing on the Internet. Do
keep in mind that this is to check out what's "out there."
It's NOT a search for sources to use for your paper, because
much info on the Internet is unreliable. Bookmark the most interesting
websites so you can return. But remember that you'll need to
verify appealing / useful material in more solid sources. Or
you can use them for "Snowballing." Barnet includes
a checklist for evaluating Internet sources on page 289 of the
11th edition of A Short Guide to Writing About Art.
But remember that except in unusual cases a bibliography
that consists mostly of websites almost certainly will be weak
and inadequate.
5)
Go to the Library and explore the stacks to get a sense of available
resources on campus. What
are stacks? They're the large rooms crammed with bookshelves
that hold the Library's collection of hard copy books. You'll
be surprised by what you'll find in this treasure house. You
can also explore the stacks digitally. The most efficient way
to do this is:
a) Start with a search of the Library catalog to get a sense of the call number range of the topics you may be interested in.
Call numbers on white labels on
the spines of Library books
Image: Wikimedia Commons, photo by ParentingPatch,
Used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
license.
First, What is a call number?
This is the alpha-numeric
code used to identify Library materials. Hard copy books have
a label with the call numbers attached to the spine of the book.
The spine is the part of the book's cover that protects the place
where the pages are bound together. In the photo above of art
books on a Library shelf, you can see the call numbers on white
labels on the spines of the books.
Why be concerned about call numbers?? SUNY New Paltz and most academic and research libraries
use the Library of Congress Classification. In this system, Library
materials are organized by category. And you can tell which category
a book belongs to by looking at the first letters of the call
number. For example, category N (and its variants NA, NB, etc.)
includes works relating to the fine arts. But a savvy researcher
knows that there's much more "gold" in them thar stacks.
("Stacks" are the rooms with many rows of bookshelves
in a library). Let's consider the example of someone who's researching
Minoan art, the art of ancient Crete. Their catalog search might
identify books listed under a range of call numbers. These might
include call numbers starting with these letters and numbers:
BL782, BL793, CB245, CD996, DF220, DF221, HQ1075, N5333, N5635,
N5660, NA267, ND2570, QE522, and U29. Why are these books scattered
all over the Library? Well, BL = religion / mythology. CB = history
of civilization. HQ = Family, marriage, women. QE = Geology.
And U = military science.
Do you see how this broadens
the researcher's options? Especially considering that in some
ways art history is a form of the history of ideas. Here's a
link to an article that gives a good overview of the Library
of Congress classification. And here is a link to another
that explains how to read and use a call number.
Still not sure how you would
find books in a wide range of call numbers? Here's a .pdf
handout that demonstrates the method.
b) Now that you have some promising call numbers,
go down to the stacks. Look for the books you identified.
When you've found your book, Look on the shelf to the left. Look
on the shelf to the right. Look on the shelf above and below.
Why?? You're using the Library
of Congress catalog system to one of its strengths. It's organized in categories. Well, what
are other members of the category that includes your target book?
If you take your time, you'll discover books that you probably
wouldn't find if you used the catalog only.
c) Make a note of the books that may be helpful to
you. And if you think you've "struck gold," borrow
the book(s) from the Library so you can do some reading at home.
You may find that some are less useful than you'd thought. If
this happens, please remember that it's a kindness to others
to return the books promptly.
Don't skip this step because
it's too much trouble
to walk to the Library. This type of hand search is starting
to be a lost skill. This is unfortunate because a shelf search
tends to result in finding a wider range of material. And in
turn, the wider range of material results in better quality research.
Many Library catalogs allow
you to do a digital shelf search. A digital shelf search requires more steps to
find the info you need. But it has the benefit of your being
able to see the listings of books that have been borrowed. And
of course, you don't need to go to the Library in person.
6)
Read some of the first chapters in Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art.
And be sure to include in your reading chapters 11 and 12 in
the 11th edition. These chapters are "Art Historical Research"
(pages 226-243) and "Some Critical Approaches" (pages
244-269). You'll find the chapters in earlier editions as well.
Barnet will give you some ideas of how art historians often approach
their topics. Keep in mind that you DON'T have to choose one
of these approaches. But reading Barnet will give you some ideas
to use as a springboard.
If you're already familiar with
Barnet, you'll find a quick review helpful. If you can't afford
this rather expensive book, there are several copies in the Library.
And you can buy earlier editions second-hand for very little.
7) Within about a week or ten days of the first
classroom discussion of the assignment, reflect on what you've
done so far. Your reading, library exploration, and Internet
surfing. At this point, you should have a clearer sense of your
topic. And probably you'll find that you've started to be intrigued
by some aspects of your topic. It's also likely that some questions
are starting to emerge. This is the genesis--the beginning--of
your project.
