- University Libraries
- Subject Guides
- Photography
- Critical interpretation
Photography: Critical interpretation
Best article databases
- Art Abstracts and RetrospectiveChoose databases & check to include:
Art Abstracts & Art Index Retrospective,
Communication Source,
Film & Television Literature Index
Also consider: America History & Life &/or Historical Abstracts - Communication Sourcejournal articles & more on all aspects of photography and film.
- International Bibliography of Art (IBA) This link opens in a new windowincludes articles on photography & photographers
- Oxford Art Onlinearticles on artists (selected photographers), styles, & movements
- WorldCatfor books and DVDs/videos GVSU doesn't own; use Doc Delivery option in "Get it@GVSU".
General & Newspaper Databases
To cover all the bases.
- JSTORgeneral - historical: search your photographer's name.
- Global Newsstream1400+ newspapers: search your photographer's name.
- Periodicals Archive Onlinegeneral - historical (1802-1995): search your photographer's name.
- Project Musegeneral: search your photographer's name.
- New York Timeshistorical newspaper: search your photographer's name.
Search tips for finding articles
- use "quotation marks" around phrases
- truncate - shorten a word to its trunk or root to get alternate endings - with an asterisk * (shift 8), e.g., truncat* finds truncate, truncated, truncation
- apply Boolean connector AND to combine unlike ideas, e.g., dance AND promotion
- apply Boolean connector OR to connect synonyms, e.g., advertisements OR campaigns
Put it all together:
- "hip hop dance" in one box
- AND (promot* OR advertis* OR campaigns) in the next box
- use parentheses in single-box searching - when you don't have another set of boxes, e.g.,:
- "hip hop dance" AND (promot* OR advertis* OR campaigns)
Use the left or right menus to narrow your results, e.g., by language, date, subject, etc.
Databases have a citation (information about an article such as the title, author, name of the journal or magazine, volume and issue (which correspond to the date), date, and pages) and sometimes they will also contain an abstract, or summary, of the article.
Databases also often cite multiple types of resources - books, essays or chapters, government documents, etc.
Some databases will also have the complete item (called the full text): you should see a link to an HTML or PDF document. Or click on - this will check the other library databases for the full text of the article.
Photo journals & their websites
Use the website to search for info, then request the actual journals from the link; pick them up at the Desk on the 1st floor.
- Aperture (website)
- includes a blog, books, magazine, photos, exhibitions, and a search box: use the search box to find photographers.
- Request Aperture journals and pick them up at the 1st floor Desk.
- To find books mentioned on the website, use the Library Search to find them.
- Blind SpotUse the website to search for information. Request Blind Spot journals and pick them up at the 1st floor Desk. Ceased in July 2014 with: Issue 48.
- Contact Sheet (from Light Work)
- Use the search box to find photographers.
- Request Contact Sheet journals and pick them up at the 1st floor Desk.
- To find books mentioned on the website, use the Library Search to find them.
- Photographies
- Journal articles from 2008 to the present:
- history and theory
- digital technologies
- economic, political, and cultural change
- contemporary issues, emerging critical debates, and practices
- locating debate within the humanities and social sciences
- Journal articles from 2008 to the present:
- Vanity FairRequest Vanity Fair journals and pick them up at the 1st floor Desk.
- W magazine byPublication Date: current year in print
- Request W issues and pick them up at the 1st floor Desk.
- 2008-present available digitally as well (no images)
- Last Updated: Nov 18, 2024 12:53 PM
- URL: https://libguides.gvsu.edu/photography