Art 101: The History of Art, K. Brown  

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Raphael. The Alba Madonna c. 1510 Painting. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

This guide is a collection of resources available through Walsh University Library. It is designed to help students in Art courses find appropriate material for research papers and projects and help them become more visually literate.

1. Read your assignment carefully - make sure every component is in your paper:

Introduction: The basic information

Content: Answers the questions "What is it?" If there is background or context, explain it here.

Style: "What does it look like?" And how was it made?

Meaning: "Why was it created?" How have others interpreted/investigated this thing?

Conclusion: How do you feel about this thing?

2. Don't look for sources that "solve" your paper.  Think of each source as a potential piece of evidence to help you build your paper.  An example of five sources used to report on the Tower of London might include:

• A book about the Tower
• The official website for the Tower
• A book on medieval fortresses, in general
• A journal article describing the integrity and maintenance of the structure
• A review article on Gothic Revival architecture

3. Take notes carefully and separately.  Copy/pasting can lead to accidental plagiarism.

4. Ask your instructor and librarians for help.