Step 1:
This is the first Otis course where you will be required to learn and use research skills. The Librarian recommends that you complete the Information Literacy Tutorial called TILT which takes about 3 or 4 hours. It provides all the basic knowledge about college-level research that you will need for this and other classes. Alternatively, you may read or do the tutorials located on the Information Literacy Tutorials page.

Step 2:
Pick an artist/maker and work from the following list. Locations are noted because you will be required to actually view the piece in person during the semester. List of Artists/Designers

Step 3:
Read each assignment carefully. Understand what's expected. You will be using the ORE Form to cite and evaluate each source you use. You will also use the PRO Form. Print out and use them for note taking as you do your research. Once finished, you can type them up, print them out, and turn them in to your instructor.

Step 4:
Learn how to use the Library's OPAC / Research Gateway. Find at least one book that includes information about your artist/maker. Do a keyword search first to get an overview of what's available in the Otis Library. Remember, there will probably be more than one student researching each artist/maker and the number of books is limited. Start early with your research and be considerate of others. (See also: Library Classification Systems, What the Numbers Mean, Keyword vs. Field Searching)

In a few cases, you may be lucky enough to find an entire chapter or book about one work, but more likely you will not. Your goal for this step should be to find substantial information about your artist/maker and the context in which they worked.

Step 5:
Find two or more periodical articles. Start with Art Index (both Art Full Text and Art Retrospective) through Wilson Web, also available through the databases link. Try a key word search. If you get too many hits, limit searching to subject only. That way you'll exclude smaller mentions of your artist/maker. Some of the citations will be to the full-text of the article and some will lead you to the actual magazine.

If you're researching a designer in the fields of fashion, graphic design, toy design or architecture, try Design and Applied Arts Index. It is not a full-text database, but the library will have many of the magazines available to you in the bound periodical section of the Library.

Other good possible databases with full-text newspaper articles are ProQuest, Lexis Nexis and E-Library. Each database interface is different and you'll need time to familiarize yourself with how they work. It's good practice for future research.

If you need assistance, don't hesitate to ask for it from the Librarian. (See also: Types of Information, Finding Articles in Periodicals, About Indexes, About Databases, Keyword vs. Field Searching, How to Clarify Your Topic)

For those articles which are not "full-text," please check the Otis Library Magazine Holding List to see if we carry it. We have back issues of many art/design periodicals, so most will be available to you in print form. In either case, it will be helpful to look at the actual publication because writing the required annotation requires finding out more about the writer, editor, or magazine. Anyway, as art and design students, you will want to become familiar with as many of the periodicals as you can.

Warning! Don't try to do this step using a search engine on the free web. For this assignment, you are required to use the Otis subscription databases. We require it because we want you to become familiar with them. From experience, we know that reliable information will be found there.

Step 6:
If you want to use the free web, you may. If you do, search for a content-rich academic/educational websites about your artist/maker. Searching the web can be overwhelming. Too much information may, in fact, be more trouble than not enough. If you want to refine your skill or you are having trouble, go to the Library and talk with Sue Maberry, the Librarian. Finding information is her expertise.

Pages ending in .org or .edu may be good ones, but make sure the author is not a student doing a class assignment or just a syllabus. Undergraduate college students are not considered "experts" in the field of art history. Try to find something written by a curator, museum professional, professional editor, or faculty member. It may be difficult to find the author's credentials. There are some tricks to this. Stop by and ask a librarian to show you some.

For further guidelines on evaluating web sources, read Criteria for Evaluating Information, Types of Information, About Web Hoaxes. (See also: About Web Search Engines, Comparing Search Engines, Search Engine Watch, The Deep Web, Searching the Invisible Web, Can the Web Replace Libraries?)

Step 7:
Once you've found everything and read it, you're ready to type up your ORE Forms and PRO Forms. Use the categories described in Types of Information for your annotations. Remember to use MLA style for the citation portion. Citation Machine is a free webtool to help you turn bibliography items into correct format.

Step 8:
The librarians and the library staff are your friends. Ask for reference or computer troubleshooting assistance any time. You're not bothering us. Really.

The SRC has tutors available to assist you with the writing and word processing. Start early so that you will have time to avail yourself of these services. We are all committed to supporting your learning experience.