All research begins with the language that you use to think about your topic. This language provides keywords, or the unique terms you use to describe your research topic. Research topics in art and art history can be rich combinations of influences and subjects. You can begin to develop your topic with a specific material in mind, such as marble or bronze, or specific techniques such as mosaic or mural. Combining materials and styles in a particular place or period of time is a common way to develop a more complex research topic. You may also decide to consider a specific style, period, movement or genre. 

Start your search by developing a simple concept map of your topic using keywords to begin your search.

Here is a sample keyword concept map to begin research on a Calligraphic Emblem, or Tughra:

Using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to broaden or narrow your search:

Note: you must enter Boolean operators in uppercase letters. 

• AND (narrow search):
  • calligraphy AND architecture AND Safavid
     
• OR (broaden search):
  • (calligraphy OR inscriptions) AND (mosques OR architecture)
     
• NOT (exclude terms):
  • Islamic art NOT contemporary (if focusing on pre-modern examples)

Phrase searching:

You can often get better results if you search for a phrase by typing quotation marks around the phrase. You can also combine both words and phrases in your search. For example:

• "Islamic calligraphy"
• "Persian miniature painting"

Truncation:

Enter an asterisk * at the end of a word  to perform a multiple character wildcard search.

• ornament* → retrieves ornament, ornaments, ornamentation

A subject heading is a descriptive phrase assigned to an item to describe its contents or subject.

Finding the subject heading that leads to the information you need can be one of the most difficult aspects of doing library research. The keywords you use to describe your topic may not be the same words or in the same order as the subject headings used in the online catalog. If you were looking for book on illuminated manuscripts, you could use a variety of subject headings such as Calligraphy, Arabic or Illumination of books and manuscripts, Islamic.

Start with keyword searching, then check the subject headings in an item’s full record. Clicking a heading will show you more items on the same topic. Once you’re familiar with them, you can search subject headings directly in Primo’s Advanced Search.

Below are some examples of useful subject headings for Islamic art and architecture:

Content on this page adapted from the Cornish College of the Arts Library and UBC Library.