First Year > Art History > BISON Basics > How do you search Art databases?

All databases are based on the same principles, so learning to use one database will teach you skills that you can apply to other subject databases. There are three types:

• citation only
• citation and abstract (or short summary of each article)
• full-text, where the article is available on your computer screen!

For Art History, the Art Index will be your first stop. The Art Index covers 500+ journals published from 1929 to 2008 on art history, fine, decorative and commercial art, and architectural history.

Click here to find out more about the Art Index database.

• The Art Index lists the contents of all the journals. For example, it includes all the articles that appeared in the Art Bulletin from when it was first published until 2007.
• The Art Index, lists articles citations and abstracts, but does not have the complete (full-text) article.

Please view the following video tutorials:

Basic searching in the Art Index

Advanced Searching in the Art Index