Visual Art Resources

Welcome to the research guide for Visual Art. This guide will help you get started in your research but please feel free to contact me for help, whether it's a full research consultation or just a quick question. You may use the calendar link in my profile box on this page to make an appointment.

Are you new to humanities or college level research? You may like to take a look at our guide below.

Rembrandt. Rembrandt's Studio with Pupils. Drawing, 1650s. Luna Collection.

It can be hard sometimes to know whether a source is trustworthy or not. One quick method is the following. It's not foolproof but it does give you some things to think about when evaluating a source.:

Try asking yourself the following questions:

1. Currency: How up to date is the information in this site?
2. Relevance: How relevant is the information for your needs? Is it an appropriate level (not too elementary or too advanced)?
3. Authority: Who is responsible for the information in this source? What are their credentials?
4. Accuracy: Does the source provide evidence to support the information? Can it be found elsewhere?
5. Purpose: What is the purpose? Is it to teach, sell, persuade?

Of course, Karen can also help you determine the validity of any resource you might be unsure about.

The above test was developed by librarian Sarah Blakeslee and her team at California State University, Chico.