These selected resources provide a basis for electronic research on topics in the history of art and architecture. While electronic resources have simplified some aspects of research in this discipline, such as searching many years of periodical literature indexes simultaneously, other important research resources are available only in printed form. As with most humanities topics, it is crucial to investigate your research options across all media. Unless otherwise noted, electronic resources are available through the Harvard Libraries portal.
1. Periodical Literature Indexes
Some of these indexes contain references only to articles in journals
while others include references to essays and papers in conference proceedings,
multi-author monographs, Festschriften, and dissertations. Several of
these databases now contain full text or links to full text articles.
Use 
to explore full text options.
AATA Online: Abstracts of International Conservation Literature
AATA Online provides high quality, editorially-reviewed abstracts of the international literature of conservation and heritage management. Updated quarterly, AATA Online currently includes abstracts of over 100,000 citations. More than 470 journals are indexed in AATA Online. The database is searchable by keywords or phrases and employs Boolean and proximity features. Free registration allows adbanced searching and the creation of publication alerts.
Art Full Text
WilsonWeb Art Full Text is a bibliographic database that indexes and abstracts periodicals and includes full-text coverage for selected titles. Indexing coverage includes English-language periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins, as well as periodicals published in French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish. In addition to articles, Art Full Text indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in indexed periodicals. Indexing coverage begins 1984; abstracting coverage begins with January 1994. The abstracts range from 50 to 300 words and describe the content and scope of the source articles. Full-text coverage begins in 1997.
Art Full Text and Art Index Retrospective may now be searched simultaneously.
Art Index Retrospective
WilsonWeb Art Index Retrospective is a periodical literature database that cumulates citations from the printed version of the Wilson Art Index, volumes 1-32 (1929-1984). The database cites articles from periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins internationally in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Dutch publications. In addition to articles, Art Index Retrospective also indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in the periodicals covered. Subjects covered in the Art Index Retrospective include archaeology, architecture and architectural history, art history, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, folk art, crafts, antiques, graphic arts, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture, motion pictures, museum studies, non-western art, advertising and television. Exhibition and book reviews are included.
Art Index Retrospective & Art Full Text may now be searched simultaneously.
ARTBibliographies Modern
Contains abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, dissertations, and exhibition reviews. The scope extends from artists and movements beginning with Impressionism in the late 19th century, up to the most recent works and trends in the late 20th century. Photography is covered from its invention in 1839 to the present. Particular emphasis is placed on adding new and lesser-known artists and on the coverage of foreign-language literature. Approximately 13,000 new entries are added each year. Covers all aspects of modern and contemporary art, including performance art and installation works, video art, computer and electronic art, body art, graffiti, artists' books, theater arts, crafts, jewelry, illustration, and more, as well as the traditional fine arts of painting, printmaking, sculpture, and drawing.
Arts & Humanities Citation Index
Arts & Humanities Citation Index, published by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), is a multidisciplinary database covering the journal literature of the arts and humanities. It indexes more than 1,000 of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 6,800 major science and social science journals. Because the information stored about each article includes the article's cited reference list (often called its bibliography), one can also search the databases for articles that cite a known author or work.
Avery Architectural Index
The Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals indexes more than 2,000 international periodicals on archeology, city planning, interior design, and historic preservation, as well as architecture. Coverage begins in the 1930s (with selective coverage dating back to the 1860s) and extends to the present. The Avery Index, with over 250,000 records, is updated daily. A complete list of journal titles indexed is available at the site.
BHA (Bibliography of the History of Art)
Covers European and American art from late antiquity to the present. The Bibliography of the History of Art indexes and abstracts art-related books, conference proceedings and dissertations, exhibition and dealer's catalogs, and journal articles from more than 2,500 periodicals. This index provides the most comprehensive coverage of American and international scholarly journals in the disciplines of art and architectural history. It also contains two earlier important periodical indexes, RILA (Répertoire international de la littérature de l'art) and RAA (Répertoire d'art et archéologie). BHA is updated quarterly and covers the period 1973 to the present. A complete list of the titles of journals indexed is available at the site.
CHIN (Canadian Heritage Information Network)
Provides access to reference information and bibliographic databases on topics such as conservation, cultural heritage and museum studies. Compiled by institutions including the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, the International Centre for the Study of the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, the Conservation Analytical Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, and the International Council of Museums. Includes the Guide to Canadian Museums and Galleries containing information about museum collections across Canada and links to other heritage information sites around the world.
DYABOLA
Electronic database version of the periodical and monographic literature citation index compiled by the German Archaeological Institute in Rome covering the years 1958-present. Covers Classical, Egyptian, and Near Eastern archaeology as well as Byzantine art history, numismatics, epigraphy, and ancient history. When entering this resource, place a check in the box labelled, "mit IP-Zugang."
EBSCO Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier (ASP) is a multi-disciplinary database that includes citations and abstracts from over 4,500 scholarly publications (journals, magazines and newspapers). Full text is available for more than 3,500 of the publications and is searchable. Indexing and full text availability varies with title. The most complete coverage begins in the 1990s. A wide variety of art history journals is included in this database.
FRANCIS
FRANCIS indexes a wide range of multilingual, multidisciplinary journals and other publications in the humanities (63%), social sciences (33%), and economics (4%). FRANCIS is strong in religion, the history of art, and literature, with particular emphasis on current trends in European and world literature. Also includes indexing of sources in Asian art and archaeology. Updated monthly, FRANCIS covers publications from 1984 to the present, with more than 2,000,000 records.
Index to 19th Century American Art Periodicals
The Index to 19th-Century American Art Periodicals indexes 42 art journals published in the US during the 1800s, providing nearly complete coverage of journals from this period. The Index describes the entire journal contents - articles, art notes, illustrations, stories, poems, and advertisements - and offers information on popular culture and industry, artists and illustrators, painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, architecture and design, exhibitions and sales, decorations, and collecting. The file contains 27,000 citations and contains many records with abstracts.
JSTOR (Journal Storage)
JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization initially funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, dedicated to the development of a digital library in support of the arts and sciences. JSTOR is comprised of the full text of more than 500 academic journals covering a wide range of disciplines. More than 30 art & architectural history titles are included. JSTOR supports browsing by issue and full text searching in individual journals or entire subject collections.
LexisNexis Academic
LexisNexis Academic provides access to thousands of news, business, legal, and medical publications and information sources, including: newspapers, newsletters, magazines, trade journals, wire services, and broadcast transcripts. The strength of this collection is the simultaneous access it allows to long runs of national and international newspapers. A great resources for finding exhibition notices and reviews, art and architectural criticism, auction reports, arts legal issues. LexisNexis Academic’s international offerings include resources in French, Italian, and German.
Periodicals Contents Index (PCI)
Periodical Contents Index (PCI) is an index to the contents of thousands of journals in the humanities and social sciences. Coverage begins with the initial journal issue. PCI covers journals from North America, the United Kingdom and the rest of the English-speaking world and journals in other European languages including French, German, Italian and Spanish. A number of the major art history journals are included in this database. PCI includes the complete table of contents for each issue of each journal. Bibliographic records are also included for the journals themselves and every journal is indexed under one or more of 37 subject headings e.g.: Art & Architecture, History, Law, Literature, Religion, etc. PCI now contains many links to full-text articles.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers Collection
Full-text and keyword searching of the complete New York Times from 1851- 2001. Search results include the option of displaying complete page images or plain text.
Times Digital Archive (1785-1985)
This database contains all issues of the London Times, 1785-1985, in full text and image, including news, features, editorials and commentary, advertising, pictures and illustrations. Searching is by keyword in the full-text.
