RISD Master's Thesis   Tags: citing images, graduate degree project, graduate thesis, image captions, research assistance, risd theses, risd thesis, writing center  

Login to your library account by selecting My Record. Type in your name as it appears on the front of your risd ID and the 14-digit barcode number on the back of your ID.

Select
My Reading History

Select
Opt In to begin a list (organized by checkout date) of all the items you've read or watched.

Use the reading history to keep track of what you read when; use the export feature to email, print or download (txt file) your reading list.

Brown's catalog also has this feature - follow the same steps to start your Checkout History in Brown Library's MyJosiah (for RISD login, use the right side of the form)

Guided Research: meeting with a RISD Art Librarian

Art librarians are available to work with you to research your thesis ideas. Make an appointment at the RISD Library Reference Desk - either in person, by email or phone.
A meeting with a librarian usually last 20-30 minutes. You are always welcome to make follow-up appointments.

Studio practice and research share fundamental traits. Both begin with open-ended inquiry that involves forming and developing questions followed by searching, experimenting, and discovery. Both require periods of active looking and reading interspersed with time for reflection. This view of research and its relationship to studio work acknowledges the dynamic flow and interplay of thought, physical experimentation, looking, reflecting, and serendipity inherent in the creative process. Allowing research to find a place in one’s art or design practice can provide context, offer direction, and give depth to one’s creative development.

The art librarian will begin by asking some questions to get a sense of where you are in the research process and what approach you are taking to your topic. It’s useful to bring any beginning writing, outlines or concept maps you've made to this meeting. Often early documents and sketches contain the themes that are central to your thesis and are a good way to begin the conversation.

Librarians will recommend databases to search and can show you strategies and features to efficiently use them. They facilitate in-depth searching for local resources as well as borrowing materials owned by other institutions. They can help you identify significant writers in your area of inquiry, locate primary sources, bibliographies, image sources, websites, and digital collections. They can help you track down the source of a quote or an elusive exhibition catalogue. They answer any questions you may have about your library record and write letters of introduction to research centers when your inquiry points you further afield.

Use a research log to track your efforts: date, search terms, sources, results, and related subjects.   Research log (pdf)