Tip: scan the index
Use a book's index to gather vocabulary, synonyms, concepts, titles, sites, artist's names.
At the early stages of topic development, naming and describing a concept are the first steps toward being able to search for it.
Consider mapping the topic as part of your research process.
Naming & defining - assigning language
Naming - thesauri, dictionaries, encyclopedias
library.risd.edu > Databases A-Z
Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)
The AAT is a structured vocabulary of around 34,000 concepts, including 131,000 terms, descriptions, bibliographic citations, and other information relating to fine art, architecture, decorative arts, archival materials, and material culture.
Credo includes 569 titles from over 70 publishers and covers every major subject from the world's best publishers of reference sources.
Oxford Art Online
This major art reference source includes Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Features include Timelines of world art, MOMA lesson plans, and thematic guides.
Oxford English Dictionary
Full text version of the second edition of the OED, the most complete dictionary of the English language available. Traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international and English language sources. Sign up to receive the OED Word of the Day by email or RSS feed.
Oxford Reference Online
Includes timelines, maps and illustrations, quotations, encyclopedia and bi-lingual dictionaries. This source include key titles in the acclaimed Oxford Companions and Oxford Dictionaries series, plus the Visual English Dictionary, the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and the Encyclopedia of Mammals.