Consider primary and secondary sources while you choose your topic
Before you finalize your choice of topic, be sure there are adequate sources readily available. If you choose something too esoteric, you may find that all the sources are in a language other than English, or they aren't readily available in the United States, or there just aren't any.
Are there ancient texts on your topic? You need primary sources.
Are there modern books and articles that discuss the ancient texts? You need some historiography.
Are there books and scholarly articles (secondary sources) on your topic?
Are there archaeological excavation reports that give information and perhaps show pictures of objects related to your topic?
Are there art works on tombs, buildings, vases, or elsewhere that illustrate aspects of your topic? You may need to look for museum catalogs or books of art history to find examples of art or objects that relate to any topic.
Comprehensive bibliographic index to museum-quality fine art on the Internet derived from museum websites, image archives, and other online resources. Artistic media included are painting; sculpture; photography; the decorative arts; installation art; video, digital, and web-based art; nave, folk, and outsider art; and architecture. This database can be searched by movement, medium, subject, nationality, or artist name.
Comprehensive bibliographic index for international literature dealing with all aspects of art. Materials indexed include both English-language and international periodicals, art reproductions, yearbooks, and museum bulletins. Subject coverage includes advertising, antiques, archaeology, architecture and architectural history, art history, computers in art, crafts, decorative arts, fashion design, folk art, graphic arts, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture, motion pictures, museology, non-western art, painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, television, textiles, and video.
Digital image database of visual material encompassing artistic and historical traditions across many time periods and cultures. Subject coverage includes the arts, architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, design, and many other forms of visual culture. Designed to be used by art researchers and art historians. Registration is recommended in order to take advantage of all ARTstor features. UTEP faculty and library staff may request instructor privileges that will allow them to create folders to share image groups with students or colleagues.
https://library.artstor.org
NOTE: This database is funded in part by the Academic Library Collection Enhancement Program (ALCEP) through the General Libraries of the University of Texas at Austin.
Provides full text online access to the complete, 250-plus volume Cambridge Histories reference series. Subject coverage ranges from political, economic and social history to histories of philosophy and literature. Includes the histories of specific countries and selected topics. Materials indexed include reference books and book chapters. Coverage: All time periods - from Ancient to Modern.
Provides complete full-text access to an archive of back issues of selected scholarly journals from the following subscribed collections: Arts & Sciences (I - XI), Life Sciences, and Ireland. Subject coverage includes: African and African American Studies, anthropology, archaeology, architecture, art and art history, Asian Studies, biology, botany, British Studies, business, classical studies, economics, education, film studies, finance, folklore, geography, health sciences, history, Ireland, Jewish Studies, language and literature, Latin American Studies, law, linguistics, mathematics, Middle East Studies, music, paleontology, performing arts, philosophy, political science, psychology, public administration, religion, science, Slavic Studies, sociology, Women's Studies, statistics and zoology. Other types of publications indexed include monographs, pamphlets, images, and manuscripts.
