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University of Oregon Libraries

Researching Issues in Anthropology Museums (Anth450/550)

Basic Information

  • Library Regular Hours: Mon-Thur 8am-midnight; Fri 8am-7pm; Sat 11am-7pm; Sun 11am-midnight
  • Anthropology Librarian: Barbara Jenkins
  • Research Assistance
    • Desk: Knight Library, 1st floor
    • Phone: (541)346-1818
    • IM: uoreference (AIM, MSN, Yahoo)
    • Email:
  • University libraries

Getting Started

Current Trends and Ideas in Museum Studies
Browsing current issues of academic journals is an excellent way to stay current in the field. Some key journals in the field are:
  • Exhibitionist (AAA N 4390 .E94)
  • International Journal of Cultural Policy (AAA JA75.7 .E87 and online)
  • Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (AAA N 8554 .A53)
  • Museum International (AAA AM 1 .M63 and online)
  • Museum News (KNIGHT AM 1 .A55)
  • Museums Journal (current issue in AAA AM 1 .M7; back issues in KNIGHT AM 1 .M7)

Getting a General Overview
If you are just starting your research and are looking for an overview or ideas on a topic, the Knight or AAA reference collections can be a useful place to start. Encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference materials can spark ideas and provide a starting point for further research. These resources are also useful for the bibliographies found at the end of most entries. Some useful reference materials are:

  • Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (KNIGHT REF GN307 .E52 1996)
  • Dictionarium Museologicum (AAA REF AM3.D5 1986)
  • Other reference materials can be found in the GN's (the Anthropology classification), CC (Archaeology) and AM (Museum studies). To search our catalog just for reference materials, use the Advanced Catalog Search Feature and limit location to KNIGHT REF.

Finding Books

When starting a search, you should always check the library's catalog. Remember to use different search terms, at varying levels of specificity. If your topic is very narrow and specific, try searching for materials that are one layer more general, as there may be materials in those books about your area. You can also consult the Selected Bibliography for a list of books and articles on various topics in Anthropology Museums.

  • UO Library Catalog
    Provides access to over 2.5 million books and 17,000 journals. Undergraduates can have books out for 2 weeks; graduate students, staff and faculty get materials for 6 months.
  • Summit
    If a book you want is checked out or otherwise not available through the University of Oregon, you can request it through Summit, a 30-university Pacific Northwest consortium whose catalog is found at. This free service will find and deliver the book to any UO library in 2-3 days.
  • WorldCat
    Worldcat provides access to library catalogs from around the world AND you can request materials from most of them. The database contains more than 40 MILLION bibliographic records describing books, journals, maps, musical scores, manuscripts, etc. Use WorldCat to ensure that you haven't missed any books in your research.

Books as Research Tools
Books are useful beyond the author(s)' coverage of a topic. You can use a book to further your own research.

  • Look at the book's bibliography. An author who writes about your topic undoubtedly used articles and books that may be of interest to you. Always look to see what materials the author(s) cited.
  • Look in the library catalog and other databases for other works by the author(s) of the book you've found. Chances are they've done other work in the same or a similar area.
  • Browse the shelf around a book that you've found. Since books are organized by topic, you're likely to find other useful materials in the surrounding area.

Finding Articles

Library users commonly make the mistake of looking for articles in the library catalog. The catalog does not include individual articles, but rather journal titles. To find articles, you can use one of the many electronic or print databases or indexes available through the library. Below are some important indexes for Anthropology research that contain citations, abstracts to articles, book reviews, essays, etc. Do not limit yourselves to these indexes. Because Anthropology research can be crossdisciplinary, there are many other databases that might be useful. You can either ask a reference librarian or browse databases by subject at http://libweb.uoregon.edu/dc/indexes/index.php. Any reference librarian can help you find appropriate databases.

  • Academic Search Premier
    Academic Search Premier contains indexing for more than 8,000 publications, with full text for approximately 4,600 of these titles. This is an interdisciplinary database that focuses on academic, social sciences, humanities, general science, education and multi-cultural journals. Full text backfiles go as far back as 1965.
  • Anthropological Literature  
    Anthropological Literature is a bibliographic index to articles and essays on anthropology and archaeology, including museology. Updated quarterly, Anthropological Literature indexes articles two or more pages long in works published in English and other European languages from the 19th century to the present.
  • AnthroSource
    AnthroSource, the American Anthropology Association's web portal, provides a complete full-text archive of all peer-reviewed journals, newsletters, and bulletins published by the American Anthropological Association. The archive is fully searchable through full-text keyword, phrase, and Boolean searches across all AnthroSource content or selected subsets. There are currently 31 AAA titles in AnthroSource. AAA peer-reviewed journals are in Anthropological Literature, but many of the smaller newsletters and bulletins can only be found in AnthroSource.
  • AAAT Online: Abstracts of International Conservation Literature
    Art & Archaeology Technical Abstracts. New York : Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, AAA Ref AM 1.I555
    Coverage: 1 - 35 (1955 - 1999). This index covers analysis, treatment, and techniques in restoration and preservation of art and architecture materials. It has a separate section dealing with "architectural conservation, including landscape gardening." You must register to use this database, but there is no charge. 
  • Art Index Retrospective
    Art Index Retrospective complements Art Abstracts above, indexing approximately 420 art journals from 1929 - 1984.
  • Web of Science  
    Web of Science provides access to the Social Science Citation Index and the Science Citation Index Expanded, from 1996 to the present. The database can be used to search for articles and to look for cited references.

Finding Full-text articles

Once you have identified an article citation, there are several ways to locate the journal in print or online.

  1. In the database you're using, click on the button on the article that you'd like to see and follow the links to the online copy or to the UO Library Catalog.
  2. Search the UO Library Catalog under "Journals and Serials\" for the title of the journal not the article, then use FindText to locate additional electronic access.
  3. Use the FindText page linked on the library's homepage, to find the full text of an article online, if available from UO, or to find other means of accessing the journal in print or through interlibrary loan.

Some databases will take you directly to the full-text version of an article; in others, you will have to navigate to the correct issue. Be aware that different databases cover different years and, therefore, it is important to use FindText to locate other online and print copies of an article. If we do not have an article electronically or in print, you can submit an interlibrary loan request.

Other Useful Guides

Research in Anthropology
Advanced Research in Anthropology

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Maintained by Barbara Jenkins, jenkins@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 02/12/2007