Keyword Searching-2

Keyword Searching

Use your Introduction to Art History Links to an external site. textbook, class notes, and Artstor Links to an external site. to identify vocabulary related to your topic.  Keywords might include:

  • Artist or creator
  • Location
  • Period
  • Style or movement
  • Material or format

Example:  The Blue Qur'an

A medieval manuscript of the Koran on indigo-dyed parchment with gold Islamic calligraphy called "The Blue Qur'an."

If you were researching the Blue Qur'an, some keywords might be:

  • Qur'an, Quran, Koran
  • Tunisia, Spain, Iran, Iraq
  • Folio, manuscript, parchment, codex, codices
  • Gold ink, silver ink, indigo-dyed parchment, blue, purple
  • Islamic calligraphy

Advanced Keyword Searching

Once you have identified relevant keywords for your topic, use these tricks to combine them for better search results.

 

To limit your results, use the AND

Boolean search using the keywords "Qur'an" AND "Blue."

 

To expand your results, use the OR

Boolean search using the keywords "Qur'an" OR "Koran."

 

To search for an exact phrase, use "QUOTES"

Advanced search in OneSearch using the keywords "folio" OR "parchment" OR "manuscript" AND "islamic calligraphy" in quotes.