Architecture Thesis Support

Whether you are researching a specific historical style, building, architect, or movement, there are similar techniques to follow when exploring your topic. Think about important words or phrases that best describe your topic.

Perhaps you are searching for information on a particular architect or building, then you would want to search by name.

• Ex: "Robert Graves" with quotation marks and in correct order. The same goes for a specific building, Ex: "Denver Central Library" (Hint: sometimes buildings are known by multiple names or even by their addresses so be flexible and try a number of options)

If you are looking for a style or movement or architectural innovation, use words that either name or best describe it. Start broadly and narrow down as you search as you go, refining your words as you learn how your topic is described most commonly in the literature. 

• Ex: "Baroque Architecture" to get architecture and not just art in the Baroque style. Or if searching for a concept, "sustainability AND architecture" combining two separate ideas with the Boolean operator "AND."

Be sure to use the options on the left side of the search screen to refine your list for either books, articles, peer-reviewed, online access, etc.  

Not sure where to begin? Looking in a general historical architecture encyclopedia is always a good place to generate ideas. Please see the next box below for a few to get you started. 

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.