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ARC 1701 (Watters): Preliminary Research

This is a guide to library resources for group projects in Prof. Watters' History of Architecture course on the West Campus.

Getting Started

Step one in your research is to get to know your topic.

Do this by browsing some general information sources. You can start with a Google Search.

As you browse these sources, collect KEYWORDS related to the topic.

Words that answer the question WHO?

  • names of architects
  • names of firms
  • names of historical figures

Words that answer the question WHAT?

  • names of buildings
  • types of structures (example: pyramid)
  • building styles (example: art deco)

Words that answer the question WHEN and WHERE?

  • specific dates
  • time periods (example: Renaissance)
  • periods in architecture history (example: Bauhaus)
  • current and historical placenames

Words that answer the question HOW?

  • types of materials

Get as many keywords as you can. This will help as you move into the next steps.