Overviews
When beginning to explore a topic, it can be tremendously helpful to read a brief summary of the topic, written by an expert, who also selects and discusses the most important publications on the subject. This not only improves your selections of what to read, but also your understanding of "the big picture" and which part of it you might want to explore. Literature reviews might be found in scholarly encyclopedia entries, sometimes in handbooks, or published separately as articles in journals.
Encyclopedias for Art Education and Related Topics
In specialized academic encyclopedias, experts are asked to write a summary of a topic and to recommend the key readings. So they are a great start on a new topic or a way of understanding the context when part of your topic takes you into another discipline.
- International Encyclopedia of Art and Design Education, 2019Pedagogy, curriculum, history & philosophy.
- Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new windowThe visual arts and architecture of all cultures and eras.
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia of EducationGrowing to be an extensive and authoritative collection.
- International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2002More interdisciplinary than the others in this list. Summaries of child development, multiculturalism, and other huge topics.
- Encyclopedia of Aesthetics (2nd ed.), 2014Great for arts theories, theorists, trends, and concepts such as "the gaze" or "the sublime."
- Encyclopedia of Creativity, 2011Summaries of research in various aspects of creative ability. (e-book or book)
- Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2020Creativity with some emphasis on it's application.
- International Education: an Encyclopedia of Contemporary Issues and Systems, 2013Entries on each nation - history, current organization, key agencies, etc.
- Encyclopedia of Education (2nd ed.), 2003Becoming dated but more comprehensive than the alternatives.
- Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education, 2009Entries and bibliographies are brief, but on some useful topics. Also a pictorial timeline.
Handbooks for Art Education and Related Topics
The editors of handbooks identify important topics in current research and select authors for literature reviews of the current state of research on each topic. These are some good examples:
- Handbook of Research and Policy in Art Education, 2004Encyclopedic articles on issues in art education with extensive bibliographies. (e-book or book)
- Research in Art & Design Education: Issues and Exemplars, 2008Some emphasis here on the British perspective and on projects featured in the International Journal of Art & Design Education. (e-book or book)
- Teaching and Assessing Social Justice Art Education, 2022Focused on social justice principals for K through 12. (e-book)
- International Handbook of Research in Arts Education, 2007Covering visual, performing, and literary arts, with sections on history, curriculum, evaluation, cultural centers, appreciation, composition, informal learning, child culture, creativity, the body, spirituality, and technology.
- The Routledge International Handbook of Intercultural Arts Research, 2016Intercultural arts practice and theory.
- Teaching and Learning Emergent Research Methodologies in Art Education, 2013This one emphasizes emerging research questions and future possibilities.
- Practice Theory: Seeing the Power of Art Teacher Researchers, 2013Focus here is the research process: forming questions, selecting methods, etc.
- Palgrave Handbook of Global Arts Education, 2017Based upon a 2014 World Alliance for Arts Education Global Summit, this collection provides international examples of universal issues.
- SAGE Research Methods Core This link opens in a new windowSince art educators employ a wide variety of methods in their research, handbooks on methodology can also be helpful, especially when designing an extensive research project. While many publishers product methodological handbooks, Sage has made this one of their specialties. This database focuses on methodology rather than disciplines. It covers more than 600 books and many other articles and videos that review methodological approaches, techniques, strengths, weaknesses, etc.
Articles as Literature Reviews
Other articles published in journals and as book chapters might employ a rigorous review of existing literature. The databases below categorize articles by the research methods they employ. Searching your topic using the advanced search screen, and limiting the results by these special categories is a good way to find overviews.
In the ERIC (ProQuest) database, add one or more of these terms to your search as “SUBJECT” or “ERIC SUBJECT”:
Literature Reviews
Meta Analysis
Bibliographies
In the PsycInfo database, add one or more of these terms to your search as “SUBJECT” or “MAINSUBJECT”:
Literature Review
Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review