Merchandising and Interior Design

Before you dive in, think about how to approach your research.

1. Define your topic - Start to gather information about your topic in order to understand the full range of options you can explore.  Gathering background information is helpful.  Us the Getting Started page of this research guide to find helpful sources.
2. Know where to search - Some topics are unlikely to be covered in book form; in these cases, you would not want to spend time searching the library catalog.  Instead, take a look at the Apparel Merchandising Research page Interior Design Research page to find databases.  Other very broad topics may be well-documented in many books, so a search in IUCAT may be the best approach.
3. Stay organized - Keep track of all your sources while you are searching.  Take notes while you're reading, in order to organize your thoughts in preparation for your work.  Learn about art historical writing, and understand citation styles better by looking at the Writing and Citing page.