Music: Suggestions For Music Researchers

FindingBooks:  a selection of Online Catalog [Fusion Plus] Subject Headings

• African American -- music 
• Choral music 
• Instrumental music 
• Music 
• Music as a profession 
• Music critics 
• Music in art 
• Music teachers 
• Music therapy 
• Music trade 
• Music--bibliography 
• Music--biography 
• Music--history and criticism 
• Music--theory 
• Opera 
• Orchestra 
• Vocal music 
• Women musicians
• African Americans -- Music 
• Band music--bibliography 
• Brass ensembles--bibliography 
• Brass instruments
• Chamber music--bibliography 
• Chamber music--history and criticism 
• Choral music--bibliography 
• Ethnomusicology 
• Instrumental music--bibliography 
• Instrumentation and orchestration 
• Music--dictionaries 
• Music--economic aspects 
• Music--instruction and study 
• Music--performance 
• Music--psychological aspects 
• Music--teachers 
• Music--united states 
• Music, american 
• Musical instruments 
• Piano--history and criticism 
• Percussion instruments 
• Stringed instruments, bowed 
• Vocal music--bibliography 
• Woodwind instruments

Before you jump in to find articles on your topic in periodicals, take a moment to think about what you're looking for. This step is important for any research you'll do, whether it's for school or your own interests.

Ask yourself some questions:

• Does my topic fit within any broad subject area(s)?
• Would a subject index, a general index or both suit my needs?
• Do I need current information or historical information on my topic?
• Is there a subject index in print, but not electronic, format that will be helpful?

Planning your search strategy can save you time in the research process. It will help you focus your search so you choose the most useful indexes or databases with which to start. It certainly beats getting right into a general electronic database, typing in topic words you haven't thought about much and sorting through the, often extensive, list of results.

Above all, don't give up if you don't find material on your subject right away! Try thinking of other words to describe your subject. You may find material on your topic listed under some of these synonyms. Check the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes at the reference desk, or try using a thesaurus.

Even if you don't succeed with the synonyms you try, don't give up yet! Remember, each index and database has a certain coverage of periodical titles, so you may need to try a different index/database that would cover periodicals more suited for your topic.

Also remember you can ask a librarian at the reference desk to help you search for your topic; the librarians are there to help you in your research, and they have experience searching the library's many indexes and databases. A librarian may be able to help you think of more synonyms or help you use an index thesaurus to come up with subject name(s) you need. A librarian may also be able to help you use a particular index or database in other ways to locate material on your topic, or s/he may direct you to a better index or database for researching your topic.

Searching for specific types of music-related materials in an online catalog can be much easier and quicker if you know your Keyword search option.

For example, in the ISU Online Catalog, you can select Keyword searching and then set more limits to discover how to limit your Keyword searches to: 

• Location [e.g., Main Library or Music Listening Library]
• Material type [e.g., Music score, Non-musical recording, musical recording

In addition to using the Set More Options, you can also design searches on the main Keyword screen such as: 

• Mozart AND sound
• Mozart AND music
• Mozart AND scores
• Mozart AND full score?
• Mozart NOT {voice or piano}
• Thematic catalogs AND {composer}
• Thematic catalogs AND {type of music}
• Music AND thesis

The Interlibrary Loan Department provides document delivery and interlibrary loan to distance education students. Interlibrary Loan will process these requests through a system called ILLiad.

First time users must register in the ILLiad system. A valid ISU ID card is required. Do this early before you actually need resources. ILL cannot process your requests until you obtain an ISU ID card.

Please REGISTER NOW.

Use the Fusion Plus catalog as your first option for locating books, scores, microfilms, journal titles (but NOT articles), sound recordings, and videos owned by Indiana State University, as well as Web-based resources that are accessible via the catalog (electronic books and journals, databases).