This guide suggests resources and strategies for research on interior design.

Background Information  |  Facts & Figures  |  Find Articles 
Find Books  |   Organizations  |  Web Resources 

Background Information (Overview Sources)

Encyclopedias and other reference works are an excellent place to start a research project or simply learn more about a particular topic.  They provide topic summaries, context, and bibliographies for further reading.

Dictionary Of Architecture & Construction  R 720.3 D561 1993 
Mary Gilliatt's dictionary of architecture and interior design : essential terms for the home  R 729.03 G414m 
Encyclopedia of interior design, 2v.  R 747.03 En19
The design encyclopedia  R745.44403 B99d 
The Dictionary of art, 34v.  R 720.3 En19
Dictionary of Furniture  R 749.0321 D561 2001 
The dictionary of interior design  R 747.03 P348d 1983 
Encyclopedia of American architecture  R 720.973 P124e2 
Encyclopedia of architecture : design, engineering & construction, 5v.  R 720.3 En19

Use dictionaries, statistical works, atlases, handbooks and similar works to find and check facts about topics, people, or events.

The color compendium  R 701.8 H771c 
Time-saver standards for building types  R 729.2 D356t3 
World woods in color  R 674.1 L638w 

Search indexes, abstracts, and databases to find journal, magazine, and newspaper articles.  For a complete list of Kent Library's online indexes and databases, see the Find: articles page (http://library.semo.edu/find/articles.asp).

To find recent articles and scholarly/peer-reviewed articles use the following online databases:

Academic Search Premier
Electric Library
Wilson Omnifile

Use the Kent Library Catalog (http://library.semo.edu/find/books.html) to find books, periodicals (journals, magazines, & newspapers), videos, government documents and other materials.

Keyword searches allow you to use your own words as search terms.

Subject heading searches use Library of Congress subject headings. Printed volumes of these headings are located near the Reference Desk on the main floor.

Interior Decoration
Interior Decoration Periodicals
Color In Interior Decoration
House Furnishings
Lighting, Architectural And Decorative
Store Decoration

Browse the shelves by call number.  Use the Dewey Decimal chart (http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/fi_books_dd_list.htm) to get you in the right subject areas or try the following:

640s home economics & family living
720s architecture
740s drawing and decorative arts

Professional organizations and/or societies often provide very useful topic related information.

AIA (The American Institute of Architects) http://www.aia.org/ ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) http://www.asid.org/ ACSA (Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture) http://www.acsa-arch.org/ FIDER (Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research) http://www.fider.org/ IIDA (International Interior Design Association) http://www.iida.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

Color Matters
http://www.colormatters.com/entercolormatters.html

Home Management & Home Improvement: Interior Design
http://outreach.missouri.edu/edninfo/interior.htm

Missouri Division of Professional Registration
http://www.pr.mo.gov/interior-continuing-education.asp

Registered Commercial Interior Designers must complete a minimum of one (1) unit of approved continuing education every two (2) years prior to renewal of the registration.
Interior Design Jobs.Com
http://www.interiordesignjobs.com/ceu.asp

For a list of Web searching tools, see the Find: web resources page (http://library.semo.edu/find/webpages.html).