Architectural publications index (API) - some hints
on searching
Architectural publications index (API). 1972-
Reference collection
720.5 A657
From RIBA, an international coverage of some 250 architecture journals.
Particularly useful are its indexes by architect, and by building name
and place.
A list of approved subject headings for the API, plus cross references
from terms not used as subject headings, is provided in
Architectural keywords. 1982.
Reference collection
720.5 A657 suppl.
The main sequence of the API is arranged alphabetically
by subject heading, eg.
Landscape: design & construction: theory, aesthetics
L0057 Design is a
verb: design is a noun.
Article in English by Carl Steinitz; diagrs, photos,
refs, sketches, tables.
Landscape Jnl, vol. 14, no. 2, 1995 all, pp 188-200
See the list of abbreviations on page iv of each volume of the API
to work out the exact title of the journal, before you search on the Library's
Catalogue.
Articles about the work of an individual architect or architectural firm
are listed under the subject heading Architects:
followed by the name of the country: and then the individual�s name or
the name of the firm, eg.
Architects:
Great Britain: Foster, Norman
Architects: Japan:
Maki & Associates
Articles about a particular building are listed under the architect and
also under the subject heading for the type of building followed by country
and city, then the name of the building, eg.
Banks: Hong
Kong
Office buildings:
alterations & additions: Australia: Sydney: Harry
Seidler & Associates
Multi-purpose complexes:
France: Paris: American Center
Use the indexes to trace articles on a specific topic.
Each entry in the API is preceded by a unique reference code
consisting of a letter followed by a four-digit number. The index
entry refers to this alphanumeric code.
The Names index includes
the names of architects, engineers, designers, organisations, societies,
and authors of articles. For example the index entry
Foster, Norman
A1735 F0262 H0495
refers to articles by or about Foster indexed under the subject headings
Architects:
French architecture:
Hotels:
The Topographical and Building names
index includes names of countries and names of individual buildings
in one alphabetical sequence, eg.
American Center:
France: Paris A1037 M0296 M0297
France: Paris:
American Center A1037 M0296 M0297
refers to articles about this building under the subject headings
Architects:
Multi-purpose complexes:
Multi-purpose complexes:
The API is part of the RIBA Library Online Catalogue.
Before searching you need to specify the ARTICLES
section of the RIBA Library Online Catalogue, which is equivalent
to the API.
Royal
Institute of British Architects Library online catalogue.
Getting started
At the RIBA Library Online Catalogue page, to select the section
equivalent to the API, scroll down to Search Limits at the
bottom, of the screen, left-hand side.
At library: click on the
down arrowhead and pull down to select ARTICLES
Searching
Return the cursor to the SEARCH ALL FIELDS bar at the top
of the screen, and type in keywords to describe your topic. The RIBA
Library Online Catalogue uses Boolean operators so type AND,
OR, or ADJ
between your search terms.
Where you have alternative words for a concept, type
OR between the search terms and enclose the words separated by OR
in round brackets.
Use the dollar sign $ for truncation.
eg. botanic
AND garden$ AND (adelaide OR melbourne)
If you expect the search terms to be next to each other, as in a
phrase, type the operator ADJ
between your search words,
eg. green
ADJ architect$
Click on Search Catalog
Results
The Search Results -- show how many records match your search strategy
and present the first 20 records in the brief format, giving the title
of the journal (in capitals), the title of the article, volume number,
issue number, date and page numbers.
Click on VIEW to the left of the
article title, to get the full details, including Subject: and Designer/Corp.
subj: which includes the names of architects and firms.
To move to the next 20 records click on FORWARD,
for the previous 20 records, click on BACKWARD.
Click on JUMP to go to a specific record
number.
To return to the Search Results -- click on GO
BACK.
Output
Click in the small box to the left of the brief record, or above the details
of the full record, to mark the record for Print/Capture. Click on
PRINT CAPTURE to get the SAVE or PRINT options to present records in text
format, then use the Print or Save functions of the browser on your computer.
There is no email output option available.
Modify a search
Extend a search from the full record by clicking on the links at Subject:
and Designer/Corp. subj: to find other articles about the topic, person
or firm.
Click on LIMIT SEARCH to amend the previous search by adding more keywords
or searching more than one field.
Make a search strategy more specific by limiting the search terms to
'fields' such as NAME OF ARCHITECT
or NAME OF BUILDING or AUTHOR.
Click on the arrow at the right-hand end of the search bar and pull
down to select a search field.
Use more than one search bar to specify search terms in different fields.
The default operator between the search bars is AND. Change the operator
by clicking in the box to the right of the search bar and select OR
or ///////////// eg.
NAME OF ARCHITECT
AND
NAME OF BUILDING
Click on Search Catalog.
To leave the RIBA Library Online Catalogue, click on EXIT.
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