Religion

Religion, Biblical Studies & Theology Guide:
Researching for a Literature Review
2004
Huntington University --
RichLyn Library
Huntington, Indiana

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.     Introduction
II.    Steps in Doing a Literature Review
III.   Choosing a Topic
IV.    Gathering Information (Evaluating Reference Works & Beginning the Working Bibliography)
V.     Finding Materials: (Understanding the Online Public Access Catalog, Classification, etc.)
VI.    Journals (Definitions, Locating, and Using)
VII. Primary Source Documents (Definitions of, etc.: Also Includes Secondary and Tertiary)
VIII. Atlases and Other Reference Sources (Subject dictionaries, lexicons, concordances, commentaries, etc.)
IX.    Appendixes
          Interlibrary Loans-A
                         Using Search Engines-B
                         Copyright and Plagiarism-C
                         Bibliography, MLA-D
                         Dictionaries and Word Studies-E
                         Commentaries-F
                         Biblical Languages-G
                         Journals (ATLA) Searching-H
               Boolean Operators
               Grouping Terms Together Using Parentheses

INDEX:
(When OPAC Accessible is mentioned in the Index, the item is linked to the text of the Guide. Then the item is linked to our OPAC where you may search for the item.)

I. Introduction:

This is an introductory guide for Huntington University students who are looking for materials dealing with religion and theology in RichLyn Library. It is important for the student to realize that many of the online sites may be of questioned value to some contemporary scholars. If you have any question regarding any of the web-based resources, ask your instructor. This Religion & Theology Guide will address how to do basic library research in finding religious, theological, and biblical information, both in print and online. The Guide will address only the reference books, periodicals, online databases, web sites, etc. found through the Internet and at Huntington University and its public access online catalog. Also, although very important to the researcher, works outside religion, theology and biblical studies will not be considered. The basic research principles as applied to the field of religion may also be applied to other curricular areas.

For researching resources regarding Bible theology, and religion, please use the highlighted links given at RichLyn Library's home page under Subject Guides. Then by choosing the Bible & Religion link followed by the Religion, Biblical Studies & Theology Guide link and/or many other welcome and wide ranging web-based resources, you should find much of what you need; many of the links were recommended by the Bible & Religion Departments.

Additionally, many of the resources mentioned in this guide are linked from the library's Welcome to RichLyn Library home page. This means that if the desired title is specific to the library, such as a journal title or a subscription database, a link will send you to the library's home page. Then you may go to the appropriate link on the home page and search for your title. Therefore, thoroughly examine the home page.

This Guide is only a recommendation; there are many ways to conduct research. By approaching research in a systematic manner, however, much more and better materials will be found than if searching is serendipitous. This Guide is only considering materials written or translated into English. There will be references made, however, to items in biblical languages (see Appendix G) such as Hebrew and Greek.

II. STEPS IN DOING A LITERATURE REVIEW:

The emphasis of this guide is on the first two major points, choosing a topic and gathering information. Additionally, however, to clarify one problematic area, a few basic MLA bibliographic examples are given in Appendix D.

    A.  Choosing a Topic & Writing the Thesis Statement.
    B. Gathering & Evaluating Information.
         1. Encyclopedias & Handbooks (used for a general overview and developing the working bibliography)
         2. Check OPAC, PALNI, WorldCat (book sources)
         3. Periodicals & Journals
         4. Atlases and Other Reference Materials
         5. Interviews, pamphlets, audiovisuals, mass media, etc.
    C. Organizing the Information & Creating the Outline
    D. Writing the Narrative

III. CHOOSING A TOPIC:

Sometimes a research topic is chosen for the students by the professor. Sometimes a research topic must be chosen by the students. This is where the rub begins. Choosing a topic may be one of the more difficult challenges facing the beginning researcher. Here are a couple hints that might make the process of choosing an appropriate topic easier. First, make sure the topic is of interest. If the topic is not interesting, expect the paper to be lackluster. Second, remember, the most common error for the neophyte researcher is to pick a too-broad topic. If there are books written about the topic, it is too broad; if there are chapters written about the topic, it is too broad; if there are units in a book written on the topic, the scope of your research is beginning to take form. Third, ask pertinent questions about your chosen topic, and then ask questions about the questions. Why and how questions are particularly good questions to ask. This process will help further define your thesis.

Another technique that is often used in defining an appropriate topic is brainstorming. Simply get together with a group or classmate and pick a general topic that is of interest. Place the topic on a piece of notebook paper or a write-on board and circle it. Then by brainstorming write any phrase or question that comes to mind that is related to the general topic. Circle each idea, and remember that there are no good or bad ideas, only ideas. Do this for 15-20 minutes. When you are finished, find the ideas and questions that are the most intriguing and that fit within the scope of the project. Develop a thesis sentence based on the brainstorming activity.

Lastly, keep in mind that most research topics generally begin by being too broad in scope and that most topics are covered descriptively. Once the topic has been appropriately narrowed the next job is to decide on the approach that will be used. If the approach is descriptive, that simply means the essay will likely sound like an encyclopedia article, a fairly boring approach. That also generally means that the professor who must grade the project will find it lifeless, and perhaps even worse, boring. Another approach that often proves useful is analytical. For instance, rather than just describing the church's worship service during the Puritan era, try to place some type of judgment on the facts. Why, how, and what are potential value questions that often stir the pot of curiosity. Why not compare the Puritan's worship with modern services and ask why they have changed; how did the Puritans react to their changes that eventually occurred, and how does that reaction compare with the transitions that modern Christians go through? Were there elements in Puritan worship that have either been preserved or should be revived in today's church?

With all this said, however, it is still wise to check with your professor to see if the chosen approach is acceptable. Some professors really do not like being taken off guard; so, always keep them in the loop.

IV. GATHERING INFORMATION: (Beginning the working bibliography):

Now that the research topic has been accepted and assigned, the next step is to gather appropriate materials for the paper. There are several things one might consider in trying to locate materials for a research paper. First, consider looking for general or subject encyclopedias on the topic. Most professors do not want students to quote or paraphrase from general encyclopedias, but some allow subject encyclopedias, especially if the articles are signed by the authors, the subject experts. One fairly comprehensive encyclopedia set in our collection is The Encyclopedia of Religion (R200.321 E56). But always check with the professor to see what is or is not acceptable.

There are many good subject encyclopedias and handbooks that one may choose in doing research, but the question arises, which are the best. Evaluation is not a particularly easy task, but there are several questions to consider that may help. First, is the encyclopedia authoritative? In other words do you have reason to believe that the editor/author has appropriate credentials or a recognized reputation? Are the articles signed? Are the works published by long established publishers? Second, you might want to consider the scope of the encyclopedia. Are the articles long or short? Do the articles cover the topic comprehensively? Third, do the articles show a particular bias such as a denominational leaning, a liberal or conservative viewpoint, a biblical or theological emphasis? Fourth, even the physical appearance of the encyclopedia may have an influence of your best-pick for subject encyclopedias. Are the graphics clear, the colors vibrant, and the maps, and charts, grafts accurate and well done? Fifth, one of the deciding factors for many scholars is whether or not the work has a comprehensive index. Then lastly, what is the copyright date? This may or may not be relevant. If there is much contemporary research being done on a topic, the copyright date becomes quite significant. On the other hand, much that is found in older works is still quite valid. But generally, consider works that have the more recent copyrights as having the latest available scholarly information. Therefore, in picking your favorite subject encyclopedias, consider works according to these factors, and you should be pleased. In evaluating any reference materials, these factors, if they apply, should be considered.

Good reasons for beginning with an encyclopedia are two-fold. First, if the topic can be found in an encyclopedia, it will give a good overview of the topic. Second, there generally are bibliographies related to the topic at the ends of articles. This second feature is possibly the more valuable.

Even if the professor does not allow the encyclopedia to be used, it is a good source for finding bibliographic information for the research process. Check the authors and titles from the end-of-the-articles bibliographies to see if they might be used. Then use the online catalog to determine if the items are in the library. If they are not, send for them through interlibrary loan (see Appendix A).

Beginning the research process will often begin with the use of print subject encyclopedias. To find a Bible or religion encyclopedia, simply do a subject keyword search on the library's OPAC using the pull-down menu to find subject keyword; then enter the topic and the sub-heading, encyclopedias (e.g. Islam--Encyclopedias finds The new encyclopedia of Islam (R297.03 G549n). For further information in using the OPAC, see the information about the online catalog.

One standard subject encyclopedia is the New Catholic Encyclopedia (R 282.03 C363 2nd ed.), obviously written from a catholic perspective. But as a protestant, do not ignore the fine scholarship in this set. Scholars try to be as unbiased as possible when writing about their field. Another general, but subject specific encyclopedia is The encyclopedia of Christianity (R 230.003 E56). Two other good sets with signed articles are the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion (R220.03 E56) and the World Christian Encyclopedia (R230.003 W927).

A handbook is nothing more than an encyclopedia stripped of much of its narrative, often in one or two volumes. To find a handbook on your topic, simply do a keywords title search along with the term handbook (e.g. Religion--Handbook). This finds, among other titles, Handbook of today's religions / Josh McDowell & Don Stewart (R291 M138). Sometimes the word handbook occurs in the title and sometimes it does not. An example would be The Oxford companion to the Bible (R220.3 O98). When a call number is found on the library's OPAC catalog, use it to discover other similar titles either in the reference section or in the general stacks. Another potentially useful handbook found in the general stacks is Cover to cover: getting the Bible's big picture (220.07 B582).

The same process used to develop a working bibliography using books can be applied to journals. Many journal articles also have bibliographies or something similar such as references consulted. Use the noted references from these lists to continue building the working bibliography.

Additionally, remember there are also book-length bibliographies in the library such as American evangelicalism: an annotated bibliography (016.2773 M199a). Check the library's OPAC to find these full length resources under such subject headings as: Bible N.T.--Criticism, interpretation, etc.--Bibliography, Theology--Bibliography, Christian education--Bibliography, and Christianity--Bibliography. Again, before you begin searching for this type information, you may want to consult the information below about the online catalog.

Before using any materials it is very important to check the copyright dates. Much research writing in the humanities, and especially areas such as Bible and religion, is timeless. The fact remains, however, that much is also outdated. Therefore, unless the work or the author is of known authority, it is usually better to choose sources from more recent copyrighted scholarship.

There are a number of online subject encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries (see Appendix E) and commentaries (see Appendix F) that may be useful in doing research, and sermon preparation. Even though online sites are tempting to use exclusively when doing a paper or preparing a sermon, etc., mediocrity might be the result. What should be done in most cases, especially when using Internet web sites, is to keep in mind that many resources need to be double-checked for accuracy and timeliness (copyright). Also, remember to apply the principles mentioned above before using materials from these resources in papers: Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christianity, The Catholic Encyclopedia (1908), The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (CCEL Edition), Torrey's New Topical Textbook, The Dictionary of the History of Ideas (1973-1974), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of the Orient, and the Jewish Encyclopedia.com. Probably it should be mentioned that sometimes an encyclopedia is entitled a dictionary. This is an editorial choice and usually means that the encyclopedia is organized alphabetically like a dictionary. An example of this type encyclopedia would be A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D., with an Account of the Principal Sects and Heresies.

V. FINDING MATERIALS: Finding your way around the library:

Call Numbers:

A call number is nothing more than the shelf address for the book or item. It is printed on the spine of the book and listed on the computer screen along with the bibliographic information and helps you find needed library research materials. In some instances the OPAC (Online Public Catalog) may prompt the user to Click for call num link to see the call number from the full bibliographic record. The call number generally consists of a classification number and an author number. All the books and other materials are classified according to the Dewey Classification scheme.

    The Dewey is arranged by placing all of man's knowledge into 10 main
    subjects, including many subdivisions. The basic categories are 100s
    general, 200s Bible and religion, 300s social sciences (e.g. education,
    politics, crime, and folklore), 400s language and grammar, 500s pure
    sciences (e.g. biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics), 600s applied
    sciences or technology (cooking, business, medicine, etc.), 700s
    recreation and the arts (e.g. sport, music, drama, painting), 800s
    literature, 900s history and biography.

Then each of these 10 basic subjects (000s-900s) is further broken into sub-divisions to describe the components of the basic ten categories. For instance, Bible and religion, the 200s, is sub-divided into works concerned with the Bible, the 220s, while theology is sub divided into the 230s.

    There are a few exceptions in the collections using the Dewey such as the case with music scores (Library of Congress Classification), the government documents (Superintendent of Documents Classification), the curriculum lab (home produced), etc. By and large, however, the main collection is classified by the Dewey.

    The other part of the typical call number is the author number. This follows on the line right after the classification number and designates the author's surname. This last name is coded by a system called the Cutter. It consists of the first initial of the author's last name and a series of numbers taken from the Cutter. Basically, the Cutter simply places the surname in alphabetical order. For instance, the book, The Complete Stylist, second edition, by Sheridan Baker might have the following call number:

          Classification    808.042 (literature)
          Author #          B168c   (Cutter, plus first initial of the title)
          Copy   #          c.2     (2nd copy)

    Notice that there is an additional third line for the copy number. This
    lets the user know that there are two copies in the stacks (shelves).
    Sometimes there may be other lines designating various aspects of the
    item such as 2nd ed. (edition) or a collection code such as R
   (reference), but the subject classification and author are the two main
    parts of the call number.

    In RichLyn Library, the basic stacks, the books that may be borrowed,
    are arranged with the 000s through the 400s on the lower level. The
    upper level houses the 500s through the 900s. The main level houses
    the Reference materials, 000s-900s. These books, such as Bible
    dictionaries, handbooks, etc., are designated with an R on the first
    line of the call number and not loaned.

Additionally, current periodicals are found alphabetically on the main floor on sloping shelves. The current year's issues are found by lifting the sloping shelf. Previous subscriptions (past 20-some years) are housed alphabetically on the upper level and are generally bound. There is a bound older retrospective collection alphabetically found on the lower level in the Historical Center on compact shelving. If a title is not found in the stacks, check the microforms area on the main level, either in microfilm or microfiche format and alphabetically arranged.

Online Public Access Catalog:

Now, to find a book in the RichLyn Library Online Public Access Catalog,search the online catalog for title, author, subject, serials, etc. In some catalogs, the exact title or author, or a Browse function, may be searched. Using the Browse allows for searching an alphabetical listing beginning with a specific word or its closest match: E.g. Entering border may find the words border taxes and border life but not the singular term border.

    The search process is simple. Just type in the word according to the
    prompt: e.g. Title: Author: Subject, etc. There are some searching
   conventions, however, that might make searching easier. If using the
    OPAC or one of the online databases, whether at Huntington or
    elsewhere, try to do a truncation. This is searching for a word using
    its shortened form, which searches not only for the shortened form but
    also for all words using that root. This will save the searcher a
    great deal of time. When typing a word in one of the search boxes,
    whether in the online catalog, a search engine (not all allow trunca-
    tion), or while using one of the databases, simply truncate it by
    using an *(asterisk)or a? (question mark). The truncated search
    will use either the asterisk or the question mark. If one does not
    work, try the other.

    For example, when doing a title search using the word dogma* as the
    root, the terms dogma, dogmatic, dogmatism, dogmatics, dogmatist,
    dogmatists, dogmatize, and possibly others would be found. Sometimes
    the truncation commands are outlined under a tab for Advanced Search;
    so be sure to look for such a tab.

    First, begin by looking for reference materials using the library's
   (OPAC) basic search. There will be more on this later. Second, move to
   the PALNI (Private Academic Library Network of Indiana) and the First
   Search: WorldCat databases to find other books related to the topic.
   PALNI, for instance, will give the holdings of over 25 Indiana private
   libraries, while WorldCat contains the catalog records of libraries
   throughout the world. The searching is basically the same as the
   instructions for searching HC's OPAC.

Using the Internet is another likely source of information for research projects. There are a number of problems associated with the Internet that should be addressed before using it. First, there is the fact that there are billions of web sites that may be accessed. So how does one narrow a search? Second, there is the problem of the authenticity of the various sites. How do you know if the site is authoritative? Third, how do you search in this maze of valuable, not-so-valuable, and worthless sites?

Well, the first is somewhat easily resolved though choosing the best search engine to do your search. But even with the most sophisticated of search engines, there will be a plethora of sites to examine (see Appendix B). The second question is addressed much like evaluating encyclopedias and other reference books as already mentioned (see Evaluating...). There is one additional observation that should be made about web sites. If the web site does not have a contact person mentioned, be suspicious of the quality of the site. Third, the searching of the web is related to the first question and will depend upon the type information you are requesting. Yahoo, for example, categorizes its information into subgroups that makes it easier for the searcher to locate specific information. At any rate it would pay to read about the various search engines, directories, etc. as found in Appendix B. It would also be helpful to learn about truncating, binding of phrases, and Boolean Searching.

VI. JOURNALS:

After having found the necessary books, periodicals should be searched. Generally, journals should be searched rather than the more popular magazines. There are a couple things that distinguish journals from magazines. But the distinction is not always obvious. In fact some instructors may refer to journals, periodicals, serials and magazines synonymously, but they really are not. Serials include all of the terms mentioned; the term simply means that a publication will be continuously (weekly, monthly, annually) published. Periodicals are similar to serials, but they are usually published continuously with individual issues and not bound as are some serials. Periodicals usually have numerous articles written by several authors and would include both journals and magazines but not newspapers. Magazines are periodicals that are usually recreational in nature such as how-to-do, news-of-the-week, fiction, type periodicals. Journals are periodicals that often are published by a learned society, an institution or a corporation. Casually looking at a periodical may give some clues as to whether or not it is a magazine or a journal. If the periodical title sounds academic, if the article uses an academic vocabulary and style, if the article has a bibliography, and if the periodical is not filled with advertisements, it is probably a journal. Often journals have the word journal in their titles, for example Journal of Religion or Journal for the Study of the New Testament, but not always, for example Biblica or Expository Times. Sometimes journals just sound academic or have a word such as quarterly, for example The Evangelical Quarterly. Occasionally the periodical may have the word journal in the title but not really be an academic journal, in the research sense, for example Youthworker: The Contemporary Journal for Youth Ministry. Judging from the following titles, which are journals: Christianity Today, Church Educator, Church History, The Christian Century (see also OPAC accessible), World Christian, Near Eastern Archaeology, Theology Today, and Journal for the Study of the Old Testament? The first four are magazines; the last four are journals.

Journal Articles, Finding Print:

          To find print articles, you could find them simply by browsing through the existing collection and selecting the journal titles from the alphabetically shelved periodicals. Of course that would be quite time consuming and very inefficient and probably ineffective. Most religion researchers would turn immediately to an electronic index such as ATLA Religion Database. Articles could be found rather easily, and then it would be a simple matter to check the periodical stacks to see if the journal titles are included. If the desired titles are not available, it would be another simple step to get an Interlibrary Loan form from a desk attendant or the wire information racks on the main floor, fill it out and give it to an attendant. In a few days to a week the item(s) would arrive and a notice would be sent to your mailbox letting you know the material was waiting in the library (See Appendix A). But if you only use the electronic databases, you may miss many important articles that could be used in your research.
    It should be remembered, however, that an important ingredient in the research process is not only to find many articles, books, etc., but also to find the best items. That means, for the serious researcher, the search for meaningful information continues until all the questions are answered. You will notice certain authors appear in bibliographies throughout the literature (books and journal articles). When you start noticing the same names repeated, note that they are likely recognized scholars in those areas. You ought also to consider the publisher of the book or journal you are using. Certain publishers such as Zondervan are considered more respectable than others. This is another clue as to the authority of those who write as scholars. Now, let us go back to finding print articles.
    There are a number of print indexes in the field of religion that should be consulted along with the electronic formats. The print indexes are on the Upper Level and in front of the study rooms. One important index is the Christian Periodical Index, 1956-1997 (Index 050 C555). This index has a definite catering to evangelical thinking, whereas an index such as ATLA's has an ecumenical coverage including but not limited to evangelical thinking. Another important print index is the Guide to Social Science and Religion in Periodical Literature, 1964-2003, (Index 050 G946). The title is fairly descriptive; this index covers religion as it relates to such topics as psychology, sociology, economics, political science, etc. Other print index titles that may be of importance is the Southern Baptist Periodical Index, 1979-2000, (Index 050.205 S727s);
    Continuing with print indexes that will help you find research materials in scholarly journals, you will want to consult abstracted indexes. An abstract is a short summary of the article usually written by the author of the article. Along with the summary, the full bibliographic citation of each article is also given. These indexes are much more helpful than a simple citation index as you know what the content of the article is about. Additionally, some professors may allow material from the abstracts to be cited in your papers. Before doing this, however, it is important to gain permission. A few abstracting services might suffice to show the range of research tools available: Religious and Theological Abstracts, 1962-2003, (Index 208.22 R382): Emphasis is on biblical studies, theological issues, historical discussions, and practical ministries. New Testament Abstracts, 1956-2003 (Index 225,95 B532) and Old Testament Abstracts, 1981-2003, (Index 211.605 O44): Emphasis is on the Testaments but includes abstracts of theological articles also. Coverage of the inter-testamental and apocryphal books is included.

Journal Articles, Finding Electronic (subscription based):

    When looking for journal articles, consider the print and online
   collections, and using the interlibrary loan service (see Appendix A).
   Browsing the journal covers or table-of-contents of specific titles in
   the collection may yield articles of interest. Certainly, browsing on a
   frequent basis will introduce a core of biblical or religious journal
   titles that may become a part of a student's professional thinking and
   reading. To find a specific HC print title, simply do a title search on
   the OPAC.

    Linking to one of the online journal database collections, consider
   clicking EbscoHost ATLA as the company of choice. This resource
    consists of 29 databases including ATLA's databases. The user may
    choose one or more of these databases to search at the same time.
    Generally, it is best to select ATLA Religion Database and
    ATLA Religion Database with Serials first since these two databases
    are specifically religious. The first database retrieves only
    citations and abstracts (summaries) from approximately 600 journal
    titles; the second database retrieves full-text articles from 50
    scholarly journals including approximately 100,000 articles. It is
    also important to search other EbscoHost databases, especially for
    full text. If you want to learn more about searching these two
    databases, see Appendix H.

    Many other general databases and those outside the field of
   religion deal with Bible and religion topics and have thousands of
   religious articles. For instance, using EbscoHost's Academic
    Search Premier (a general database) for the key word Christianity
    gave 15,227 articles, while using Academic Search Elite (another
    general database) with the same key word gave 12,900 full text
    articles. Using ATLA Religion Database with Serials gave 5,027
    (May 17, 2004). If articles are wanted on the health impact that
    prayer has in the medical arts and healing, the user might want to
    search all the religion databases but should not forget to search
    MEDLINE, a medical database. Health Source:Nursing/Academic Edition
    gave 347 full text articles on prayer. MEDLINE, for non-full text
    citations, gave 696 articles; some of which were full-text (May 17,
    2004). Therefore, it pays sometimes to do a citation/abstract only
    search; some may actually be full text.

    There are more databases published by companies other than EbscoHost,
    and their databases should be searched. Thompson Gale's InfoTrac
    is also a major player in providing databases. RichLyn Library
    subscribes to seven large databases through Thompson Gale; one
    database that is particularly pertinent to religious studies is
    InfoTrac One File. Again, using prayer as a title key word search
    term, this database found 4,206 full text articles. There were 2,200
    full text hits doing the same search with InfoTrac's Expanded
    Academic ASAP.

    ELibrary, another general database of databases, gave 2,621 full text
   scholarly, peer reviewed articles (May 17, 2004), but eLibrary also
   searches full text radio/TV transcripts, maps, photographs, newspapers,
   and audio/video.

Journal Articles, Finding (free online based):

    Most of the databases mentioned above are subscription based. That
    means that the library pays for the subscription to the databases,
    and therefore, they are not accessible off campus. There is one
    modified exception, Indiana INSPIRE's: EbscoHost. This database
    company's subscriptions are paid for through Indiana tax money and
    PALNI. It is therefore available free throughout Indiana. This is a
    wonderful use of Indiana tax support. To access this company's
    databases one must be identified as an Indiana resident. If the
    patron is using an Indiana online service provider for their server,
    the access is granted by logging into the Indiana INSPIRE web site,
    sometimes referred to as INSPIRE Indiana. If an Indiana patron is
    using a regional or national online service provider for the server,
    the access is granted after verifying Indiana residency. Instructions
    to access the site are available on the web site at
    http://www.inspire.net/.

    There are, however, a number of online web sites that will also give
    the researcher the potential for thousands of articles. Many of these
   articles are from commercial periodicals like Time. Many if not most
    of these online periodicals are only current issues, or in some cases,
   selectively archived back issues. Many of the free online periodicals
   give major stories but not necessarily things like letters to the
   editors, etc. If the desired article is not included on the web site,
   check to see if it is accessible through OPAC.

    Additionally many web sites give access to scholarly online journals
    such as TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism. To access these
    sites itis recommended that the patron consider going to RichLyn
    Library at Reference Sources and then to the Bible and Religion site.
    The short route to any of these sites is simply to click on the
    highlighted links in this Guide. But by following the sequence of
    steps outlined,researchers may find additional helps serendipitously.
    Not only will the researcher find free online journals such as
    Christian Century through the Bible and Religion site, but also the
    researcher will be able to check the OPAC for the journal title's
    accessibility in the library's collection.

VII. PRIMARY-SOURCE DOCUMENTS:

    There are a number of biblical/religious web site links, which give
    digital resources, ancient, primary-source documents such as those
    located through The Ecole Initiative. Even this