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.)
Abstract
Academic Search Elite
Academic Search Premier
Adam Clarke's Commentary
AltaVista Search Engine
American Psychological Association Style Manual
(FAQ)
Appendix A
Interlibrary Loans
Appendix B
Using Search Engines
Appendix C Copyright and Plagiarism
Appendix D
Bibliography, MLA examples
Appendix E
Dictionaries & Word Studies
Appendix F
Commentaries
Appendix G
Biblical Languages
Appendix H
Journals ATLA Searching
ATLA Religion Database
ATLA Religion Database with Serials
Atlases
Augustines Philosophy
(OPAC Accessible)
American evangelicalism: an annotated bibliography
(OPAC
Accessible)
Anchor Bible Dictionary (OPAC Accessible)
Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture (OPAC
Accessible)
The Apostle Paul (OPAC Accessible)
Audiovisuals
author number
B.W. Johnson Commentary
Bible and Religion Web
Site, HU
Bible Gateway
Bible Texts.com Bible Commentary
Biblica
(OPAC
Accessible)
Biblical Languages Appendix G
bibliographies
Bibliography, MLA
The Broadman Bible commentary (OPAC
Accessible)
Call Numbers
Charles H. Spurgeon Commentary
The Christian Century (OPAC
Accessible)
Christian Periodical Index (OPAC Accessible)
Christianity Today (OPAC
Accessible)
Church Educator (OPAC
Accessible)
Church History (OPAC
Accessible)
Commentaries
Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon
Concordances
Cooperative Digital Resources Initiative
Copyright
Cutter
Dewey Classification
Dictionaries and Word Studies Appendix E
Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis
(OPAC Accessible)
Dictionary of the Old Testament:
Pentateuch (OPAC
Accessible)
Digital Resources
Dogpile Search Engine
Dr. Constable's Bible Study Notes
EbscoHost ATLA
The Ecole Initiative
eLibrary
Elpenors Home of the Greek Word
The encyclopedia of Christianity (OPAC
Accessible)
The Encyclopedia of Religion (OPAC Accessible)
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion (OPAC
Accessible)
Evaluation of Encyclopedias and Other Reference Works
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (OPAC
Accessible)
Evangelical Quarterly
Excite Search Engine
Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament
(OPAC Accessible)
Expanded Academic ASAP
Expository Times
Gazetteers
Geneva Commentary
Google Search Engine
Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition: Ancient Philosophy and Faith:
From Athens to Jerusalem
(OPAC
Accessible)
Great World Religions: Buddhism (OPAC Accessible)
Greek Language and Linguistics Gateway
Guide to Social Science and Religion in Periodical Literature
(OPAC
Accessible)
Handbook
Handbook of today’s religions (OPAC
Accessible)
Health Source
The Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (OPAC Accessible)
Holman's Dictionary of the Bible (OPAC
Accessible)
Huntington University
InfoTrac
InfoTrac One File
Indiana's INSPIRE
INSPIRE
Indiana
Interlibrary Loans Appendix A
Interlinear Bible Online in English
Jamieson/Faussett/Brown Commentary
John Darby Commentary
John Gill Commentary
John Lightfoot Commentary
Journal Articles, Finding (free
online based)
Journal Articles, Finding (subscription
based)
Electronic
Journal for the Study of the New Testament (OPAC
Accessible)
Journal for the study of the Old Testament (OPAC
Accessible)
Journal of Religion (OPAC
Accessible)
Journals (ATLA) Searching (Appendix H)
Boolean Operators
Grouping Terms Together Using Parentheses
Lexicon
Library of Congress Classification
Lycos Search Engine
MLA Bibliographic Examples
MEDLINE
Martin Luther
Commentary on Galatians
Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
Matthew Henry--Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706-1721)
Modern Language Association Style Manual
Near Eastern Archaeology (OPAC
Accessible)
nesting
New Bible Dictionary (OPAC
Accessible)
New Catholic encyclopedia (OPAC
Accessible)
The new encyclopedia of Islam (OPAC
Accessible)
The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology
(OPAC
Accessible)
The New Interpreter's Bible (OPAC
Accessible)
New Testament Abstracts (OPAC Accessible)
New Testament Greek Lexicon
New Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies
(OPAC Accessible)
Northern Lights Search Engine
Oaister Academic
Search Engine
Old Testament Abstracts (OPAC Accessible)
Online Public Access Catalog
(OPAC)
OPAC (Online
Public Access Catalog)
Out of the Tombs (OPAC Accessible)
The Oxford companion to the Bible (OPAC
Accessible)
PALNI (OPAC
Accessible)
Parallel Study Bible (Crosswalk.com)
Periodicals
A Perseus Greek Anthology
PLAGIARISM
Private Academic Library Network in Indiana PALNI
Reference Sources Web
sites to link to HC's curriculum, etc.
Reference Sources
Religious and Theological Abstracts (OPAC
Accessible)
RichLyn Library Home Page
SavvySearch Search Engine
Scofield's Reference Notes Commentary
Search.com Search Engine
(Same as SavvySearch)
Search Engines, Using Appendix B
Searching Tips
Shtetl
Yiddish
Language and Culture Home Page
Southern Baptist Periodical Index
Superintendent of Documents Classification
TC: A journal of biblical textual criticism
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (OPAC
Accessible)
Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament
(OPAC Accessible)
Theology Today (OPAC
Accessible)
Time (OPAC
Accessible)
truncation
Unbound Bible (Bible and biblical aids
provided through Biola U.)
Hebrew On the Web, Viewing
Vivisimo
Search Engine
WorldCat
Library Catalogs Worldwide
World Christian (OPAC
Accessible)
World Christian Encyclopedia (OPAC Accessible)
Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (OPAC Accessible)
Wuest
Yahoo Search Engine (Directory
Type)
Youthworker: The Contemporary Journal for Youth Ministry
(OPAC
Accessible)
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:
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.
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