Religion, Biblical Studies & Theology Guide:
Researching for a Literature Review
2004-2009
Huntington University --
RichLyn Library
Huntington, Indiana

 

 

NOTE: By clicking on any link in the Table of contents or the Index, you may bypass much of the reading of this guide and zero in on your specific topic of interest. Enjoy:

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 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
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:

    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. Using ATLA Religion Database with Serials is the
    primary tool for searching journals to find articles, but again, you
    may want to check any number of the other databases for more
    information on the same topic. For instance if articles are wanted on
    the health impact that prayer has in the medical arts and healing,
    the user might want to search the religion database but should not
    forget to search MEDLINE, a medical database or Health Source:
    Nursing/Academic Edition
, which gave 347 full text articles on prayer.

    There are more databases published by companies other than EbscoHost,
    and their databases should be searched.

         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 Guide, found at
    Bible and Religion, is a one-stop shopping experience for biblical
    and religious studies. Well, it may not be the only stop. If this does
    not entice you to delve into the scholarly realm of religious primary
    source documents, try the
Cooperative Digital Resources Initiative.
    The CDRI allows individuals and libraries to access digital resources
    that include 2500 images. Digital images of woodcuts, photographs,
    slides, papyri, coins, maps, and manuscripts relevant to teaching and
    learning in theological education are ... available through the CDRI
    web site.

    Primary-source documents, technically, are those documents from the
    originator's hand and/or occasionally, the original first printings
    of such documents. Secondary sources are primary-source documents that
    have been used in another publication other than the original.

    For instance secondary sources are developed when the primary source,
    the author's own writing, has been incorporated into a journal article.
    Portions of the work have been transcribed or otherwise used in articles
    by a secondary author. These articles may have been altered from the
    originals for various reasons. One of the most common reasons is that
    original journal articles are often juried. This means that a group from
    a publication's editorial board checks the article(s) for grammatical and
    punctuation errors, and style changes and then asks the original author
    to change the article accordingly. Tertiary sources are those articles
    that find their way into reference works like encyclopedias and textbooks.
    These articles are often gleaned from the secondary sources and placed in
    such publications as reference books.

    With this said, it should become obvious that the closer one comes to the primary-source,
    the more accurate, factual and reliable the end product becomes. This is not always the
    case, but the principle generally holds true.

    To make sure that students and professors use the same definitions of these terms, ask
    for a clarification. Some professors include journal articles as primary rather than
    secondary. Some professors allow selected tertiary sources also. Therefore, ask about
    the specific types of resources needed for research type assignments.
 

VIII. ATLASES AND OTHER REFERENCE SOURCES:

    There are many other reference resources the researcher should consult.
    To find maps and other geographic information consider a variety of
    atlases or gazetteers. There are several Bible or religion atlases that
    might help identify religious sites: (
The typical use of an atlas is for maps.)
        The Macmillan Bible atlas (R 220.910223 A285m), 1993,  
       
Atlas of the world's religions (R291 A881),
       
Holman Bible atlas (R220.910223 B859h),
        Zondervan NIV atlas of the Bible (R220.91 R225z),
        The Harper atlas of the Bible (R912.122 H293),
        New historical atlas of religion in America
( R200.973022 N532),
        Atlas of the world's religions (R291 A881)
        The state of religion atlas (200.223 O13s)
        Historical atlas of religion in America (R200.973022 N532)
        Atlas of ancient and classical geography -1928- (912.3 A541)

    If it is necessary to look up a verse or particular word of the Bible,
    use a concordance. Two of the more popular ones are Young's
Analytical
    concordance to the Bible
(R220.2 Y75) and Strong's exhaustive
    concordanceof the Bible
 (R220.2 S923); both of these also aid in the
    translation of individual words in Hebrew and Greek. also, there are
    concordances to other religious studies such as
A complete concordance
    to Flavius Josephus
(R933.0072024 C737).

    Bible concordances are not only used for locating a verse of scripture,
    but also they many other uses. They help in learning the different
    shades of meaning. They can be used to trace the emphasis that a
    particular Bible writer placed on a particular term. Tracing a
    doctrine or other idea in relation to its historical development can
    be done by observing a term as it is used throughout scripture.
    Concordances are essential in doing word studies.

    If wanting to compare various English translations of the Bible, simply
    browsing through the various translations in the 220s might suffice,
    but a more efficient method would be to consult a parallel Bible such
    as
TheComparative Study Bible (R220.52 B58c), which gives side-by-side
    comparisons of the New International Version, the New American Standard
    Bible, the Amplified Bible and the King James Version. Also, try one
    of the Internet sites such as Crosswalk.com's
Parallel Study Bible.

    If you want to study individual biblical or religious words and phrases or if you are unsure of the meaning or pronunciation of a word, refer to subject dictionaries. There are many excellent religious, theological, and Bible dictionaries both in the reference collection and online. To see a listing of several of these dictionaries, go to Appendix E. On the other hand if you are studying the Hebrew, Greek, or other ancient languages, you might want to use language lexicons. Whether studying Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic or some other biblically related ancient language, there are a number of language helps available both in print and online. Lexicons are specialized dictionaries generally referring to Hebrew, Greek and other ancient language terms.  If you are looking for lexicon titles, both in print and online, go to Appendix G.

    If you are wanting, however, to get an extensive discussion and interpretation of the scriptures, use commentaries. There are many titles that you will want to consult, remembering that it is always wise to check several commentaries to get a balance view of the various interpretations. Even within one set, the scholarship and interpretive views might vary considerably. The scriptures themselves are their own best testimonial when kept in context. To see a sampling of the commentary titles available refer to Appendix F.

    Consider using a videocassette, DVD, or audio cassette in your research. Audiovisuals are often ignored, a significant loss to the serious student. Here are a few titles that might be of interest. First, you might be interested in Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition: Part One of Six: Ancient Philosophy and Faith: From Athens to Jerusalem (VC109 G786). This series uses some of "America's premier college lecture professors. Another scholarly VCR is The Apostle Paul (VC225.92 P324j) with Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson. Dr. Johnson was a former professor of mine at Indiana University, a nationally renowned biblical scholar. Great World Religions: Buddhism (VC294.3 E19g) as hosted by Professor Malcolm David Eckel of Boston University is a part of a series, Great Courses: Teaching that engages the mind. On the other hand, you might want to consider CDs. For example there is the engaging, Augustine's Philosophy (CD281.4092 M251ap) with Dr. Charles H. Malik as a part of the series, The C.S. Lewis Institute. Another example of a quality audiovisual is the CD, Out of the Tombs: A compelling story of Jesus' power to heal--Mark 5.1-20. Of course there are other excellent resources among audiovisuals, so try to remember.

    Additionally, you will want to consider personal sources such as interviews from subject experts if they are available. Even pamphlets and occasionally, but rarely, newspapers may be valuable to your research. Open all the doors possible, and you might just be surprised by what you find.
       

IX. APPENDIXES

Appendix A: Interlibrary Loans

Locating books through OPAC, PALNI and WorldCat, and finding journals may lead to citations and other references to many other potential resources. What happens, however, when using PALNI or WorldCat or EbscoHost/ATLA or InfoTrac, etc. and the titles are not available in RichLyn Library? Then it is time to turn to Interlibrary Loans (ILL).

Interlibrary Loan refers to the process whereby un-owned books and/or periodical articles may be borrowed from another library. At RichLyn Library the process of borrowing from other libraries is rather simple. First, locate the available bibliographic information about the needed item. Get an ILL form from the library's home page by clicking on Library Services; then click Click the + sign in front of Interlibrary Loan; choose whether you want an ILL Book or Article. Fill out the form as completely as possible. Then Submit Request. If information is unavailable, write NA (not applicable) on the line. Of course the more information placed on the form will give a better chance of getting the desired item in a timely fashion. There are two lines on the forms that must be completed, the cost and the signature lines. Generally, patrons put zero on the line for cost. Doing that indicates the item should be borrowed only from Indiana libraries (INCOLSA/PALNI). Indiana book loans are sent by van currier service and are free, provided by the PALNI and tax money. Lastly, you will be contacted by campus mail to get your item from the library. You are liable for any fines or costs for damaged/lost items. Items generally take from a few days to two weeks to arrive. Journal articles will be sent via your email account. Return books to the library according to their due dates. Periodical articles do not need to be returned.

Appendix B: Using Search Engines:

Many students want to bypass the procedures mentioned thus far and simplify the process by going to Google. Forget Yahoo, Dogpile, Northern Lights, Excite, AltaVista, Lycos, or Search.com (better known as SavvySearch). Of course this last search service is not just a search engine, it searches a multiplicity of search engines, but who cares; there is always Google. There is a rising star called Vivisimo; check it out; you might like it. But Search.com/SavvySearch searches Google and 17 other search services at the same time. Yahoo is capable of searching several search engines at the same time and is much more sophisticated than Google; although it does not prioritize its findings. Then again, Dogpile also incorporates Google and many other engines in its searches.

Okay, so with so many search-engine choices, and there are many more than these, which should a researcher choose? The question is not always easily answered. Some provide Boolean (AND, OR, NOT, etc.) searching; some provide for nesting (using quotation marks or parentheses to bind a phrase together); some provide designated categories in which to search. You may need to investigate these advanced search features on whichever engine you choose to see if they are available, or perhaps, even if they are important. If a favorite has already been chosen and it has proved to be efficient and effective for the research endeavor, continue using it.

There are a number of little-known and little-used, very valuable search engines deeply imbedded within the Internet and not popularly known.  They seek to find hard-to-obtain scholarly works. The University of Michigan developed one of these scholarly engines is Oaister. Its stated "goal is to create a collection of freely available, difficult-to-access, academically-oriented digital resources that are easily searchable by anyone." Presently they have 3,164,254 records from 282 institutions (May 11, 2004). With this said, if the researcher is after scholarly information, Oaister just might be the ticket.

Appendix C: Copyright and Plagiarism:

COPYRIGHT

Copyright law is quite complex, but its basic purpose is to protect the intellectual property of others. It includes protection for materials produced whether or not they have been published. Because of the complexity of this subject, copyright will not be discussed in depth, but students should be aware of its existence and the fact that there are exceptions granted under the "fair use" provisions of the law for educational purposes. Fair use generally provides that students may quote or paraphrase segments of copyrighted works for educational use.

For instance one might copy up to one chapter in a book to distribute to a class for discussion purposes, but only a stanza from a poem. Most of these rules are for instructors, but students should be aware of the law since it is very closely linked to the plagiarism topic discussed below.

Here are some brief comments about copyright as given in an online tutorial provided by the American Library Association on February 22, 2000. If you want to know more about the laws, check out the URLs at the bottom of this quotation.

Copyright law now generously provides automatic protection for printed works, software, art, photographs, videos, and nearly everything you can find on the Internet and in the library. The term of protection is also extensive. In general, copyright lasts for a long time: the life of the author who creates the work, plus seventy years. The rule had been "life plus fifty years," but Congress recently changed the law and added twenty years to the term of protection. Fundamentally, copyright law grants to the owners of the copyright a set of exclusive rights, including the right to make and distribute copies of the work.... ...Fortunately, the law then carves out a number of exceptions to those rights. The best known of those exceptions is "fair use”.... The law also includes numerous other, more specific exceptions that are of immediate importance to higher education. Among those exceptions are provisions for library copying, performances and displays in classrooms or distance learning, making backup copies of computer software, and making new formats of works for persons who are blind or who have other disabilities....

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), enacted on October 28, 1998, amended and added many provisions of the Copyright Act, further reminding us of the need to keep current with changes in the law.

...Whether we realize it or not, we are in fact bumping up against copyright questions on a daily basis. If we do not manage them to our advantage, they will manage us and dictate how we conduct our scholarly work.

The two major multi-volume treatises on U.S. copyright law are: Nimmer, Melville B. and Nimmer, David. Nimmer on Copyright. 10 vols. New York: Matthew Bender & Co., 2000. Goldstein, Paul. Copyright. Second Edition. 4 vols. New York: Aspen Law & Business, 2000.

The full text of the U.S. Copyright Act is available at: <http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/> <http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/title17/>.
*******

Copyright 2000, Kenneth D. Crews

This Online Copyright Tutorial is a service of the American Library Association and the American Association of Law Libraries. It is not legal advice. It is for information only and will not necessarily provide answers to the copyright issues that arise in any particular situation. Moreover, it does not address the many legal issues, other than copyright, that may also apply to a given situation. The content of these messages is principally the work of Kenneth D. Crews, Associate Professor of Law and of Library and Information Science at Indiana University. The views expressed in these messages are not necessarily the views of either ALA or AALL.

PLAGIARISM

According to Hodge's Harbrace Handbook, 2001, "Taking someone else's words or ideas and presenting them as your own leaves you open to criminal charges. ... In publishing and education, it is called plagiarism or cheating. Whatever it is called and for whatever reason it occurs, it is illegal. ... Carelessness is no excuse. ...employers generally fire an employee who uses material illegally, and teachers often fail students who claim to have written material that was composed by someone else. ....

"You must give credit for all information you use except for two kinds: common knowledge and your own ideas. Common knowledge includes well-known dates and other facts: the stock market crashed in 1929; water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. It also includes information such as the 'The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.'" (575, 576).

Here is an online article about what professors might use in combating plagiarism:
                             http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb02/plagiarism.html.

Appendix D: Bibliography, MLA:

The university, with few exceptions, and most humanities programs, which include Bible and religion, use the Modern Language Association (FAQ) style manual to document sources. There are several style guides in use, so be sure to check with the instructor to determine which one to use. Some instructors may prefer the  American Psychological Association Style Manual (FAQ) or, Turabian's, The Chicago Manual of Style, or others.

MLA Bibliographic Examples: Works Cited

·         Book, One Author:

        Kaehr, Robert E. Dream Theory. New York: Greatest Books Publisher, 1999.

·         Book, Two or Three Authors or Editors:

        Kaehr, Robert E. and Sharon Custer. All That's Visible in the Stock Market. New York: Greatest Books Publisher, 1999.

        (If the focus is on the two editors after the final editor [author]: eds.)

·         Chapter in a Book:

        Kaehr, Robert E. and Sharon Custer. "Home Pages for the Stock Market." The Stock Market is Not For  Hogs. New York:

             Greatest Books Publisher, 1999.

·         Article in a Scholarly Journal:

        Kaehr, Robert E. "Hamlet's Encounter With the Stock Market's Dream World." Literary License Journal 34  (1999): 435-439.

        (Journal with continuous pagination: Notice it is not necessary to add the issue if the paging is continuous.)

·         Article in a Popular Magazine:

        Kaehr, Robert E. "Gunning for the Market." Sports Monthly Oct. 1999: 64+

·         Article in a Weekly or Biweekly Magazine:

        Kaehr, Robert E. "Hanging Around the Stock." Time 10 Oct. 1999: 66-68.

·         Article in a Newspaper:

        Kaehr, Robert E. "Turns in the Road: Watch Out for the Stock."  USA Today Newspaper 8 Oct. 1999, 2A+

·         Reference Work: Encyclopedia:

        Kaehr, Robert E. "Hungry for Stocks." The Encyclopedia of the Stock Market. Ed. Sharon Custer. 9 vols. New York:

             Macmillan, 1999.

·         Computer Journal Article Taken From the Internet:

        Kaehr, Robert E. "Who Would Want to Inherit the Earth?" Slatterly Two 12 May 1999. 22 May 2002

             <http:www.slatterly.com/articles.html>

·         Web Site: Online:

        Responsible Organized Stock Programs Geared for Beginners Home Page. pars 14: 14 July 1999. 18 August 1999

             <http://www-leoloid.huntington.edu/~snoopy/romp/>

·         Interviews:

        Custer, Sharon. Personal interview. 19 Aug. 2001.

        Custer, Sharon. Telephone interview. 10 Dec. 2000.

·         A Work from an Online Service Provider:

        Kaehr, Robert E. “What about Robert?” Time and Trouble 15 Mar. 1999: 96-116. Academic Elite.  EbscoHost INSPIRE.

             Huntington University, RichLyn Library, Huntington, IN. 17 Oct. 2002.  http://search.palni.edu:8080/hu.php.

        In parenthetical references for online sites, omit paging and paragraph numbers unless they are given.

        You will find the complete listing of examples of parenthetical documentation in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
        Papers on reserve in the library under my name, Kaehr. There is also an MLA home web site that gives some free writing
        information including further examples of References Consulted (Bibliography).

Appendix E: Dictionaries and Word Studies:

When defining biblical/theological/religious terms or looking for correct spellings, etc., it is best to use a subject dictionary. Subject dictionaries give more precise definitions and include a much more extensive vocabulary than will be found in an unabridged general dictionary. In searching for a subject dictionary, search OPAC for a subject keyword and add the additional descriptive sub-heading, dictionaries (e.g. "Bible--Dictionaries" or "Bible N.T.--Dictionaries"). There are many dictionaries covering the field of religion. Basically, English language dictionaries are considered in this section. If you want to study the original languages, consult Appendix G. Here is a sampling of dictionaries in RichLyn Library's Reference collection:  Evangelical dictionary of theology (R 230.03 E52e), The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (R225.3 N532n), Holman's Bible Dictionary (R220.3 H747), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (R222.103 D554), New Bible Dictionary (R220.3 D734n), Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (R221.44 B751), Anchor Bible Dictionary (R220.3 A539), Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis (R221.3 N532),  and the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (R225.48 K62). Some of these titles are really encyclopedic in nature such as Anchor's and the five volume Dictionary of the Old Testament Theology & Exegesis. They really have lengthy essays about numerous topics, but they are arranged like a dictionary, alphabetically, therefore the name dictionary. Remember, when doing a subject keyword search, whether Bible, Islam or whatever topic, just add the term dictionaries to find what is available. If a dictionary is found, simply browse the Reference and general stacks under that call number to find similar titles. Again, it is best to check the book's copyright for the latest information on our changing languages (see also Appendix G).

There are also numerous online religious dictionaries, especially Bible dictionaries. Many of these dictionaries are outdated but contain accurate information for the terms they do include. Here are some of the more popular dictionaries on the Internet:  
       And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible,
       Baker's Evangelical Dictionary Baker's is linked to several other bible dictionaries: 
       Easton's Bible Dictionary,
       Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869),
       Jack Van Impe's Dictionary of Prophesy,
      
King James Dictionary ,
       Nave's Topical Bible,
       Smith's Bible Dictionary.
       Christianity, and Islam (1994),
       The Dictionary of the History of Ideas (1973-1974),
       Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the
          Sixth Century A.D., with an Account of the Principal Sects and
          Heresies (Henry Wace),
       Dictionary of Theology,
       Glossary for the Study of Judaism,

       Irving Hexham's Concise Dictionary of Religion
       Mysticism in World Religions: Glossary of Religious Terms is a helpful glossary, which defines words from Jewish/Kabbalistic, Christian, Muslim/Sufi, Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist traditions;
       Post Modern Bible Hypertext Dictionary,

       Robertson's New Testament Word Studies.

 

Appendix F: Commentaries:

Often, especially in preparing biblical essays or sermons, commentaries are found very helpful. Commentaries discuss in detail both the background of the various books of the Bible, and they explain or amplify the meaning of various scripture verses. It is especially important to remember that individual volumes in commentary sets vary in scholarly quality and in bias of interpretation. This means that if the researcher is not familiar with a particular author, it is wise to compare several commentaries to get a more balanced view of the scripture's meaning.

Print Examples:

    Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture (R225.7 A541)
    The Broadman Bible commentary
(R 220.77 B863b),
    The New Interpreter's Bible (R 220.77 N532).

Online Examples:

    Adam Clarke's Commentary,
    Bible Texts.com Bible Commentary,
    Dr. Constable's Bible Study Notes,
    Matthew Henry--Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706-1721),
    Matthew Henry Concise,  
    Jamieson/Faussett/Brown,
    John DarbyGeneva
    John Gill,   
    John Lightfoot,
    Scofield's Reference Notes.

New Testament Online Examples:

    B.W. Johnson
    Martin Luther (Galatians).

Old Testament Online Example:

    Charles H. Spurgeon (Psalms).

Appendix G: Biblical Languages:


    A standard lexicon from our reference collection is The Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (R221.4403 K79h). Another Hebrew reference is New Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies (R221.5203 W754n). Among the standard works for the New Testament is Wuest's
Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (R225.7 W959w). A comprehensive English dictionary of New Testament Greek is the multivolume set, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (R225.4803 E96). It is important to remember that even when
using the best lexicons, there is bound to be editorial bias. This makes it very important to consult with a number of lexicons, exegetical dictionaries or commentaries, and word study books before settling on a particular understanding of words and phrases.

Here is a sampling of what is available online:  
    Bible Gateway,
    Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon,
    Elpenors Home of the Greek Word, 
    Greek Language and Linguistics Gateway (Michael W. Palmer),  
    Interlinear Bible Online Interlinear Bible (English Hebrew for Old Testament and English-Greek for New Testament),
    New Testament Greek Lexicon,
    A Perseus Greek Anthology,
    Shtetl: Yiddish Language and Culture Home Page includes books,
        articles, newspapers, dictionaries (see Appendix E), etc.  
    The Unbound Bible (English (Parallel); Hebrew, Greek and other ancient
         texts are provided by Biola University,
    Viewing Hebrew on the Web.
 

Appendix H: Journals (ATLA) Searching:

Here are a few searching tips that might help in developing specific searches quoted from EbscoHost's ATLA Religion Database with Serials web site. The user will find that many of these hints may be effectively used with other databases as well.

[This information has been quoted from the EbscoHost/ATLA online help information (2004).]

There are a number of helpful tips and hints you can use to improve your search results. For example, you can use Boolean operators to link search terms together; and/or limit the search to a specific title.

Note: Stopwords are commonly used words such as articles, pronouns, and prepositions. These words are not indexed for searching in the database. For example, 'the', 'for', and 'of' are stopwords. When a stopword is used in a query, any single word or no word is retrieved in place of the stopword.

Boolean Operators

Sometimes a search can be overly general resulting in too many hits, or overly specific resulting in too few hits. To fine tune your search, you may use AND, OR, and NOT operators to link your search words together. These operators will help you narrow or broaden your search better expressing specific terms for which you are looking.

USING THE "AND" OPERATOR: If you have a search term that is too general, you may append several terms together using "AND". By stringing key terms together, you can further define your search and reduce the number of results. Note: Unless you define a specific search field, the result list will contain references where all your search terms are located in either the citation or full display.

• For example, type Catholic AND church to find results that refer to both Catholic and church.

USING THE "OR" OPERATOR: In order to broaden a search, you may link terms together by using the "OR" operator. By using "OR" to link your terms together you can find documents on many topics. Linked by this operator, your words are searched simultaneously and independently of each other.

• As an example, search Catholic AND church OR beliefs to find results that reference the terms "Catholic" and "church", or the term "beliefs".

USING THE "NOT" OPERATOR: In order to narrow a search, you can link words together by using the "NOT" operator. This operator will help you to filter out specific topics you do not wish included as part of your search.

·         Type: Catholic OR Buddhist OR Muslim NOT Moslem AND Beliefs to find results that contain the terms "Catholic" or "Buddhist" or Muslim, but not the term "Moslem" and the beliefs of each.

·         To further define your results, type: Catholic AND church AND society to constrict the search to include all terms linked by the "AND" operator.

Grouping Terms Together Using Parentheses

Parentheses also may be used to control a search query. Without parentheses, a search is executed from left to right. Words that you enclose in parentheses are searched first. Why is this important? Parentheses allow you to control and define the way the search will be executed. The left phrase in parentheses is searched first; then based upon those results the second phrase in parentheses is searched. [Occasionally, in other databases, quotation marks will allow the same type search.]

Generalized Search: Catholicism or Protestantism and Buddhism or Islamism
Focused Search: (Catholicism or Protestantism) and (Buddhism or Islamism)

In the first example, the search will retrieve everything on "Catholicism" as well as references to the terms "Protestantism" and "Buddhism", and everything on "Islamism".

In the second example, we have used the parentheses to control our query to find [only] articles about Catholicism or Protestantism that reference Buddhism or Islamism.
   
Most of these helpful hints have been quoted from the ATLA web site.

 

HERMENEUTICAL AND EXEGETICAL RESEARCH
October 10, 2006

WHERE WOULD I LOOK?

I.    Where would I look to find a particular word's location in the Bible? In addition, where would I look for a Greek or Hebrew synonym for a particular biblical word?

II.    Where would I look for the meaning or spelling of a word in the Bible?

III.    Where would I look besides the dictionary for an in-depth study of a particular biblical word?

IV.    Where would I look for general essay-length information about any topic found in the Bible? In addition, where would find bibliographic information on a particular research topic?

 V.    Where would I look for general, but quick, information about a biblical topic?

VI.    Where would I look for lengthy explanations of a particular passage of scripture?

 

VII.    Where would I look for the location and description of a particular biblical battle or a map of St. Paul’s missionary journeys?

 VIII.    Where would I look for a good history of the Bible? 

To find information in the library about exegesis or hermeneutics, you would do a title keyword or subject search in the online catalog or in the appropriate journal database (ATLA) under the following headings: (All databases may be accessed through the library’s homepage at: http://www.huntington.edu/library/.)

IX.    Where would I look to find information that gives the latest research on a religious or biblical topic.

X.     MISCELLANEOUS:  

       DID YOU KNOW THAT IN (EBSCOHOST) ATLA THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 14,205 ARTICLES LISTED UNDER THE KEYWORD SEARCH FOR HERMENEUTIC*? YOU MIGHT WANT TO NARROW THE SEARCH A BIT BY ADDING RELATED WORDS TO THE MAIN TERMS THROUGH USING ADVANCED SEARCH OR USING THE BOOLEAN AND JOINING ANOTHER PHRASE OR WORD (E.G. HERMENEUTIC* AND ISRAEL). REMEMBER WHEN USING THE CONJUNCTIONS, AND/OR, IN BETWEEN WORDS IN A SEARCH, AND NARROWS THE SEARCH, WHILE OR BROADENS THE SEARCH. ALSO NOTICE THAT THE TERM HERMENEUTIC* USES AN ASTERISK. AN ASTERISK AFTER A WORD SEARCHES ALL FORMS OF THAT WORD (E.G. BIBL* SEARCHES BIBLE, BIBLICAL, BIBLES, BIBLICA, BIBLIOGRAPHY, ETC.). IF AN ASTERISK DOES NOT WORK FOR A TRUNCATION IN A PARTICULAR DATABASE, TRY USING A QUESTION MARK (E.G. HERMENEUTIC?). ONE OR THE OTHER USUALLY PRODUCES RESULTS.

       IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION AND STUDY BOOKS FROM THE GENERAL STACKS OR FROM REFERENCE, YOU MAY USE THE ONLINE CATALOG.  AMONG MANY TYPES OF SEARCHES, YOU MAY DO AN AUTHOR, TITLE, OR SUBJECT SEARCH.

       IF A PARTICULAR AUTHOR KEEPS APPEARING ON SEVERAL ARTICLES OR BOOKS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEARCH THE COLLECTION TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER ITEMS WRITTEN BY THE SAME AUTHOR. ALSO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO BROWSE THE GENERAL STACKS UNDER THE REFERENCE CALL NUMBERS ALREADY NOTED TO SEE IF THERE ARE BOOKS IN THE STACKS THAT YOU MAY CHECK OUT.

       TWO IMPORTANT DATABASES LISTED UNDER THE LINK, OTHER LIBRARY CATALOGS ON THE LIBRARY’S HOME PAGE ARE PALNI AND WORLDCAT (PRIVATE ACADEMIC LIBRARY NETWORK IN INDIANA AND WORLDCAT OFFERED THROUGH FIRST SEARCH). THE FIRST IS A DATABASE OF THE LIBRARY CATALOGS OF PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE STATE OF INDIANA. THE SECOND IS A DATABASE OF WORLDWIDE LIBRARIES. BOTH ARE VERY USEFUL IN SEARCHING FOR BOOK TITLES. REMEMBER, INDIANA LIBRARY INTERLIBRARY LOANS ARE FREE OF CHARGE. THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE WITH WORLDCAT LIBRARIES.

       FROM THE LIBRARY’S HOMEPAGE, CLICK SUBJECT GUIDES. THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO A PAGE THAT DISPLAYS THE VARIOUS CURRICULAR AREAS OF THE CAMPUS. CLICK BIBLE AND RELIGION. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WEB LINKS YOU SHOULD FIND QUITE HELPFUL IN DOING HERMENEUTICS. THE LIBRARIAN AND OTHER FACULTY MEMBERS RECOMMEND THESE LINKS AS AUTHORITATIVE.

       ESPECIALLY NOTICE THE LINK, Religion, Biblical Studies & Theology Guide: (A student's online guide to conducting research) THIS SITE, THE ONE YOU ARE VIEWING PRESENTLY, ALLOWS YOU TO USE A TABLE OF CONTENTS AND SKIP ANY SECTION OF THE GUIDE YOU WISH. THE SITE ALSO LISTS A DETAILED ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED INDEX SO YOU ARE ABLE TO CONSIDER ANY REFERENCE TITLE, ETC. WITH A CLICK OF YOUR MOUSE.

Robert Kaehr,
Director of Library Services
RichLyn Library
Huntington University
Huntington, IN 46750
(260) 359-4063
September 30, 2009


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