Religious Studies  Tags: religion theology islam christianity buddhism judaism biblical_studies bible koran new_testament old_testament hinduism tibetan quran muslim movements  

Religious Studies Library Resources

I Library Catalog. II Other Virgo databases. III Religious Studies Library Guide

• I. Library Catalog

  A. A. Basic search: From the library homepage www.lib.virginia.edu), click on "Go to Virgo for search options" under the search box at the top of the page. Keyword searching: islam$ and pilgrimage ("keyword" and "search all"). $ (the "wildcard") lets you search all keywords beginning with those letters in one search. 43 hits. Click on "details" by no. 4 (The Holy Cities, the Pilgrimage, and the World of Islam). Note that subject headings are hotlinks.

  B. [Saving results: multiple records. Click on "Go back", then click on "save" by nos. 1, 4, and 5. Scroll to the top or bottom and click on "Saved list." You might want to change "Size of records" to "full"; the default is a brief view. Also, you could change "Sort list by" to "call number." "Email/Text message"-you could e-mail the results to yourself. Click on "Print list." What you will print displays. Now you would use the browser "Print" button. ]]

  C. Advanced search screen: Under "new search" at upper left click on "advanced search". Here you can focus your search by limiting it by language, date of publication, library location, etc. In "words or phrase" box type buddhis$ and nuns; make "language" English. 48 hits. Note also you can control the way your results display by using the "Sort by" box.

  D. Phrase keyword search: Under "new search", click on "basic search." Search 'pure land' ("keyword" and "search all") 168 hits [vs. 208 with no apostrophes]

  E. Requests. Put mouse on "requests" on the red line at the top, and click on "UVA users." This takes you to the login for the Interlibrary Services request form, which allows you to borrow books or get articles scanned from other libraries. Also on the request menu is "Library purchase", a form which allows you to recommend books or other library materials for purchase.

  F.[Journals. To see if the library provides access to a particular journal, click on the "journals" link in the red line, and then search either "all journals" or "e-journals only." Journals can also be searched by going to the basic search page. Type in the name of the journal, then choose "begins with" and "journal title".]

• II. Other Virgo databases
  • A. ATLA Religion Database [Instructor searches alone]

    1. Click on "Databases" in the red line. Click on "more information" in the Using Databases Off Grounds at the upper right. Here the three options are explained. Next, click on the browser "back" button, then A under "Databases by Title", then ATLA Religion Database.

    2. General Description of ATLA Religion Database: indexes journal articles, articles in books, book reviews, books, dissertations. Some links to the full text of journal articles, including some titles for which we have no paper subscription. The most current years of some titles are not immediately available in full text. Coverage back to 1949.

    3. When you click on the link the Advanced Search window opens. Keyword search: In first box type: Jew* and theolog* and Holocaust. Search in TI: Title field. The "and" could be omitted since "Search modes" is set to "Find all my search terms." * is wildcard. 34 records. Note that "Sort by" is set to "relevance" and that in the left column you can "Narrow Results by Subject", which includes "peer reviewed." In the right column under "Limit Your Results" there are three additional ways to limit your search, and you can find even more under "Search Options."

    4. View no. 10 (Jewish Theology and the Holocaust). Note abstract and subject headings. "Publication type" is "article", i.e. journal article. Click on Find@UVA at the bottom. The full text is not available, so "Search Virgo for print" by ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) to see if the library has the article in paper format. Vol. 86 issue 710 of Theology is available as a bound vol. in Alderman stacks.

    5. [Saving results-multiple citations. Return to Ebsco Host window and "Return to result list". For nos. 1, 3, 4, and 10 click on "add to folder". Next click on "folder view" under "Folder has items" at top of right column. Choices are "print", "e-mail", "save as file", or "export" (to RefWorks or another bibliographic manager).]

    6. Search limits. Return to the screen with the results from your last search (EBSCO host). Click on "advanced search" at upper left, then "clear." In box under "Limit your results", check "full text", then search Thomas w1 Jefferson and religio*in "select a field", which is the same as keyword anywhere. The w1 (within one word) allows you to search the words on either side as a phrase. An alternative way to search for phrases would be to change the search mode to ""Boolean/Phrase". Uncheck "Also search within the full text of the articles". Don't use this feature in a keyword search unless you are looking for very specific terms. 22 hits.

    7. Scripture search (Judaeo-Christian scriptures only). Click on "Scriptures" on the top blue line. Find the book of scripture you want, then click on "expand". Use the "expand" technique to find the verse you want, then click on it and a list of results appears. (E.g. John 3: 16). Records retrieved are not limited to the one verse alone, but to anything that includes that verse in longer passages.

    8. Search in multiple databases. It is possible to search other Ebsco databases in combination with this one. At the top of the screen, click on “Choose databases”. You can then check subject groups of Ebsco databases to add. Putting your mouse on the magnifying glass icon shows you the specific databases in the collection. To add individual databases to your search, click on “Detailed view” in the popup window, then “Databases A to Z” at the top of the page. Check the database(s) you want to add, then click on “Continue.”

  • B. Other databases (mention only). ). Other databases Return to library homepage, then click on “Find articles, etc. ” under “Do your research.” To find a specific database, use “Databases by Title”. Scroll down through this list of databases, noting
    1) America History and Life (history of North America),
    2) L'Annee philologique (ancient Greece and Rome),
    3) Bibliography of Asian Studies,
    4) Dissertations & Theses Fulltext,
    5) Historical Abstracts (covers all the world but North America since 1450 CE),
    6) Index Islamicus,
    7) Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe (recent newspapers full-text),
    8) MLA Bibliography (modern languages and literatures),
    9) Philosopher's Index,
    10) WorldCat (a mega catalog constructed through contributions from libraries around the world).

III. Religious Studies Library Guide. Click on "Home.", then "Subject Guides" in the "Do Your Research" section. Next, in the "Find Articles, etc." section, scroll down and click on "Religious Studies". This guide lists useful databases, with the best choices at the top of the page. The complete database list in the lower part of the page includes brief annotations.

Back to the top

Maintained by Philip McEldowney
Last Update -
© The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia