Religious Studies Library Resources

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

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"). "And" gives more hits; not limited to records with the terms in the same field. $ (the "wildcard") lets you search all keywords beginning with those letters in one search. 29 hits. Click on "details" by no. 17 (Pilgrimage to Mecca)." Note that subject headings are hotlinks.

B. [Saving results: multiple records. Click on "Go back", then click on "save" by nos. 7, 11, 13, and 17. Scroll to the top or bottom and click on "Saved list." You might want to change "View of records" to "full"; the default is a brief view. Also, you could change "Sort 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. 45 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") 129 hits [vs. 163 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. Under "Tips" click on "Off-Grounds Access." This page explains the three options. Click on the browser "back" button, then A, 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. Click on link and Advanced Search window opens.  Keyword search:  In Find box type: Jew* and Christian* and America* and Holocaust.  Leave at “Select a Field”, i.e., a keyword anywhere search.   Instead you could just type different terms in different boxes.  The “and” could be omitted since “Search modes” is set to “Find all my search terms.”  * is wildcard.  120 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. 13 (Pious Sympathies and Sincere Regrets).   Note abstract and subject headings.  “Publication type” is “article”, i.e. journal article.  Click on Find@UVA at the bottom, and you go right to the full text.   If the full text is not available, be sure to “Search Virgo for print” to see if the library has the article in paper format.  Click on “Find more options here” at the top of the JSTOR pdf to see where “Search Virgo for print” appears if there is no full text.

5. Saving results-multiple citations. Return to Ebsco Host window. For nos. 1, 2, 9, and 13 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”.  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”.  21 hits. 

7. Scripture search (Judaeo-Christian scriptures only).  Click on “Scriptures” on the top blue line.  Type in a verse or range of verses, e.g. John 3:16.  Note that the only space is between the name of the book and the chapter.  Click on “Browse” and check four boxes to include anything beginning with this verse.  Then click on “Search”; 35 hits.  Note that the full text limit has been removed.  To limit your results again to full text hits only, check “full text” under “Limit Your Results”, then click on “Update Results.”  7 hits.

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, or put your mouse on the magnifying glass icon and choose specific databases to add.

B. Other databases (mention only). ). Return to library homepage, then click on "Find articles, etc. " under "Do your research." Next, click on "View all" at the end of "Databases by title."

1. 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) Digital Dissertations,
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. Library Religious Studies page. Go to the "Library home page" (www.lib.virginia.edu), then "Subject Guides" in the "Do Your Research" section. Next, click on "Religious Studies" in the "Databases by Topic" section. This page lists useful databases, with the best choices at the top of the page. For selected Religious Studies websites, click on the "Library Resources" link in the blue box at the left.

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Maintained by Philip McEldowney
Last Update - Monday, 25 August 2008
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