PhD Research & Writing Guide: Getting Started with Resources

USearch, our online library catalog, is a good place to start your research. It allows you to access most library resources all at one time from a central location. You can use the general search when you're getting started and want to see what resources are available on your topic; when you need to learn more about a topic so you can narrow it down; or when your topic isn't limited to one field and crosses several disciplines. You will also use the general search when you already have in mind a specific author, book, or journal article you want to locate.

WorldCat is a resource for locating unique, trustworthy materials that you often can't find anywhere except in a library. By connecting thousands of libraries' collections in one place, WorldCat.org enables you to browse the world's libraries from one search box. You can search WorldCat in nearly 500 languages to find physical items like books, audiobooks, maps, musical scores, and recordings, along with electronic items like ebooks, e-journals, articles, and digital images you can access online.

Search, click on a result, and you'll see a list of libraries that have indicated they have that resource. From there, you can either directly access online content or link to the catalog of a library near you for information about how to get the item.

While a general library search gives you access to materials in the Styberg and NU libraries, the database collection gives you access to a broader range of published materials beyond the library holdings These are subject-specific databases that compile information related to a particular subject or discipline, high-quality resources that come from experts in a particular field. Through the databases, you can search through many academic journals at once and find up-to-date scholarly information on a topic. Start with "Religion & Theology Databases."

1. From the main library page, click on "Collections & Resources" in the menu bar at the top.
2. Choose "Religion & Theology Databases."
3. In the "All Subjects" box at the top, choose a subject from the pull-down menu.
4. Choose a "Database Type" from a pull-down menu (leave default: "All database types").
5. Choose the subject-specific database you want to use.
6. OR scroll down to "Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials."
7. Click on database name.
8. Enter topic in search bar.
9. In the left panel, under "Refine results" choose "Limit to Full Text."
10. Choose a resource and click on "PDF Full Text."

You can use encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference books when you need to find specific facts, historical data, and background information related to your research topic.

1. From the main library page, click on "Collections & Resources" in the menu bar at the top.
2. Choose "E-book Collections."
3. Scroll down to "E-Reference Resources."
4. Click on "Gale Virtual Reference Library: Religion" to find encyclopedias and dictionaries.
5. Choose "Wiley Online Library: Religion & Theology" to find other types of background information.

Find online Bible commentaries through the Ministry Matters page of the Styberg Library. You can search by the specific book of the Bible you are researching in several popular commentaries.

1. Go to Ministry Matters main page.
2. Click on "Research Library" in gray bar at the top of the page.
3. Click on plus (+) sign next to "Biblical Commentary."
4. Choose "General," "New Testament," or "Old testament."
5. Identify the commentary for the biblical text you are researching.
6. Also, click on "legacy library" in orange type in first line.
7. Click on plus (+) sign next to "Biblical Commentaries."
8. Choose a commentary.
9. In the Contents panel on the right, locate the book of the Bible you are researching.

For more information, check out the following guide: Using Ministry Matters Guide

If you are looking for articles and other resources on a specific biblical text passage, you can search by Scripture passage through the Atla Religion Database.

1. From the main library page, click on "Collections & Resources" in the menu bar at the top.
2. Choose "Religion & Theology Databases."
3. Scroll down to "Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials."
4. Click on database name.
5. In the blue bar at the top, choose "Scriptures."
6. Scroll down to find the biblical book you are researching.
7. Click on "Expand" to get to the specific chapter (expand further to get to specific verses.)
8. In the left panel, under "Refine Results," choose "Limit to Full Text."
9. Choose a resource and click on "PDF Full Text."

For more information, refer to the following resource: Using the Atla Religion Database Guide