Skip to Main Content
     

RELS 304: Land & Creation (Leonard-Fleckman): Scholarly Articles

Spring 2023

Class Example

Research Strategies

It's All About Keywords! 

Your search terms matter!

In general:

  • Use keywords or brief (2-word) phrases instead of sentences -- one or two for each part of your topic.
     
  • Use concepts and other nouns as your keywords.  Think of words that are likely to be used in titles (or that you have seen in titles).
     
  • When you find a good source, look at its References or Works Cited list. That will often lead you to other useful primary and secondary sources.

If your keywords aren't turning up many results, you may need to:

  • Try thinking of synonyms or other ways of phrasing your topic. If you can find one or two relevant articles, check to see what subject keywords are listed (or look for other clues in the text) and try to build keywords from there. 
     
  • Try a broader search (broader topic, broader date-range, etc.).
     
  • Try a different database.

Advanced Strategies: Atla Religion Scripture Search

Atla Religion's Scripture Search allows you to search for articles flagged as pertaining to your specific scripture passage.  There are several different levels available. For example, if I had been assigned to examine John 3:16, I could search for all articles pertaining to the Gospel of John; all articles pertaining to Chapter 3 of the Gospel of John; or all articles pertaining to John 3:16, specifically. 

Note that articles are not always labeled accurately or comprehensively -- it's a starting point! So, if John 3:16 doesn't produce enough results, consider backing up to look at John Chapter 3, or, if necessary, the Book of John. Or, try taking out any specific search terms you may be using, look at all articles pertaining to John 3:16 regardless of theme/topic, and then narrow from that point. 

We will review scripture search in class. Here's a quick video to show you what it looks like: 

Suggested Tools

Religion

Suggested Journals

You may also wish to check individual academic journals focused on related topics. Below are some examples -- you can check for particular journals we have online anytime, by using the e-journals portal. 

Environmental Studies