How to do research in Religion

Library resources for researchers working in Religious studies

START WITH GOOD KEYWORDS

Topic-specific keywords will help improve your results in a general multidisciplinary database like Google, Google Scholar, HOLLIS, or Academic Search Premier.  

  • Subject terms- Religion, Spirituality, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism
  • Geographic terms- Asia, China, Japan
  • Analysis of Sacred Texts- Qu'ran- Criticism and Interpretation; Vedas- Commentaries

UPGRADE YOUR SEARCH: KEY DATABASES

The best tool for your project may be a specialized search engine, also known as a database. These databases are subject-specific or format-specific search tools:

Atla Religion Database® (Atla RDB®) (via HarvardKey) The main database for all religious traditions; main coverage back to 1949.

Many-in-one search (via HarvardKey) (from the Divinity School Library) Search across several major databases in religious studies simultaneously: Academic Search Premier, ATLA Religion Database, Catholic Periodical and Literature Index, Bibliography of Asian Studies, Christian Periodical Index, Index Islamicus, Index to Jewish Periodicals, New Testament Abstracts, Old Testament Abstracts, and Philosopher's Index.

DIG DEEPER

The Introduction to Religion guide provides basic resources for research in religious studies.

CONNECT WITH US

Reed Lowrie, the library liaison to the Committee on the Study of Religion, is available to support researchers via email or in-person consultation.

FEATURED COLLECTION

Harvard Divinity School Library, which has extensive general and special collections in religious studies.

  RELATED FAQS 

How to do research in Philosophy

How to do research in Judaica

 





 

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