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Philosophy165 Religions of the World

Searching Library Databases

Choosing the right kind of database at the beginning can make your research more efficient.

Types of Databases

  • Article databases: Use when you want to find popular and scholarly sources.
  • eBook databases: Use when you want to find a lot of information about a broad topic.
  • Newspaper databases: Use for historical newspaper articles as well as current news articles about your topic.
  • Statistics: Use for finding statistics about your topic. (example: Statista)

All library databases have a Citation tool, as well as a variety of options for saving or downloading your sources.

Search Strategies

These search strategies can help you in any database you use. Using the right keywords can affect how relevant your results are.

  1. Search with specific keywords (for example, Hinduism and dharma).
  2. Search 2-3 keywords at a time. Each keyword you add will reduce your results.
  3. Use quotation marks around words you want to search as a complete phrase ("Sanatana Dharma").
  4. Limiters: always use the Full Text limiter. You can also limit by publication date, publication type (like peer reviewed), and more. 

Strive for a list of results that is manageable so you can look through them all. If you have an overwhelming number of results, try revising your search by changing or adding keywords or applying different limiters. Revising your search might also mean trying a different database.

More About Keywords

You'll start your search using the keywords in your assignment: (your religion) and originsfoundersacred textsmajor beliefspracticesdivisions, and sects).

To continue your research, you'll need additional words or ideas to search. Keywords fall into three main categories: Broad, Narrow, and Related.

  • Broad: More general categories (Hinduism)
  • Narrow: A specific category (Shaktism)
  • Related: Synonyms or similar terms, or terms that are connected to your topic (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Vishnu, reincarnation)

Using Boolean Operators is another search strategy that can help you locate the best results.

  • AND: for combining unrelated search terms (Hinduism AND Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam)
  • OR: for searching similar words (Hinduism OR Sanatana Dharma) (sacred texts OR holy texts)
  • NOT: for eliminating results (Hinduism NOT Buddhism)

Using eBooks for Research

eBooks are useful for doing broad research on your chosen religion. Information is in the form of short encyclopedia entries or chapters in a reference book. eBooks are especially useful for identifying more keywords to help you continue researching your religion.

Benefits of using eBooks:

  • Searchable: Use CTRL + F to search the content for a specific keyword.
  • Always available: Access full-text eBooks at any time without a library card.
  • Accessible: You can choose to have the content read aloud to you or even change the font or colors.

Databases for World Religions Research