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THEO 5102: Research Methods: Databases, Journals, & Digital Resources

Using Databases

  • Databases can help you find the full-text of an article (if it is available) when you have a complete citation.
  • Databases can also help you find complete bibliographic information when you have a partial citation.
  • Databases can be accessed in either of two ways from the Brandel home page.
    • First, 
      • click on "Online Resources" tab at the center of the page
      • This brings up a list with various disciplinary categories and combinations.
        • Biblical and theological databases are listed under the "Humanities" heading.​
    • Or, second, click on "Research Resources" on the left hand of the page, then on "Online Resources" which will bring you to the same list of disciplines as above.
  • Databases contain indexed articles (and sometimes essays in books) and ATLA contains the full-text of many of the articles and essays it indexes.

What Databases should I use?

Use databases to search for articles both when on campus and off.  When searching from off-campus, you will be prompted for a username and password; enter your usual North Park information.

Additional Databases and Digital Resources

Getting Articles

You can get journal articles in three ways:

  • Online - through the Brandel Library's databases and online journal subscriptions.
  • WorldShare Interlibrary Loan - request a specific journal article and the library will work to send you a PDF of that article.
  • Print - The Brandel Library's print journals are on lower level of the library for you to read, scan, and photocopy.

Getting Full Text Articles

The Brandel Library can often provide a link directly to the PDF of the article you need. After searching a library database, links with the phrase "Full Text" should all resolve to the PDF of the article.

Some of the time, however, the library won't have access to the full text of the article. In those cases, you will need to use the "Request via WorldShare Interlibrary Loan" link to request the article. The WorldShare Interlibrary Loan service is free to students and most articles arrive within 4 days.

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