Religion: A Research Guide: Journal Articles

"The combined online avatar of Religion Index One, Religion Index Two, and Index to Book Reviews in Religion, this is the most important general index for religious studies. The database covers articles, essays in collections, and book reviews in English, French, and German. Coverage extends from 1949 on; there is currently a project to expand retrospective coverage. While its scope is global and includes virtually all religious traditions, coverage is strongest for Christianity, particularly the Protestant versions. The database should be supplemented by Catholic Periodical and Literature Index, for Catholicism, and by Old Testament Abstracts and New Testament Abstracts for biblical studies." [Guide to Reference].

The best database for finding articles on Asian religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and Shinto. "For 1971-91, the online BAS contains the full data of the printed version of the Bibliography of Asian Studies, which includes citations to Western-language periodical articles, monographs, chapters in edited volumes, conference proceedings, anthologies, and Festschriften. Monographs published since 1992 are not included. Doctoral dissertations and master's theses are seldom included. Keyword searching is available and is generally the most powerful way to search for BAS online. Entries can also be accessed by author, subject, country, and journal-title. To assist searchers, the subject classification in the BAS is available online...." [Guide to Reference].

Indexing before 1971: The BAS began as an annual bibliography, the Bulletin of Far Eastern Bibliography (Kroch Asia Reference Z 3001 .B93), in 1936. In 1941, the scope extended to Southeast Asia, and in 1955, to South Asia. G.K. Hall published the Cumulative Bibliography of Asian Studies, 1941-65 (Kroch Asia Reference Z 3001 .A833) and 1966-70 (Kroch Asia Reference Z 3001 .A833 1972), organized by subject, with author indexes.

The BAS began as an annual bibliography, the Bulletin of Far Eastern Bibliography (Kroch Asia Reference Z 3001 .B93), in 1936. In 1941, the scope extended to Southeast Asia, and in 1955, to South Asia. G.K. Hall published the Cumulative Bibliography of Asian Studies, 1941-65 (Kroch Asia Reference Z 3001 .A833) and 1966-70 (Kroch Asia Reference Z 3001 .A833 1972), organized by subject, with author indexes.

Indexing before 1906: Wolfgang Behn's Index Islamicus 1665-1905: A Bibliography of Articles on Islamic Subjects in Periodicals and Other Collective Publications (Olin Library Reference Z 7835 .M6 P35) "provides retrospective coverage back to 1665 that is not available through the online Index Islamicus. Behn lists over 21,000 articles from journals, conference proceedings, and collected works in a variety of European languages." [Guide to Reference].

"Also known by the acronym RAMBI, this database attempts to cover all important articles relevant to Judaic studies. Based on the collections of the Jewish National and University Library, it includes materials published around the world in Hebrew, Yiddish, and European languages since 1966. Search options include author, title, subject, and keyword. Searching in Hebrew or Latin characters only returns articles in those alphabets; it is necessary to search both ways for full retrieval. It is also possible to browse by author or subject.Includes the full contents of the print version of this work, Reshimat ma'amarim be-mada'e ha-Yahadut, which ceased publication in 2001." [Guide to Reference].

"Indexes and abstracts about 340 journals from around the world, primarily Christian but also some Jewish titles and a small number of titles from other religious traditions. A full list of titles is available on the website. Coverage is coextensive with the print version, also called Religious and Theological Abstracts, extending back to 1958 (Uris Stacks Z 7753 .R38). Search options include author, title, scripture citation, and keyword. Updated quarterly." [Guide to Reference].