Research Guides: Religion and Theology: Databases

Key Resources

Atla Religion Database This link opens in a new window
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Click the red star for a brief tutorial of how to use this database. This database provides information on topics such as biblical studies, world religions, church history, and religion in social issues. It is the definitive index for religious and theological literature and contains 1.6 million bibliographic records covering the research literature of religion in over 60 languages. Most coverage spans from 1949 to the present. The database is produced by the American Theological Library Association. This collection also includes content previously available in the ATLA Catholic Periodical and Literature Index® (ATLA CPLI®).
Credo This link opens in a new window
Credo is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text general and subject-specific reference titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
Papal Encyclicals Online This link opens in a new window
This free database provides access to papal encyclicals (letters to groups of bishops) and other church documents, many in English. One will also find on this site individual pages for each Pope, encyclical’s English titles, eReader files, a search engine, and pictures of medieval Papal documents,

Need help searching strategically for research assignments? Here's some tips:

Consult background resources to choose, explore, and develop your topic.
Formulate an arguable and concise research question based on your topic to answer through your research.
Choose keywords from your research question and additional alternative keywords to use when searching databases.
Remember to evaluate search results to see if the searches you're trying are effective.