Getting Started
Information is everywhere.
Before beginning your research, it's important to get the lay of the land and know what kind of sources are out there. Information is everywhere, and not all sources are created equal. Review the Evaluating Sources page in this guide to look at the different sources out there.
As you begin, you will want to start exploring your topic broadly. Below, you will find several databases that provide great contextual information relevant to your topic (encyclopedias, etc.).
Biblical Studies Guide
- GFU Libraries Biblical Studies GuideDesigned for use by students at all levels, this is a high-level overview of biblical studies resources available through George Fox University Libraries.
Oxford Reference
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
You're getting started on a topic and want something more reliable than Wikipedia, or you're looking for a solid overview of a scholarly topic.What's Included?
spans 25 different subject areas, bringing together 2 million digitized entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias.
Selected Oxford Biblical Reference Titles
Oxford Handbooks
- Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
You're looking for authoritative surveys of current thinking and research, from leading international figures in a variety of disciplines.What's Included?
Specially commissioned essays from leading international figures in arts and humanities, social sciences, and psychology.
Credo Reference
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
You need a quick and credible answer, are gathering information about a new topic, looking for a list of recommended reading in an area, or looking for a definition or overview.What's Included?
Over 2 million full text articles from over 900 dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, popular and scholarly encyclopedias, quote books and atlases, plus a wide range or subject-specific titles covering everything from accounting to zoology.
Other Online Reference
- Google ScholarGoogle Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines.
- Very Short Introductions"Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects -- from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, and Literary Theory to History. . . . Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make often challenging topics highly readable." (publisher's description)
- Other Library Subject GuidesGFU library offers guides (just like this one) on a number of different subjects! Potentially relevant topics include psychology, business, and social work among many others.
Biblical Studies
- Theology and Religion Online This link opens in a new window
Why Search Here?
You are looking for authoritative overviews, definitions, and suggestions for further reading on topics related to theology or biblical studies.What's Included?
Encompassing the Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries, the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, and the Eerdman's Digital Reference Library (43 core reference titlesin religious studies), this platform will search individually or simultaneously across a large collection of definitive reference texts, many of which have not been historically available online. - Oxford Bibliographies in Biblical Studies This link opens in a new window
Why search here?
You need an up-to-date guide to scholarly coverage of a biblical topic. Useful when just starting out or when looking for further information.
What's included?
Hundreds of overview articles written by established scholars and accompanied by extensive bibliographies (recommended reading) on topics ranging from persons of the Bible to Biblical culture and archeology.