This document summarizes resources for Doctor of Ministry students to use for dissertation research. It discusses researching models, narrowing topics, literature reviews, relevant library guides, databases, journals, interlibrary loan, consortium borrowing, and useful tools like citation alerts. Research should be done early to find resources and address gaps in previous work. The presenter provides an overview of key terms, databases, and services available.

1. Doctor of Ministry Colloquium
Sept. 2016
Kay Darling
svdarling@vuu.edu

2. 
Our Agenda
 Research issues
 Terms
 Research Guides
 Catalog
 Databases
 Electronic Journals
 Interlibrary Loan
 Open Access resources
 Archives
 Useful Tools

3. 
 Find models for your own research- can help you
organize your D. Min. dissertation
 Helps you narrow or refine your topic/research
question if broad and vague
 Find additional resources - mine the citations of
others!
Why do research early?

4. 
 “Literature review is a critical and evaluative account of what
has been published on a chosen research topic. “
 Gaps in research will happen. Address them in your paper, but
make sure there really are gaps with thorough and in-depth
research.
 Include materials that addresses only part of or indirectly your
research topic.
 Don’t be afraid of “grey” literature or non-traditional resources,
i.e. conference papers, blog posts, etc., depending on the type of
research you are doing.
Research Issues

5. 
 Visible web - that portion of the World Wide Web that
is readily available to the general public and
searchable with standard web search engines such as
Google, Bing, or Yahoo
 Invisible web refers to the vast repository of
information that search engines and directories don't
have direct access to.
Some terms to know

6. 
 Open access - (OA) means unrestricted online access
to research.
 All you need to access OA resources is an internet
connection
 INCLUDES peer-reviewed or scholarly journals
 Wilder Library LibGuides
 Wilder Library Catalog
 WorldCat.org
 ERIC
Open access

7. 
 Embargoes (on journals and articles)
 Proprietary databases and electronic journals
 Databases that are bought and require authentication;
must “log-in” as someone who has a right to these
materials. So to access Wilder Library databases and
electronic you must “sign-in” or “log-on.”
More terms

8. 
 Index - “…open-end finding guide to the literature of
an academic field or discipline…”
 Abstract - a summary of the content of a written text
 Full text - the complete version of written material
 Citation – a reference that identifies a source.
More terms

9. 
 Wilder library LibGuides
Research Guides

10. 
 Doctor of Ministry Dissertation Research
 Research Guide for Theology and Religious Studies
 Websites for Theology and Religious Studies
 Open Access Resources in Religion & Theology
 Guides in subject areas related to your topic.
Guides to consult

11. 
WALNET Our Online Catalog

12. 
 To search for items in our collection, no need to sign
in, however….
 To manage your library account, sign in with your
student ID number and PIN (1234) in the boxes on
the upper right.
 At this time we do not put books on “hold” for
students.
WALNET

13. 
 ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database
 ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials
 Academic Search Complete
 ProQuest Research Library
 JSTOR
 Religion and Philosophy Collection
STVU databases:
http://vuu.libguides.com/stvu

14. 
How to get to the databases if
on campus

16. 
How to get to the databases if
OFF campus

18. http://vuu.libguides.com/stvuoffcampus

22. 
 Use OR for the broadest search. Teenagers OR
Adolescents OR “young adults”
 AND includes additional terms to be included in the
search. The records search must include both terms.
Theology AND art.
 NOT narrows or eliminates terms to be searched.
Theology NOT doctrine NOT dogma
Boolean operators:
AND, OR, & NOT

23. 
Best practices: database
searching
 Databases are literal.
 Truncation: *
For example, type comput* to find the words
computer or computing.
 Wildcard: ? (sometimes databases use #)
when you don’t know the exact spelling. Sm?th for
Smith and Smyth
 Phrase searching: use double quotation marks to
keep words together. “Croatian politics”

29.  Off Campus access- same steps as for databases
Electronic Journals

32. Electronic Journals

33. 
 Type the name of the journal in the search box
 Or browse by subject.

35. 
 Inter-library Loan (For print books Richmond area
students only. Articles will be sent by email, so no
geographic restriction.)
 Richmond Academic Library Consortium
 Washington Theological Consortium
 VIVA Cooperative Borrowing Program
If we don’t have it…

36. 
 Inter-library loan email address: ill@vuu.edu
 Electronic submission only works with Internet
Explorer browser.
 For Chrome and Mozilla, download and save the
form to your computer. Then send it via email as an
attachment.
Inter-library loan

37. 
 Richmond Academic Library Consortium
 Show your student ID and pass (available at service
desks)
 Limited borrowing privileges
 Participating Schools:
Reynolds Community College, John Tyler
Community College, VCU, Randolph-Macon
College, University of Richmond,
Richard Bland College, Library of Virginia,
& Virginia State University
RALC

38. 
 Passes are a good for a year.
 Must have a pass and student ID to borrow
materials. Privileges vary from school to school.
 We can fax a pass to another WTC library during
regular business hours.
(8-5)
Washington Theological
Consortium

39. 
WTC schools
 Catholic University of America Libraries
 Howard University School of Divinity Library
 John Leland Center Library
 Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg Library
 Pontifical Faculty at the Dominican House Library
 Reformed Theological Seminary Library
 Virginia Theological Seminary Library
 Virginia Union University, Wilder Library
 Wesley Theological Seminary Library
 Al-Alwani Library in Islamic Studies
 Woodstock Theological Library (Georgetown)

40. 
 The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) is the
consortium of nonprofit academic libraries within
the Commonwealth of Virginia.
 For participating libraries:
http://www.vivalib.org/borrowing/
 Must bring your student ID and proof of current
enrollment, i.e. your current schedule from MyVUU*
VIVA

42. 
Out of state students
 Public library - ILL@ your local library
 Annual membership @ local private
college/university/seminary?
 Public colleges or universities. Check and see what the
policy is for your state. Open to public or community
users? Allow you to check books out?
 Your state library.
 And remember that Wilder library can send ILL
electronic articles anywhere.

43. 
 WorldCat.org - a union catalog
Open access sources of
materials

44. 
Google Scholar

46. 
RIM or the ATLA Research in Ministry index
http://rim.atla.com/star/rimonline_login.htm

49. 
Archives
 Online Finding Aid on the Archives page
 Blog: https://vuuarchives.wordpress.com/
Must make an appointment to use
materials from the Archives and
Special Collections (this includes
D. Min. Projects!)
 Selicia Allen: University Archivist
Jessica Bennett: Special Collections Librarian

50. 
Useful Tools
 Creating Alerts in EBSCOhost, ProQuest, and Google
Scholar
 EBSCOhost App for Mobile devices

51. 
EBSCO

53. 
ProQuest

54. Use the drop down
menu to find
‘Create alert’ and
click on it.

60. 
EBSCO mobile app
 From the VUU Library website, get on any EBSCO
database (Academic Search Complete for example)
and scroll to the bottom of the page. If you are off-
campus, follow the directions for off-campus access
and then scroll to the bottom of the page.
 Click on the link for iPhone and Android apps.

61. 
Enter your email address.