Theology & Catholic Studies: Home

This guide is designed to focus on the resources the library has to offer for theology. Use the tabs above to navigate through this guide.

Please talk to a librarian if you have any questions or suggestions!

As you’re researching, you’ll encounter a variety of different source types that all may be useful for your project - for some of you, it may be required! Here are a few source types, ways in which they can be helpful, and how to find them:

Scholarly Article – These are research articles written by experts who work in and study a specific field. The articles have also undergone peer-review, which means that other experts read the article and suggest changes that should be made before it was published. These articles usually look at a topic in-depth, feature original research, and may include an argument for a specific interpretation, course of action, or treatment.

To find scholarly articles:

• Use the databases list located on the library website - sort the list by type ("Article") and by subject, if needed. Tip: read the database descriptions, look for words like "academic" or "peer reviewed". 
• Once inside the database, make sure to filter results by "Peer-Reviewed" if possible. If not, use context clues (author/publisher/publication date) to ensure the article is appropriate for use. 

Encyclopedia Entry – Encyclopedia entries are a great place to start for a lot of topics! These sources provide basic factual information on a topic and introduce you to key concepts and other relevant information.

To find encyclopedia entries:

• Use the databases list located on the library website - sort the list by type ("Reference"). Tip: follow the red star for popular/easy to use databases.

Newspaper Article – Newspaper articles are great sources for current events, as they provide up-to-date information on a topic. For older topics, newspapers can provide insight into what was going on and what people were discussing when an event occurred.

To find newspaper articles:

• Use the databases list located on the library website - sort the list by type ("Newspapers"). Tip: Newsbank provides access to a large amount of news media (including some popular magazines) and is easy to search. Find a video tutorial here.

Books – Books are a great way to get in-depth information on a topic, as they are usually long and well researched. Rather than reading the whole book, it’s often more effective to focus on a chapter or two that is specifically relevant to your research topic.

To find books:

• Select the "Books" tab above for how to find books related to Theology & Catholic Studies.

Website – Websites can be great places to find information about organizations or groups. Just make sure you choose reliable sites and consider the source of information (click here for more info).