Collins Memorial Library: Greek, Latin, &amp; Ancient Mediterranean Studies 321: Gods, Magic, and Mysteries: Comprehensive Approach

Systematic Research

In the comprehensive approach to research, you begin to explore your initial research question or problem in a systematic fashion, which may, with variations, look something like this:

1. Start with tertiary sources, like subject encyclopedias, to establish context and identify potential primary and secondary (scholarly) sources.

2. Use recommended scholarly sources to identify Library of Congress Subject Headings and indexing terms and then use these to search library catalogs and databases to find a substantial collection of both primary and secondary sources.

3. Immerse yourself in the literature you've found to further refine your research question or problem.

4. Repeat these steps as needed.

Subject Encyclopedias

The Oxford Classical Dictionary Online, 3rd ed. rev. by Simon Hornblower (Editor); Antony Spawforth (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
ISBN: 9780198661726
Publication Date: 2005
Digital version of the one-volume dictionary. Covers all aspects of the Greco-Roman world: art, literature, philosophy, law, mythology, religion, science, daily life, and broad cultural and historical trends.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome by Michael Gagarin (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access.
ISBN: 9780195170726
Publication Date: 2010
This digital version of the multi-volume reference work is a comprehensive overview of the major cultures of the classical Mediterranean world--Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman--from the Bronze Age to the fifth century CE. It also covers the legacy of the classical world and its interpretation and influence in subsequent centuries.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History by Roger S. Bagnall (Editor); Kai Brodersen (Editor); Craige B. Champion (Editor); Andrew Erskine (Editor); Sabine R. Huebner (Editor)
Call Number: Click on title above for online access.
ISBN: 9781405179355
Publication Date: 2012
Includes over 5000 entries and provides clear, concise, definitions and explanations of the key people, places, and events in ancient history. Coverage spans the late Bronze Age through the seventh century CE.
Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World (Antiquity) by Hubert Cancik (Editor); Helmut Schneider (Editor); Manfred Landfester (Editor); Christine F. Salazar (Editor)
Call Number: DE5 .N4813 Print Reference, vols. 1-15
ISBN: 9789004122598
Publication Date: 2002-2011
The fifteen volumes in this encyclopedia are devoted to Greco-Roman antiquity and cover two thousand years of history, ranging from the second millennium BC to early medieval Europe.

Recommended Databases

Two good databases for your research project in this course are:

L'Annee philologique This link opens in a new window
A bibliography of scholarly work on classical antiquity published in any language, anywhere in the world.
JSTOR
An interdisciplinary journal archive. It includes archives of over one thousand leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other materials valuable for academic work.

Using Library Databases

After you select the database(s) you wish to search, but BEFORE you begin searching, prepare a list of related terms and concepts.

When you construct your search, you'll want to connect synonyms with the Boolean operator "OR" and different concepts with the Boolean operator "AND." You also can use truncation (the asterisk*) to find all forms and spellings of a word.

Here's an example: