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RELG 222: Gnosticism (HC) Spring 2024

Logical operators in search

Using the advance search feature (located by clicking on the words to the right of the one search box) you can refine your results by using the the words AND, OR or NOT. Use of these can add facets to your search and narrow it down.

AND combines terms you are looking for

OR looks for two possibilities

NOT eliminates certain results

 

For example, a search for gnostic  AND bible will return items that contain both concepts:

 

women OR gender returns items that contain either one of the concepts or both:

 

disciple* NOT john returns items that talk about any one of the disciples but does not mention John:

 

When using the advanced search feature in tripod you can search for books or journal articles using the advanced search tab. Alternatively you can search just using a subject specific database for journal articles.

Additional tips: 

1. Putting a phrase in quotes then searches for that exact phrase.

2. Using the wildcard * 

The * (asterisk) is used to represent multiple characters. For example, using gnostic* would give you results for gnostic, gnostics, gnosticism.

3. Use (parenthesis) in a search string to indicate this operation should be done first. 

Subject headings

Subject Headings allow you to find relevant material grouped together including titles that do not use the keywords you may be searching.

 

Finding subject headings

       Look at a book record in Tripod, check the subjects assigned to it, and choose whatever ones are relevant for your research.

Example:  The Religious Context of Early Christianity: a Guide to Graeco-Roman Religions  Connect from Bryn Mawr College     Icon     Icon

Edited by Hans Josef Klauk.  Fortress Press, 2003.

                 Subjects:                                          

                                     church history  primitive and early church, ca. 30-600

                                     christianity and other religions  greek

                                     christianity and other religions  roman

                                     rome  religion

                                     greece  religion

 

   Subject search   christianity and other religions  roman  =  62 results

 

Refining subject searches

                        You can combine different concepts into a single subject search for precision.  The results are more focused than a keyword search.

                         But all the words have to be terminology used in library subject cataloging.

                         To ensure this, you can use subject headings you have already found. 

                                     Another option is to browse in the subject headings for more choices.                   

                          Combination subject search:

  (greek OR roman OR "early christian*" OR gnos*) (mystery OR secret OR initiat*)  =  58  results

                        Finds the connections between two groups of concepts concerning time period/place and ideas of secret knowledge,