How to find Journal Articles and Reviews

  1. If you have a citation use the Library Catalog or Serials List to determine if the O'Toole Library (or Washington Theological Consortium) has the journal or book review.
  2. If you do not have a citation, perform an index search (e.g. author, title, subject, etc.) to obtain a citation or list of citations.
  3. Use the citation to locate the article in the correct periodical.
    [Click here to review citation formats]
  4. If you cannot locate a library book with the title, you may need to request the article through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

The O'Toole Library subscribes to several indexes in both electronic and print formats for you to search and create a citation list. The O'Toole Library also subscribes to a number of journals through Brill Academic Publishers that are available in online format. Access IDs and Passwords are needed for these services. Please speak in person to a Librarian.

  • ATLA Religion Database (online and print)
    This is a publiction of the American Theological Library Association that indexes more that 650 journal titles since 1949. The library has this in both an online version through Ebsconet (an account name and password is needed to access this database) and a paper subscription. The paper subscription provides coverage back to 1949. The print edition has been entitled over the years as Religon Index I, Religion Index II - Multi-Authors, and Book Reviews In Religion.
  • Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (online and print)
    This title is published jointly by the American Theological Library Association and the Catholic Library Association. Indexing more that 160 significant Catholic journal titles including subject, authors, and books reviews. The print version covers 1930 to the present and the cd-rom covers 1981 to the present.
  • Proquest Religion Database (online)
    The Proquest Religion Database provides online access to the full text of more than 100 journals in religion, includes indexing and abstract of articles. Access is provided online using an account name and password.
  • Ingenta Select (online)
    Through this service, the Brill Academic Publishers allow online access to a number of journals to which the O'Toole Library subscribes (i.e. Biblical Interpretation, Dead Seas Discoveries, Novum Testamentum, Numen, Phronesis, Religion and the Arts, Vetus Testamentum, Vigiliae Christianae). Full articles are available for download in PDF format.

Other Indexes (Print)

  • Bibliographica Francescana
  • Bibliographica Missionaria
  • Bibliography of Bioethics
  • Elenchus bibliographicus bibilica
  • Elenchus of Biblica
  • Humanities Index
  • New Testament Abstracts
  • Old Testament Abstracts
  • Philosophers Index
  • Revue d'Histoire de la spiritualite
  • Revue d'Histoire ecclesiastique
  • Social Sciences Index
  • Theology In Context

Journal Citations and Book Review Formats

You may have a specific or partial citation for which you need more information or you may have compiled several citations after performing an index search. In either case, it is helpful to know the different general formats in which the citations are given.

Below are two separate examples of a journal citation and a book review.

Example of a journal citation

Christian Leadership
Leadership in the Church. Friend, William B. 1931- . Origins
32(30): 489, 491-494 Ja 9 2003.

Notice that all the elements listed above are present in the citation:

  • Subject - Christian Leadership
  • Author - William B. Friend (plus his date of birth 1931)
  • Title of the journal - Origins
  • Title of the article - Leadership in the Church
  • Volume number - 32
  • Issue number - 30
  • Date of the issue - Ja 9 2003 (January 9, 2003)
  • Page numbers - 489, 491-494

Example of a Book reviews

Cahill, Thomas.
Pope John XXIII, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2002.
Walsh, Michael J. 1937- . Tablet. 257(8472) 28 F 8 2003.

Note that the book review contains:

  • Book Title - Pope John XXIII
  • Books Author - Cahill, Thomas
  • Publisher - Weidenfeld & Nicholson
  • Imprint/Publication Date - 2002
  • Reviewer - Michael J. Walsh
  • Journal Title - Tablet
  • Volume Number - 257
  • Issue Number - 8472
  • Page number - 28
  • Date - F 8 2003 (February 8, 2003

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