BCSD: Buddhist-Christian Studies Database

 


Search Tips

  Enter BCSD BCSD Home Keywords  
 

 

  
  The search tips on this page are meant to supplement the Help information available within the Buddhist Christian Studies Database (BCSD) itself. To access Help when within BCSD, click on the Help link at the bottom of the screen or on the Help button in the upper right hand corner of the screen, if it is available.  
  QUICK SEARCH  
Quick Search searches only indexed fields. Indexed fields include the Author, Ref ID, Periodical, and Keyword fields.
 
 

Truncation symbol - * (only for indexed fields)

  
  • Always add an asterisk - * - at the end of your name or term.
  • Examples:
    • aitken*
    • chinese*
    • engaged buddhism*
  • An asterisk can serve as a truncation symbol or “wild card” where the root term can accept any subsequent letters to form words.
    • Example: meditat* (for meditate or meditating or meditation)
     
Phrase searches
To search for phrases, type the phrase and add the * at the end of the last term.
Example: social action*
     
Keyword searches
Browse the Keyword List page for keywords relevant to your search.
   
 
  ADVANCED SEARCH
  
The search tips listed in the Quick Search section apply to this section as well. One major difference between Quick and Advanced Search is the availability for searching of non-indexed text fields like title, publisher, publication year, and item type (article, essay, book, book review, dissertation, interview).
     
Truncation symbol - * (only for indexed fields)
The truncation symbol or asterisk is not needed in searching All Non-Indexed Text Fields. It can be used in searching All Indexed Fields: Author, Periodical, and Keyword.
     
Author search (Author is an indexed field.)
  • In the first search box, type the author’s last name first with a comma following.
  • Do not include a space between the comma and first name or initial.
  • As in the Quick Search, end with an asterisk.
  • Include periods if they occur before the end of the typed entry.
  • Select Authors in the drop-down menu.
  • Examples:
    • Cobb*
    • Cobb,John*
    • Jong,J.W*
  • East Asian names: In Japan, China, and Korea, the first name follows the family name. A person with the first name "Ichiro" and the family name "Suzuki" is, therefore, called "Suzuki Ichiro" rather than "Ichiro Suzuki". When searching for East Asian names, include comma between last and first names. Example: Abe,Masao*
     
Title search (Title is a non-indexed text field.)
  • In the first search box. Type the first few words of the title.
  • Include an article (a, the) if it is the first word.
  • Select Title, primary in the drop-down menu.
  • Example: A Mahayana theology
   
 
Boolean searches
  • The Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT appear in drop-down menus to the left of the search boxes. They allow more complex compound searches. The following examples are for searches in All Indexed Fields or All Non-Indexed Text Fields.
  • Examples:
    • abe* AND zen*
    • Japanese* OR Chinese*
    • Chinese* NOT Buddhism* 
     
Publication year
Searches can be limited to a specific publication year. Type in a year in the first search box and select Date, primary in the drop-down menu.
     
How to search for:
 

Journal Articles

For articles on specific subjects using the Keyword List:

  • Browse the Keyword List page for the keyword(s) relevant to your search. Use the browser’s Find function to search the web page for specific terms.
  • Type the keyword in the first search box exactly as it appears in the list.
  • Select Keywords in the drop-down menu next to it.
  • Type journal in the second search box.
  • Select RefType in the drop-down menu next to it.
  • The third search box could be used for a second keyword to refine the search.
  • Example of searching for multiple keywords:
    • Type Zen Buddhism in the first search box.
    • Select Keywords in the drop-down menu next to it.
    • Type journal in the second search box.
    • Select RefType in the drop-down menu next to it.
    • Type love in the third search box.
    • Select Keywords in the drop-down menu next to it.
    • ***Make sure the Boolean operator AND is in each of the drop-down menus to the left of the search boxes.
  
NOTE: An alternative method for a subject search would be to type any term or phrase in the first search box and selecting All Non-Indexed Text Fields in the drop-down menu. The truncation symbol cannot be used but partial words may be typed, for example silen for silent or silence. This would be a more hit and miss approach than using the Keyword List.
 
  Book reviews

Example 1: For a book review of any books written by Aloysius Pieris:

  • Type pieris in the first search box.
  • Select Title, primary in the drop-down menu next to it.
  • Type review in the second search box.
  • Select All Non-Indexed Text Fields in the drop-down menu next to it.
  • Note: If typing in more than the book author’s name, the name has to be the version used in the citation; e.g., Rita M. Gross, not Rita Gross. If unsure of the correct version, it is better to type in just the last name.

Example 2: For a book review of a specific title: Mysticism, Buddhist and Christian

  • Type the first few words in the first search box: mysticism, buddhist and christian.
  • Don’t skip any punctuation marks (e.g., the comma after mysticism).
  • Follow the second through fourth steps in the preceding example.
  
     

Other types of material
Other types of material include essay, book, and thesis (including dissertations). To limit a search to any one of these formats, enter any of the following types in the first search box and select RefType in the drop-down menu:

  • Book, whole (include the comma and the space after it)
  • Book chapter (for essays)
  • Thesis/dissertation

Then qualify your search in the same way as in searches for journal articles by using keywords.

***Make sure the Boolean operator AND is in the drop-down menu.
 
E-journal articles and reviews published in open-access electronic journals may be found by typing e-journal article or e-journal review in the search box and selecting All Non-Indexed Text Fields in the drop-down menu.
 

Interviews may be found by typing interview in one of the search boxes and selecting All Non-Indexed Text Fields in the drop-down menu.

Citations to papers presented at conferences may be found by typing paper in a search box and selecting All Non-Indexed Text Fields in the drop-down menu. Information about the conference will be found in the citation’s Notes field. ***Make sure the Boolean operator AND is in the drop-down menu.

Searches can be limited to the language of the cited work. Type English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, or other language and select All Non-Indexed Text Fields in the drop-down menu.

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