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The Max M. and Marjorie B. Kampelman Collection of Jewish Ethics

Search Tips for Formulating Your Own Search Strategies for Materials on Jewish Ethics

If you wish to create your own search tying Jewish ethics to a particular bioethical issue, combine a number from the NRCBL Classification Scheme for that topic with the following search strategy, which you can paste, as is (in parentheses), into the ETHXWeb Boolean search screen.

Comprehensive Jewish Ethics Search Strategy (halach+ or halak+ or hebraic+ or hebrew or holocaust or torah or israel.cn. or israel.so. or (+israel or +holocaust or +israeli or +jewish or +jews).subj. or jew or jews or jewish or judaic+ or judaism or kabbal+ or kampelman or shoah)

Example 1: If you are interested in combining Jewish ethics with the discussions focused on "prolongation of life and euthanasia," add to the Comprehensive Jewish Ethics Search Strategy above: AND 20.5.1[pc]

The search statement would read: (halach+ or halak+ or hebraic+ or hebrew or holocaust or torah or israel.cn. or israel.so. or (+israel or +holocaust or +israeli or +jewish or +jews).subj. or jew or jews or jewish or judaic+ or judaism or kabbal+ or kampelman or shoah) AND 20.5.1[pc]

Example 2: To search for all topics within the death and dying category, add to the Comprehensive Jewish Ethics Search Strategy above: AND 20.+[pc]

The search statement would read: (halach+ or halak+ or hebraic+ or hebrew or holocaust or torah or israel.cn. or israel.so. or (+israel or +holocaust or +israeli or +jewish or +jews).subj. or jew or jews or jewish or judaic+ or judaism or kabbal+ or kampelman or shoah) AND 20.+[pc]

If you want to combine Jewish ethics with all issues in genetics, simply paste the comprehensive Jewish Ethics search strategy above (contained in the first search box at the top of the page) into the GenETHX Boolean search screen. GenETHX is the Bioethics Library database that focuses specifically on ethical issues and topics in genetics. By searching within this database, the patron can retrieve records related to genetics issues on his or her other topic without having also to enter all the genetics search topic terms or classification numbers. You can also add a particular classification number to narrow the search to a specific issue within genetics, e.g., add: AND 15.3[pc] to retrieve "genetic screening."

Links to more complete, additional search tips can be found on each search screen. The Bioethics Searcher's Guide to Online Information Resources provides a comprehensive overview of searching all online databases offered by the Kennedy Institute's Library and Information Services group and is available for purchase.

Citations are from the ETHXWeb database, maintained by the NRCBL. NRCBL databases are updated twice a month.

Further assistance can be obtained by calling 1-888-BIO-ETHX (1-888-246-3849) toll free in the United States and Canada, or by email to: bioethics@georgetown.edu.

Last updated: December 2008