Even though the ReIReS project is coming to an end, our online discovery environment ReIReSearch will continue to be available and to expand. The following is an overview of the collections that are currently searchable on ReIReSearch and the functionalities the platform has to offer.
797.773 Records from 10 Different Datasets
Rather than consulting different collections separately and having to adjust their specific searches to the way these collections are indexed, users can search them from one platform using a single query. ReIReSearch offers access to 797.773 records from 10 different datasets. These records include rare books as well as bibliographical, biographical, and geographical data. ReIReSearch offers integrated access to collections from public institutions and a private publisher and aims to include more.
As a result, scholars in Religious Studies have access to a platform that not only focuses specifically on their area of study but also provides data from different sources in a single location. This includes, for example, three separate databases from Brepols Publishers. These are now searchable together from a single platform on ReIReSearch rather than having to be consulted separately.
Brepols Publishers
Dictionnaire d’Histoire et de Géographie Ecclésiastiques
Index Religiosus
Library of Latin Texts: The integration of LLT is still being finalized and it will be available on ReIReSearch shortly.
Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII
Institut für Mainzer Kirchengeschichte
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
KU Leuven
East Asia Collections
Maurits Sabbe Library
Special Collections
Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
Functionalities
ReIReSearch offers both simple and advanced search functionalities. Several facets allow users to narrow their down search results to filter out the most relevant records and facilitate exploration on the platform. These facets help users to find the most useful data but also to discover new and important collections. For example, a facet to view only results with a digitized version is available for scholars specifically searching for digitally available manuscripts.
As a discovery platform that collects data from several providers, ReIReSearch improves the visibility of the datasets it includes and easily redirects users to the full records on the data provider platform in case further exploration there suits their needs better. When a digital representation is available, the corresponding link is also available.
ReIReSearch is not designed to replace existing platforms but to provide users with a tool to discover digital resources they were previously unaware of or to explore their contents from a single location and if needed to export those results in a machine readable interoperable way.
Collaborative Effort
ReIReSearch is a collaborative effort of KU Leuven, LIBIS, and Brepols Publishers. Bram Roosen of Brepols about the platform:
“With ReIReSearch we have built a robust and efficient tool to search a variety of university databases and subscription databases (Index Religiosus, Library of Latin Texts and Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques) in a fast and integrated way. It allows scholars to rapidly and seamlessly switch between full text, encyclopedia articles and bibliography, and between subscription databases and open sources.”
ReIReSearch will remain active even after the end of the ReIReS project and we plan to continue integrating new collections and adding new features.
More
Go here to the ReIReSearch website.
