Collins's work has focussed on Apocalypticism, the Book of Revelation, and the Gospel of Mark. Among her many books
Mark: A Commentary (Fortress 2007);
Crisis and Catharsis: The Power of Apocalypse (Westminster, 1984); and
The Combat Myth in the Book of Revelation (Harvard Dissertations in Religion 9; Missoula, MT: Scholars Press for the Harvard Theological Review; reprinted Wipf and Stock, 2001) stand out as major contributions to the field. Collins is considered one of the pioneers in understanding apocalyptic literature in Judaism and Christianity and her commentary on Mark has been called a "landmark in Markan scholarship." She is noted for her mentorship of students in particular her support for women biblical scholars. Her colleague Michal Beth Dinkler said in a tribute to Collins "Adela has helped to pave the way for younger female scholars like myself in a field that continues to be dominated by men." Collins served as dissertation adviser to a number of biblical scholars including Paul Holloway, James Kelhoffer, Stephen Ahearne-Kroll, and
Candida Moss. ==Honors and awards==