Sociology Research Guide

ENCYCLOPEDIAS & REFERENCE WORKS

Subject Encyclopedias

These can be helpful for obtaining an overview of a subject and related topics. An entry in an encyclopedia will often contain a bibliography which can lead you to more sources on that topic.

Here are several we have:

NEW! The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Reference HM 425 .B53 2007 (11 vols.)
Free trial access to online version

Encyclopedia of Sociology 4 vols.   Reference HM 425 .E5 2000
Sociology Basics   Reference HM 425 .S63 2000
Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family 2 vols.   Reference HQ 9 .E52 1995
Encyclopedia of Social History   Reference HN 28 .E53 1994

Subject Dictionaries

The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology Reference HM 425 .J64 2000
A Dictionary of Sociology                        Reference HM 17 .D53 1998
A Dictionary of Quotations in Sociology   Reference HM 17 .B37 1985

Handbooks, Manuals & Guides

Blackwell Companion to Major Classical Social Theorists    Reference HM 585 .B527   2003
Blackwell Companion to Sociology    Reference HM 585 .B53 2001
A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers Reference HM 73 .G78 1998


The following are shelved in the General Collection, on second floor. These can be checked out:

Handbook of Qualitative Research             H62 .H2455 2000
The International Handbook of Sociology   HM 585 .I57 2000
The Sociology Student Writer's Manual      HM 585 .S638 2002

Handbook of the Sociology of Gender       HQ 1075 .C47 1999
Handbook of the Sociology of Religion      BL 60 .H36   2003

FIND BOOKS

There are several types of searches you can do in the library catalog to locate books. Library catalogs contain subject headings used by the Library of Congress and most library users are not familiar with these official headings. Therefore it is always best to begin with a keyword search rather that a subject search when first going to the online catalog. Combine several terms that describe your topic, for example:

socialization and gender               social structure and (crime or deviance)
language and culture                     (class or social structure) and (crime or deviance)

interaction and small group*       (Simmel or Coser) and social conflict
minorit* and assimilation

A few tips on the keyword searches above:

The asterisk * truncates a term and will retrieve all forms of the word that follow the truncation symbol. For example, group* will retrieve group or groups; minorit* will retrieve minority or minorities. The parentheses allows you to search for concepts similar in meaning and then combine these with a different term(s). Remember to always place your similar terms within parentheses when using AND & OR in one search statement.

Results from your keyword searches will help you identify appropriate subject headings that you can search under. These can help you get even more relevant books on your specific topic. Listed below are just a few Library of Congress subject headings used in the catalog. This first group represents major concepts and areas of study in sociology

        social action                       social institutions
       socialization                       social structure
        l anguage and culture         social classes   (use instead of social stratification)
        social groups                      conformity
        social norms                       deviant behavior
        social role                          religion and sociology   (use instead of sociology of religion)

If you are looking for material that discusses a particular theory in sociology, try a subject search under these Library of Congress headings:

        symbolic interactionism
        functionalism (social sciences)
        social conflict
        knowledge, sociology of

For books, etc. on Marxism/Marxist theory, search under these subject headings,

         Marx, Karl
         Marxian school of sociology
         communism
         socialism

      The keyword search, marxism or marxist theory will also produce results, but a number of these may not be primarily on Marx or Marxism, but include only a chapter related to the theory or theorist.

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FIND ARTICLES

Databases in this section are restricted to use on the Truman network unless otherwise indicated.

SocIndex with Full Text. A comprehensive sociology research database with more than 1.9 million records and the full text for over 400 journals dating back to 1908. Also contains full text for more than 700 books and monographs and more than 6000 conference papers.

Criminal Justice Periodical Index 1975+
In print 1975-1998: HV 6001 C756
Indexes periodical articles on all aspects of criminal justice as well as articles from scholarly journals in criminology and deviance.

Social Sciences Abstracts 1983+
In print under various titles, 1907-1994: Ref AI 3 S6
This index covers about 550 journals in the areas of anthropology, economics, geography, law and criminology, psychology, sociology, and related topics. Come of the citations are to book reviews, interviews and biographies. Provides citations from 1983 to present and abstracts from 1994 to present.

PsycINFO 1887+
In print 1927-1966: General Collection BF 1 P65.
Produced by the American Psychological Association, PsycINFO contains summaries of the world's literature in psychology and related disciplines. Over 9,000 sources indexed including scholarly journal articles, books and book chapters, dissertations and reports. Journals in sociology and social psychology are indexed here as well, including Sociology & Social Research, Sociology of Health & Illness, Rural Sociology, Qualitative Sociology and Contemporary Social Psychology.

SPORT Discus 1975+
Comprehensive international database containing sport and fitness literature. It includes references to periodical articles, books, conference proceedings, research papers, and other sources. Includes the psychology and sociology of sport.

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Media Library

Our Media Library located on the second floor houses a large collection of videos, DVDs, as well as sound recordings and CD-ROMS.   Here are several videos that relate to some aspect of sociology. The items below are listed in order by call number.

Race and Ethnicity   Media Video BF 575 .P9 R3 1991
Native Americans: The Invisible People Media Video E 98 .S67 N38 1994
Middletown: Continuity or Change?   Media Video E 169.04 .M53 1999
Ethnic Notions   Media Video E 185. E844   1986
The Two Nations of Black America Media Video E 185.8 T93 1998
The Clan in Northeast Missouri   Truman Mo Collection   F 466 .K5 1979
Peter Berger Media Video HB 501 .B4522 1989
Culture Media Video HM 101 .C857 1991
Social Stratification Media Video HN 49 .S6 S635 1991
Rural Communities: Legacy and Change   Media Video (7 videocassettes) HN 65 .R852 1993
Violence: An American Tradition   Media Video HN 90 .V5 V5 1996
Changing Men's Roles Media Video HQ 1090.3 .C47 1995
Socio-historical Gender Roles Media Video HQ 1154 .S596 1995
Social Class   Media Video HT 609 .S619 1991
The Sociolinguistics of Language Media Video P 40 .M67 1987

This list is not exhaustive. To locate videos and DVDs on a specific topic, go to our Searching for Videos page.

Web Links (A-Z)

New site! OFFSTATS: Official Statistics on the Web (University of Auckland)--"An invaluable, centralized collection of links to free, official statistics resources. . .provides and abundance of difficult-to-find data sources, including links to armaments data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and elections data from Facts on International Relations and Security Trends. . .Essential. Reviewer: T.M. Johnson, University of Maryland-College Park CHOICE, August, 2007.

AgeLine Research Database--"One of three AARP databases that focus exclusively on the aged". The site provides abstracts of journal articles, books, and research reports on social gerontology and age-related information. Coverage is from 1966 to the present. Some material is full text. "Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and general readers." (CHOICE, November 2005)
CensusScope Utilizing the U.S. Census as a primary source of demographic information, this site, created and maintained by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN)at the University of Michigan, "creates demographic media for the use of students, researchers, policy makers, and the public. . .allows users to explore demographic trends, copy maps, charts, and tables, and further manipulate the data" C.W. Bruns, California State University-Fullterton in CHOICE Reviews, June 2007.
Disability.gov--Categories include Civil Rights, Community Life, Education, Employment, Housing, Health, Technology, Benefits and Transportation. "Excellent resource. . .Highly Recommended." CHOICE Reviews, Sep. 2006
New Site! Gallup.com--This site provides polling data back to 1952. Useful for students and others wanting to research public opinion on various social and political topics-: crime, religion, workplace, etc. "Highly Recommended." E.S. Petersen, CHOICE Reviews, July 2008.
Handbook of Latin American Studies--Multidisciplinary, annotated bibliography of works selected by scholars.
International Database (IDB)--"a computerized data bank containing statistical tables of demographic and socioeconomic data for 227 countries and areas of the world. . .created in the [U.S.] Census Bureau's International Programs Center (IPC) . . .the IDB provides quick access to specialized information, with emphasis on demographic measures, for individual countries or selected groups of countries of the world." (from IDB home page)
Intute: Social Sciences--Online catalogue of thousands of high quality Internet resources relevant to social science education and research. Every resource has been selected and described by a librarian or subject specialist.
Minority Links: Facts on the American Indians and Alaska Natives Population
U.S. Census Bureau
Minority Links: Facts on the Asian Population
U.S. Census Bureau
Minority Links: Facts on the Black or African American Population
U.S. Census Bureau
Minority Links: Facts on the Hispanic or Latino Population
U.S. Census Bureau
Mountain Voices--Funded by the Panos Institute (UK), presents "interviews with residents of several mountain areas around the word. . .people most affected by development and change at the local level. . .Faculty and students in anthropology, sociology of development, and comparative sociology will find this Web site useful." (CHOICE, July/August, 2002).
National Institute on Aging--"The National Institute on Aging is one of 27 agencies that make up the National Institutes of Health. The Web site contains a wealth of information on virtually all aspects of aging. . .'Research Information' is divided into four subject subsections: 'Biology of Aging, 'Behavioral and Social Research,' Neuroscience and Neuropsychology,' and 'Scientific Resources.' . .Highly recommended." W.P. Nye, Hollins University. CHOICE Reviews, February 2006.
Population Estimates--"The Population Estimates Program publishes total resident population estimates and demographic components of change (births, deaths, and migration) each year. We also publish the estimates by demographic characteristics (age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin) for the nation, states and counties" (from the Population Estimates home page).
U.S. Census Bureau
Population Index on the Web--Produced by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University, this is a "browseable and searchable archive of all 46,000 abstracts appearing in Population Index, 1986-2000. Does not link to full-text resources, but still a "valuable retrospective bibliographic resource for researchers and specialists." (CHOICE, March 2004)
Population Profile of the United States--Another source from the U.S. Census Bureau, a useful source for students, journalists and others needing quick demographic information and analysis, though not a comprehensive resource like Statistical Abstracts. Topics include population and housing, voting statistics, computer usage, income and race. (CHOICE, Oct. 2002).
Poverty Related Links--"Developed by the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, this site provides a wealth of information for anyone studying poverty and/or welfare reform." (CHOICE Magazine, Vol. 39 Special Issue, 2002).   From this page you can access the IRP home page for information on publications, conferences and research.
Pew Global Attitudes Project--From the Pew Research Institute, provides access to data sets and reports based on public opinion surveys. Since 2001, the Pew Research Center has conducted 44 surveys, interviewed over 90,000 people from 50 countries. Many of the reports deal with perceptions of the US abroad, though others report on computer use, satisfaction with life, religiosity, and other topics. "The most valuable part of the web site is having access to the original data sets in SPSS format, along with the codebooks. . .The reports and the data sets would be useful for cross-cultural study or for social research classes that address international political and social issues. . .Highly recommended." K.M. McKinley, Cabrini College. CHOICE Reveiws, Sep. 2006.
Race and Ethnicity Online Official site of the Section on Race, Ethnicity and Politics of the American Political Science Association.
Social Gerontology and the Aging Revolution--"User-friendly clearinghouse that offers information or links to almost every issue regarding older people. . .Useful for students, faculty and practitioners alike." (CHOICE, Vol. 39 Special Issue, 2002).
Sociolog: Julian Dierkes' Comprehensive Guide to Sociology online--This site has links to "US and Canadian university sociology departments and a list of 725 sociology-oriented resource pages that cover general reference, e-journals, research institutes, professional associations, "SocioBlogs," thematic sites, and great sociologists. . . Highly Recommended." (CHOICE, 2005 supplement)
Sociological Research Online--Publishes high quality applied sociology, focusing on theoretical, empirical and methodological discussions which engage with current political, cultural and intellectual topics and debates. UK focus.
A Sociological Tour through Cyberspace--Oriented towards undergraduates, this site provides access to comprehensive information on writing and research in sociology.
SocioSite: Going Dutch Sociology-- "Presented by the Sociological Institute of the University of Amsterdam and edited by Albert Benschop, SocioSite is an ongoing project that gives access to the worldwide scene of academic sociology." (CHOICE,Vol. 39 Special Issue,2002)
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics-Web version of the print source of the same name. Published annually, this source represents the collaboration of the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics and The School of Criminal Justice at the University of Albany. Six topical sections including public attitudes toward crime and criminal justice topics, nature and distribution of known offenses, and characteristics and distribution of persons arrested.
Statistical Resources on the Web--University of Michigan Library Documents Center.   "Award-winning web site. . .content is categorized into 24 major topical areas. . .search box and an alphabetical index.. . .detailed site map make it easy to find sites on any subject. . .Highly recommended." A.C. More, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. CHOICE, September 2006.
U.S. Census Bureau--Population, housing, and economic census data. 1990 and 2000 decennial data, as well as intercensal estimates and projections. Includes data from the new annual American Community Survey. "Since this web site consists of primary data collected by the Census Bureau, nothing can replace it. Private and commercial analyses of the data, e.g. CensusScope, only compliment the basic statistics." L. Treff-Gangler, University of Colorado-Denver. CHOICE Reveiws, Sep. 2006
WWW Virtual Library: Sociology --Established in 1995 by Dr. Samuel R. Brown (Albert Magnus College Library, New Haven, CT) and currently maintained by Dr. Carl J. Cuneo (Department of Sociology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario,Canada). A very thorough resource in sociology, "linking students, faculty and researchers to associations, organizations, university departments, newsgroups, listservs, chat room discussions, research centers, electronic journals and newsletters, curriculum resources" and more. (The Social Sciences: A Cross-Disciplinary Guide to Selected Sources, Third Edition, 2002)
Weberian Sociology of Religion--"The author of this Web site, Moriyuki Abukuma, is a university lecturer in sociology in Japan. . .the resource houses Abukuma's own articles, which include Weberian analyses of religious experience, Japanese culture, and Christianity as well as information about a Japanese Christian movement. The most valuable resource on the site is a collection of Max Weber's works on religion, taken from standard English translations. . .Recommended for undergraduate and graduate students in religion and sociology." (CHOICE, May 2001)

Data Sources

Pew Global Attitudes Project--From the Pew Research Institute, provides access to data sets and reports based on public opinion surveys. Since 2001, the Pew Research Center has conducted 44 surveys, interviewed over 90,000 people from 50 countries. Many of the reports deal with perceptions of the US abroad, though others report on computer use, satisfaction with life, religiosity, and other topics. "The most valuable part of the web site is having access to the original data sets in SPSS format, along with the codebooks. . .The reports and the data sets would be useful for cross-cultural study or for social research classes that address international political and social issues. . .Highly recommended." K.M. McKinley, Cabrini College. CHOICE Reveiws, Sep. 2006.
U.S. Census Bureau--Population, housing, and economic census data. 1990 and 2000 decennial data, as well as intercensal estimates and projections. Includes data from the new annual American Community Survey. "Since this web site consists of primary data collected by the Census Bureau, nothing can replace it. Private and commercial analyses of the data, e.g. CensusScope, only compliment the basic statistics." L. Treff-Gangler, University of Colorado-Denver. CHOICE Reveiws, Sep. 2006

Sites Concerning September 11, 2001

After September 11: Perspectives from the Social Sciences--The Social Science Research Council (Click on After September 11 Archive or the Teaching Resource for High School and College Classrooms).

Center for Strategic Education War on Terrorism - September 11 Links
Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International
Studies.

Screenshot Archive of Online News Sites--September 11, 2002
A digital collection from Interactive Publishing, Zurich, Switzerland and Victoria, B.C. View photographs by publication, country, time.

The September 11 Digital Archive: Saving the Histories of September 11, 2001 Organized by the American Social History Project at City University of New York Graduate Center and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University.

CITING SOURCES

There are several style manuals available in the library:

         American Sociological Association

        Style Guide
        Reference HM 586 .A54 2007

    Chicago/Turabian Style

    A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations
    General Collection LB 2369 .T8 1996
    Reference LB 2369 .T8 1996

    APA Style

    Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
    General Collection   BF 76.7 .P83 2001
    Reserve BF 76.7 .P83 2001
    Reference BF 76.7 .P83 2001

    MLA Style

             MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
                General Collection LB 2396 .G53 2003
                Reserve LB 2369 .G53
                Reference LB 2369 .G53 2003

For additional style guides and information on citing Web sites and other electronic sources, click here.

For further assistance, visit or call the Reference Desk (660) 785-4051 or contact the Reference Librarian for Sociology:

Lisa M. Glaubitz, Reference Librarian
(660) 785-7412
glaubitz@truman.edu

lmg