Sociology 423: Methods of Social Research
Fall 2008

Finding Information in A.C. Buehler Library Resources

Writing Annotated Bibliographies

• Cornell Library Annotation
• University of Minnesota ~ Writing an Annotated Bibliography

Writing Literature Reviews

• How to Write a Literature Review ~ from UC Santa Cruz
• The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It ~ from University of Toronto's Health Sciences Writing Center
• Literature Reviews ~ from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina

Examples of Literature Reviews

• Messeri, Peter, Merril Silverstein, and Eugene Litwak. 1993. "Choosing Optimal Support Groups: A Review and Reformulation." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 34(2):122-137.
• Franklin, Cynthia, Darlene Grant, Jacqueline Corcoran, Pamela O'Dell Miller, and Linda Bultman. 1997. "Effectiveness of Prevention Programs for Adolescent Pregnancy: A Meta-Analysis." In "Adolescent Parenthood," Journal of Marriage and the Family 59(3):551-567.

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Select Reference Sources

• America Votes R 324.73 A512
• The Blackwell Companion to Social Theory [you can also search the title in netLibrary electronic books]
• Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society [through Gale Virtual Reference Library]
• Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice [through Gale Virtual Reference Library]
• Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd ed. R 301.03 E56 2000; also available online through Gale
• Gale World of Sociology [through Credo Reference]
• The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide R 305.4203 G816
• The Sage Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods R 300.72 L677s
• Social Surveys R 300.723 S678
• Sage E-Reference ~ A collection of over 60 key reference sources in the social sciences.

Select Circulating Sources

• Analyzing Media Messages: Using Quantitative Content Analysis in Research [you can also search title in netLibrary electronic books]
• Case Study Research: Design and Methods 300.722 Y51c, 1994
• Constructing Questions for Interviews and Questionnaires: Theory and Practice in Social Research 301.972 F653C
• Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology 001.51 K92C
• Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods 300.72 H236
• An Introduction to Survey Research, Polling, and Data Analysis 300.723 W426I1996
• Learning From Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies 300.723 W432L
• Media Research Techniques 302.23072 B496M
• Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach 001.42 M465Q
• Questionnaire Design, Interviewing, and Attitude Measurement 300.72 O62Q1992
• Research Design: Qualitative & Quantitative Approaches 300.72 G923R
• The Survey Kit 300.723 S963
• The Unobtrusive Researcher: A Guide to Methods 300.72 K29U

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Statistics and Census Information

• 2002 US Census Data--American Factfinder
• 1992 Census of Retail Trade, Subject Series R 381.1 C396rt 1992 ~ the 2002 edition of the Economic Census is available online
• County and City Data Book R 317.3 U58CC
• Crime in America's Top Rated Cities: A Statistical Profile R 364.973 C9291997
• Lexis-Nexis Statistical ~ contains the full text of many statistical resources, including The Statistical Abstract of the United States
• Profiles of America, 2nd ed. R 307.0973 P964
• Statistical Abstract of the United States R 317.3 U58S ~ also available online and through Lexis-Nexis Statistical
• Statistical Abstract of the World R 310 S797
• A Statistical History of the American Electorate R 324.973 R956s
• The Who, What, and Where of America: Understanding the Census Results R 317.3 W628
• Credo Reference ~ a database that includes the text of over 150 reference books; a handy tool is the US Census information, available under Social Sciences, that allows you to sort tables of information easily

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Finding Other Print Resources

Use I-Share Online to find books on your topic. Examples of Subject searches:

• Parent and child
• Social sciences research
• Social surveys
• Sex differences (Psychology)
• Content analysis (Communication)
• Press and politics--United States
• Public relations
• Beauty, Personal--Psychological aspects
• Interpersonal attraction
• Stereotype (Psychology)
• Fans (persons)
• Subcultures
• Mass media
• Statistics
• Elections--United States--Statistics
• Voting--United States--Statistics
• Sociology -- methodology

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Articles, Databases and Electronic Journals

Some of the databases below contain both popular and research information. Be sure to evaluate the sources in these databases before using them.

• Use WebFeat to search multiple databases simultaneously

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Scholary Articles

• Academic Search Complete
  • A general database that contains both scholarly and popular journal sources, many in full text.
• Annual Review of Sociology
  • A prime source of review articles in the field of sociology.
  • The library can gain access to volumes dating back to 1975 electronically via Wilson Select Plus, ProQuest Psychology (til Decemeber 31st), Academic Search Complete , and JSTOR (check the listing of full-text electronic journals to determine the years covered).
  • Select volumes from the 1990s are also available in print (the call number is 301.05 A615).
  • We do not subscribe to the Annual Review of Sociology through the Annual Reviews web site.
  • However, this page will allow you to search for articles (it will not allow you to view them).
• JSTOR
  • An electronic archives of titles, often going back to the first issue of a journal's existence.
  • JSTOR does not include current issues of journals.
  • Journal issues available are all full text.
• Project Muse
  • Contains the full text of articles from almost 200 journals published by Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Full text dates back to 1996.
• Sage Journals
  • Contains more than 400 journals in the social sciences, humanities, and life sciences
• PsycINFO
  • The primary source for psychological topics, produced by the American Psychological Association.
  • There is linking to those full-text articles that are available online.
• SocIndex
  • Online index to scholarly sociological literature--full text of many sources available
  • Contains more than 1,300,000 records as well as abstracts for over 2,500 journals, as well as conference papers, books, and monographs.
  • Topics covered include urban studies, anthropology, criminology and criminal justice, ethnic and racial studies, marriage and the family, social psychology, and sociological theory.
• Sociological Abstracts (1962-present)
  • A print reference source containing citations from sociology journals.
  • It is shelved alphabetically in the Bound Periodicals section of the library on the lower level.

Popular Articles, Newspaper Articles and News Transcripts

• Academic Search Complete
  • Articles from current event magazines such as Time, Newsweek, The National Review, and The Nation can be found here
• Lexis-Nexis Academic
  • A great source for articles from the world's newspapers.
  • Also contains transcripts from news shows and National Public Radio (NPR) programs.
• Newspaper Source
  • Another comprehensive source for articles from newspapers from all over the world.

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How do I find out if the Elmhurst College Library has the journal I need? 

• Click the button in the database
• Search for the journal title in I-Share Online
• For example, search for the title Journal of Popular Culture
• If you don't find the journal you need, take a look at the Alphabetical List of Journals and Magazines Available Online, available online as well as in print in the library. You can also call or email the reference department to inquire about a specific title or ask a question.
• How can I order a photocopy of an article I can't find at Elmhurst College?

Not sure of the difference between scholarly and popular articles?

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Online Companions to Text Books

• Ayers Companion Site ~ to accompany Experiencing Social Research: An Introduction Using MicroCase
• Babbie Companion Site ~ to accompany The Basics of Social Research, 3rd ed.

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Professional Organizations

• American Sociological Association
• Professional Organizations in Sociology ~ from Augsburg College

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Reference Sources

• Sociological Research Related Links ~ from the University of Colorado
• General Social Survey 1972-2000 Codebook ~ contains information from surveys of households in the United States, as conducted by the National Opinion Research Center
• Internet Resources ~ look especially at U.S. Federal Government Web Sites
• Research Resources for the Social Sciences: Sociology
• A Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace: Matters of Theory
• SocioSite ~ the Topics area has information on Sociologists, and the Subject Areas section covers many theories
• SocioWeb

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Research and Style Resources

Research Skills

• How to Evaluate the Sources You Find
• Evaluating Web Sites

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Citing Information

• ASA Style Guide, 2nd ed. 808.066301 A512a 1997
• Quick Style Guide for Students Writing Sociology Papers ~ from ASA
• Writing and Citing: Styles by Discipline: Sociology

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Web Pages for Courses: Sociology

Elmhurst College Library