Sociology 424
Sociological Theory

Professor Smith
Spring 2007

Finding books in the Library

You may want to start your research with some Reference sources:

• Encyclopedia of Associations, R 060 E56A
• Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd ed. R 301.03 E56 2000; also available through Gale Virtual Referece Library
• Gale World of Sociology [through xreferplus]
• The Blackwell Companion to Social Theory [netLibrary electronic book]
• Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice [through Gale Virtual Reference Library]
• Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society [through Gale Virtual Reference Library]

I-Share (the library catalog) can also be used to find books on your theory. Try using Subject searching for more efficient results.

Examples of Subject searches:

• Divorce
• Feminist theory
• Acquaintance rape
• Hate crimes
• Women--Crimes against
• Deviant behavior
• Corporations--Corrupt practices
• Family--United States
• Boys--sexual behavior
• Child abuse--History--Cross-cultural studies
• Sociology -- methodology
• Cocaine industry--Latin America
• Inner cities--United States--Case studies
• Sex discrimination in employment--United States
• Sociology, urban -- Illinois -- Chicago
• Culture
• Education, Urban--Social aspects--United States
• Children of minorities--Education--United States
• Mental illness--Etiology--Social aspects
• Rational choice theory
• Industrial sociology
• Durkheim, Emile, 1858-1917
• Men--Health and hygiene--Sociological aspects

• Use I-Share to find books at 65 other libraries in the states
• If a library is close by, you can use your Jaypass to check out materials
• Use I-Share to order books from other libraries
• Or request non-Illinet books it through our online Interlibrary Loan book request form

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Finding Articles in Library Databases

Some of the databases below contain both popular and research information. For your assignment, you are being asked to primarily look at articles from scholarly or professional journals, as well as articles from popular press sources. How can you tell the difference? Here are some links to websites with information on how to tell.

• Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals

• Scholarly Journals vs Popular Magazine Articles

• Distinguishing Between Popular and Scholarly Sources

These are the primary databases you will use:

• Academic Search Premier
  • A general database that contains both scholarly and popular journal sources.
  • Many articles are available in full text.
  • Full text current articles from such sociological journals as Annual Review of Sociology and American Journal of Sociology are available.
    
• Annual Review of Sociology
  • Patrons can link to the index of this respected source of sociology research for free.
  • The library does not subscribe to this resource in full-text.
  • However, full text articles from this resource can be found in a number of online databases, such as Academic Search Premier , Wilson Select Plus, ProQuest Psychology, JSTOR, and Periodical Abstracts.
    
• 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 are all available in full text.
  • Articles are available from American Journal of Sociology (to 2000), Annual Review of Sociology (to 1999), American Sociological Review (to 2002), Administrative Science Quarterly (to 12/01/2001) and Journal of Human Resources (to Fall 2002).

    • Current articles from these jounals can be found in other databases.
      
• ProQuest Psychology Journals

  • Nearly 300 full text journals, include sociology periodicals.
• Current articles from American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review and Annual Review of Sociology.
• Full-text articles from Administrative Science Quarterly (to 09/01/2001) are also available.
  
• Sociological Abstracts (1962-present) 
  • The key print index for sociology.
  • Contains citations from journals in sociology and related disciplines.
  • Shelved alphabetically behind the Bound Periodicals section of the library (downstairs)

Newspapers

• New York Times
• Chicago Tribune
• Wall Street Journal

Does Elmhurst Own This Article?

• Use I-Share to determine if the library owns the journal in print or microfilm
• Check the Alphabetical List of Electronic Journals for electronic access to journals.
  • If the article you seek is unavailable from these sources, please request it through our online Interlibrary Loan article request form

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Primary vs. Secondary Sources

You are being asked to look primarily at original sources for the theories you are writing about. This means that you will need to look for "primary sources". Primary sources are often thought about as contemporary reports of an event. In Sociology and other social sciences, "primary sources" can also include research reports and case or field studies. In your research, you want to look for these research studies that describe a theory, not other articles that may summarize several theories or studies. Here are some links to web pages that help distinguish primary and secondary sources :

• What is a Primary Source?
• The Research Process: Primary and Secondary Sources
• Identifying Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
• Using Primary & Secondary Sources

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Evaluating Resources

No matter what sources you are using, you need to evaluate them. Here are some links to websites with advice on how to do that:

• Critically Analyzing Information Sources
• Popular vs. Scholarly Articles - Guide
• Evaluating Web Sites

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Writing and Citing Information

For help with writing your outlines and bibliographies, try the Elmhurst College Writing Center online help page.

You can also try these online resources:

A Quick Style Guide for Students Writing Sociology Papers
Formatting in Sociology--ASA Style--OWL at Purdue
ASA Citation Style (UW Parkside)

More links here: Writing and Citing: Sociology ~ sites showing the use of American Sociological Review format

If you need any help finding articles or writing, you can also contact the Reference Desk any time the library is open:

Reference: 630-617-3173
Email: ref[at[elmhurst[dot]edu
AIM: elmhrstcollibref   |   Yahoo!Messenger: eclibraryreference   |   MSN Messenger: ref[at]elmhurst.edu

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