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Kresge Library > Services > Instruction > Pathfinders > Sociology

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By:

Daniel F. Ring Assistant Professor

Phone: (248) 370-2498 E-mail: ring@oakland.edu

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The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (Ref. HM 425 .B53 2007) is an 11-volume source. The entries are scholarly. Encyclopedia of Sociology  (Ref. HM 17 .E5 2000). This five-volume work is another good place to get comprehensive articles. Alphabetically arranged, the articles are long, written by scholars and include bibliographies. We  also have a one-volume Encyclopedia of Sociology  (Ref.HM 17 .E5) which is dated but useful for short definitions. Another "encyclopedia" is the Survey of Social Science,  Sociology Series (Ref. HM 17 .S86 1994). This five volume work provides 338 six-page essays. The essays are written for the layperson. There are two other encyclopedias that the reader should be aware of, both of which embrace the entire social sciences. The Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (Ref. H 41 .E46)  was published during the years 1930-1935. Arranged by subject, the essays are up to four pages long and were written by luminaries in the field. This title is updated by the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (also available in print, Ref. H 40 .A2 I5 2008), a 9-volume set. Encyclopedia of Social Theory (Ref. HM 425 .E47 2005) provides current interpretations on 336 topics such as game theory or deconstruction. Encyclopedia of Community (Ref. HM 756 .E53 2003) contains 500 entries and 266 sidebars on topics such as blogs or online communities. Encyclopedia of Diasporas (Ref. HM 843 .E53 2004) is a two- volume source that covers topics and communities. Encyclopedia of Social Psychology (Ref. HM 1007 .E53 2007) is a two volume set that contains scholarly articles and entries on such topics as The Prisoner's Dilemma, deviance, gender differences and hundreds of other concepts. We also have The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Psychology online.
 

DICTIONARIES

We have several dictionaries ranging from the short entry to more comprehensive articles. Among the former are The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology (Ref. HM 17 .J64 2000), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Sociology (HM 17 .C66 1998) and Dictionary of Sociology (Ref. HM 17 .M56 1968b). A Critical Dictionary of Sociology (Ref.HM 17 .B6813 1989 ) provides longer essays, up to several pages, on key concepts in sociology. The reader is also advised to consult two other works in the social sciences. Dictionary of the Social Sciences (Ref. H 41 .G6) describes  and defines one thousand basic concepts in the social sciences. While not a dictionary, The Contemporary Thesaurus of Social Science Terms and Synonyms (Ref. H 49.5 .A1 K57 1992) will provide alternative terms.  A Dictionary of Cultural and Critical Theory.  (Ref. HM 101 .D526 1996) provides definitions of cultural and critical terms, such as deconstruction or hermeneutics.

Here are some online dictionaries:  Social Theories and Theorists (emphasis on concepts); Glossary of Sociological Terms.
 
 

GUIDES

A guide will identify reference books, such as bibliographies and encyclopedias, and sometimes monographs in a certain field. Sociology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources (Ref. HM 51 .A2 A24 1987) identifies the important reference works in various fields of sociology, e.g., marriage and the family. See Part 111, Sources of Information in the Social Sciences (Ref. H 61 .A1 S666 1986). It identifies reference books, monographs and journal in sociology (pp.275-331).
 
 

PERIODICALS

There are a number of ways of identifying journal articles in sociology:  1)  Social Sciences Index is searchable online (SocSciAbs) from 1983 through current.   Before 1983, you will have to use the printed version (Ref. AI 3 .R493).  Ask the reference librarian for assistance in using either the print or online versions. 2)  Sociological Abstracts (SocAbs) is another database.  It covers sociology and related disciplines, with citations from 1963 (and abstracts from 1974) through current. 3)  You can also use the Social Science Citation Index. This is a very important tool, especially for more scholarly articles. For years prior to 1990, use the print version ( (Ref. H 1 .A1 S6).  Please ask the reference librarian to show you how to use it . 4) Be sure to use JSTOR, which electronically searches a number of sociology journals. Use the "advanced" feature and click on Sociology. 5) WilsonSelectPlus indexes full text academic journals. 6) Social Services Abstracts and Social Work Abstracts index social work literature. 7) Sociology: Sage Full-Text indexes full text articles in sociology. 8) Criminology: Sage Full-Text indexes criminal justice, peneology and policing. 9) Urban Studies and Planning: A Sage Full Text Collection indexes anthropology, economic development, economics, education, planning theory, political science, public administration and urban policy. 10) AcademicOneFile indexes fulltext peer reviewed journals, 1960 through present.

INTERNET SOURCES

Meta Sites

WWW Virtual Library: Sociology covers these topics:

• Institutions - Departments
• Associations & Organizations
• Directories of Resources
• Discussions: Newsgroups, Listservs, Chats, IRCs
• Research Centres
• Databases & Archives
  
• Courses & Curricula Resources
• Journals & Newsletters
• Theories
• Software Resources
• Miscellaneous
• Related Fields

Intute: Sociology Coverage includes:

• General Sociology
• Culture and Identity
• Economic Performance and Development (including Economic Sociology)
• Governance and Citizenship (including Political Sociology)
• Life Course, Lifestyles and Health
• Knowledge, Communication and Learning
• Sociological Theory

Internet Resources for Sociology Covers:

General Resources | Social Theory Resources | Social Research Resources | Associations and Organizations | Discussion Groups and Mailing Lists | Electronic Journals and Newsletters | Research Centers

Resources

Statistical Resources on the Web. Coverage includes:

Adoption | Aging | Capital Punishment | Child Abuse | Child Day Care
Child Support | Children | Comprehensive Sources | Crime | Divorce | Domestic Violence | Entitlements/Grants | Ethnicity | Families | Food Stamps | Gambling | Homeless | Humanitarian Aid | Immigration | Language | Marriage | Non-Profit Organizations | Poverty | Public Opinion | Race | Refugees | Religion | Segregation | Sexual Behavior | Social Security | Television | Wealth

World Values Survey. "This is a place to learn more about values and cultural changes in societies all."

Internet Resources for Sociologists. And this an even bigger site. If you scroll down you will see subheadings such as Deviance, Society and Technology, etc.

A Sociological  Tour Through Cyberspace. Sites include sociological theory, general resources, methods and statistics and a search engine.
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SocioSite.  I think that this is the best Internet source on sociology. It lists Subject Areas such as anti-semitism, Christianity, atheism; Departments; Publishers and so on.

SocioWeb. This site is another "directory" or meta-browser with links to other directories, departments, associations, and commercial sites. Includes a search engine.

Yahoo's Sociology. Arranged in a directory format with such categories as books, journals, institutes, religion, web directories and so on. Includes a search engine.

Allyn &Bacon Sociology Links.  I like this site a lot because it incorporates features of a meta-browser and also features links to sociological concepts some of which  are not found elsewhere.

Sociolog. This is valuable because it has links to associations, institutions, departments, list serves and journals.

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Online Library of Liberty: Subject Area Sociology. Includes 29 texts of classic works in sociology.

Electronic Journal of Sociology. Covers peer reviewed journals. Includes a search engine. Also a good place to post your cv.

Gallup.com. Polling data back to 1951.