Sociology Research Guide
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Books and Multimedia
UCF Library Catalog
http://library.ucf.edu
Use the online catalog to locate books and multimedia in the UCF Libraries. You can search
by author, title, keyword, or subject.
- To search for a person, as AUTHOR or SUBJECT, search
by last name, first name without punctuation; for example:
Bell Daniel
Lynd Helen
Mills C Wright
- SUBJECT searching requires use of Library of Congress subject headings. Here
are some example subject headings:
Applied sociology
Chicago school of sociology
Crime--Sociological aspects
Death--Social aspects
Educational sociology
Household surveys
Individualism
Information society
Knowledge, Sociology of
Poor
Poverty
Religion and sociology
Social ethics
Social problems
Socialization
Sociology, Urban
Spatial analysis (Statistics)
Urban policy
- If you are unsure of the exact title or unsure of the correct Library of Congress subject
heading, try a KEYWORD search using two or three of the most significant
words from the title or subject you are trying to find.
- To limit by FORMAT in order to find multimedia and scores, go to the
Advanced Search in the Library Catalog and use the Limit Search
By option.
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Periodical Articles
Use the following print indexes and electronic databases to find articles related to sociology
or appearing in sociological periodicals. Once you have found the articles you want, in some
instances you will need to check the UCF Library Catalog
to determine if we own the periodicals you need.
Produced by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), provides bibliographic
coverage of social gerontology -- the study of aging in social, psychological, health-related,
and economic contexts. The delivery of health care for the older population and its
associated costs and policies is particularly well covered, as are public policy, employment,
and consumer issues.
Criminal Justice Periodical
Index (CJPI)
Provides information on virtually any criminal justice topic, including corrections
administration, law enforcement, social work, industrial security, drug rehabilitation,
and criminal and family law.
Provides access to information from journals included in
the Current Index of Journals in Education (CIJE) and Resources in Education
(RIE) index. Includes the full text of more than 2,200 digests along with references
for additional information and citations and abstracts from over 1,000 educational and
education-related journals.
Contains articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic, minority,
and native press. Database is printed in both English and Spanish.
Focuses on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas. Supports programs
in various social science subject areas. Publications include scholarly journals, magazines,
newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books, pamphlets, conference proceedings,
and government reports.
International Bibliography of Sociology=Bibliographie internationale de sociologie
Reference HM 1 .I594 (1960-84, 1986+)
Lists journal articles primarily. Omits previously published materials, most translations,
textbooks, newspapers, and work from the popular press. Includes materials written in
some 25 languages, cited in the original form. Entries are grouped within a classification
scheme, and then alphabetically by title. Author, subject, and place name indexes.
PAIS International
Includes citations to journal articles, government publications, and books addressing
issues of public policy and current social and political issues in the social sciences,
law, education, and social work.
Abstracts and indexes over 1,300 international journals covering all branches of the
field of psychology. The major tool for locating materials in psychology, covering journal
articles, books, parts of books, dissertations, and technical reports. Over 1,300 journals
published in 50 countries and 28 languages are scanned for relevant articles.
Sage Family Studies Abstracts
Index HQ 1 .S23 (1979+)
Contains citations, with abstracts, of articles from approximately 100 journals dealing
with all aspects of family studies.
Covers over 550 English-language periodicals in a wide range of social science disciplines,
including psychology. Abstracting of articles began in 1994. Preceded by the print index
Social Sciences Index (1974/75+).
Social Sciences Citation Index
Indexes articles, books, and book reviews from approximately 2,000 journals representing
all fields of the social sciences. This database's primary use is to track citations
to the works of a specific author through the "Cited Ref Search" feature.
Index AI 3 .R492 (1974/75+)
Covers selected periodicals that have an emphasis on all areas of the social sciences,
including psychology. Continued by the electronic database
Social Sciences Full Text (1983+) and
preceded by the print indexes
Social Sciences and Humanities Index (1964-74)
and
International Index to Periodicals (1920/23-1964).
Sociological Abstracts
Abstracts and indexes the international literature in sociology and related disciplines
in the social and behavioral sciences. Contains citations to journal articles, book
review, books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference papers.
Women Studies Abstracts
Index HQ 1180 .W65 (1972+)
Quarterly index to over 50 women's studies and related field journals, with book and
media reviews on a wide variety of subjects such as education, family, feminism, gender,
history, literature and art, physical and mental health, religion, sex roles, sexuality,
violence against women, women in development, work, and more.
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Key Journals
The following journals are devoted exclusively to sociology. Please note, however, that many
other journals not listed here may contain articles about sociology and related topics; thus,
the need to consult a periodical database or
index. Current print issues of periodicals to which the Library
subscribes are arranged by title on the third floor; print back issues are shelved in the general
collection by call number, while microform back issues are arranged by call number on the third
floor.
American Journal of Sociology
Online version (1895+ except last 3 years)
Online version (1990+)
General Collection HM 1 .A7 (1895/96-1906/07, 1915/16+)
Microfilm HM 1 .A7 (1907/18-1914/15)
Presents work on the theory, methods, practice, and history of sociology. Also publishes
articles on the application of perspectives from other social sciences: psychology,
anthropology, statistics, economics, education, history, and political science.
American Sociological
Review
Online version (1936+ except last 5 years)
General Collection HM 1 .A75 (1936+)
The flagship journal of the American Sociological Association publishes works of interest
to the discipline in general, new theoretical developments, results of research that
advance understanding of fundamental social processes, and important methodological
innovations. All areas of sociology are represented.
The British Journal of
Sociology
Publishes articles, review articles and extensive numbers of book reviews in all areas
of sociology.
Current Sociology=La
Sociologie contemporaine
Online version (1981+ abstracts only)
General Collection Z 7161 .C8 (1952-82)
Official journal of the International Sociological Association, this title published
long "trend reports" up until 1998. Since that time, it has published peer-reviewed
shorter articles in all areas of sociology: theories, methods, concepts, substantive
research, and national/regional developments of interest to sociologists internationally.
Now titled
Comparative Sociology (above).
Published studies made in different cultures on a comparative basis, with a view to
reaching a common level of abstraction, showing areas where cultural bias might be involved.
International Sociology
Includes studies in the areas of social organization, societal change, and comparative
sociology. Issues frequently are thematic.
The Journal of Social
Issues
An interdisciplinary journal published under the auspices of the Society for the Psychological
Study of Social Issues, a division of the American Psychological Association. Aims to
bring behavioral and social science theory, empirical evidence, and practice to bear
on human problems. Recent issues have covered welfare reform and environmentalism.
Sex Roles: A Journal
of Research
An interdisciplinary, behavioral science journal with a feminist perspective. It publishes
original research reports and theoretical and review articles that illuminate the underlying
processes and consequences of gender role socialization, gendered perceptions and behaviors,
and gender stereotypes.
Social Forces
A journal of social research highlighting sociological inquiry but also exploring realms
shared with social psychology, anthropology, political science, history, and economics.
The journal's intended academic readers include sociologists, social psychologists,
criminologists, economists, political scientists, anthropologists, and students of urban
studies, race/ethnic relations, and religious studies.
Social Policy
Online version (1990+)
Microfilm HN 51 .S54 (1970/71-1976/77)
General Collection (1978/79+)
Covers social movements and discusses contemporary social thought on policy issues and
action.
Social Problems
Published by the Society for the Study of Social Problems to promote research on, and
serious examination of, problems of social life.
Social Psychology Quarterly
Online version (1975+ except last 2 years)
General Collection HM 1 .S8 (1979+)
Publishes theoretical and empirical papers on the link between the individual and society,
including the study of the relations of individuals to one another, as well as to groups
and institutions. It also includes the study of intra-individual processes insofar as
they substantially influence or are influenced by social structure and process.
Social Research
Online version (1990+)
Microfiche H 1 .S53 (1934-1955)
General Collection H 1 .S53 (1956+)
Most issues address a single theme. Past topics have included "Hope and Despair," "Liberty
and Pluralism," "Iran Since the Revolution," "Numbers," "Hannah Arendt: The Origins
of Totalitarianism, Fifty Years Later," "The Status of Women in the Developing World,"
and "Pariah Minorities."
Society
Online version (1992+ except last 6 months)
General Collection H 1 .T72 (1972+)
Attempts to further "the understanding and use of social sciences through significant
research, informative commentaries, and analyses of controversial problems in American
society" (publisher's notes).
The Sociological Review
The oldest sociological journal in Great Britain, publishing theoretical research and
empirical studies in the fields of sociology, social anthropology, cultural studies,
and social policy.
Sociology
Online version (1967+)
Microfilm HM 1 .S73 (1967-76)
General Collection HM 1 .S73 (1977-1982)
The official journal of the British Sociological Association. The editorial scope is
wide ranging -- both geographically and substantively -- and it includes shorter notes,
comments, reviews of recent developments and book reviews as well as core theoretical
and empirical research papers. It also publishes occasional special issues principally
devoted to particular themes.
The Sociology of Education
Online version (1963+ except last 5 years)
General Collection L 11 .J76 (1963/64+)
Provides a forum for studies in the sociology of education and human social development,
with research articles that examine how social institutions and individuals' experiences
within these institutions affect educational processes and social development.
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Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
The Blackwell Dictionary
of Sociology: A User's Guide to Sociological Language
Alphabetically arranged, contains a dictionary section, a biographical section, and
an index. Definitions, ranging from several sentences to more than a page, are informative
rather than exhaustive. Brief biographies of 114 major figures in sociology and related
disciplines identify dates, country, and contributions in terms of theories, concepts,
and major works.
Dictionary of Quotations in Sociology
Reference HM 17 .B37 1986
Aims "to present the nature, origin, development, and current status of general sociological
concepts through direct quotation" (preface). Entries appear in chronological order
under alphabetically arranged subject headings.
A Dictionary of Sociology
Reference HM 17 .C66 1998
Provides over 2500 entries, and includes coverage of the major concepts from related
disciplines and international coverage of terms, methods, and concepts, as well as biographical
entries on major figures.
Encyclopedia of American Social History
Reference HN 57 .E58 1993
Contains 180 articles by scholars on various aspects of American social history. Each
entry has a bibliography appended. Articles are devoted to such topics as family structures,
gender roles, women and work, and the culture of consumption.
Encyclopedia of Social
History
Lists 457 terms surveying the major concerns, findings, and terms of social history.
International in scope. The coverage includes major categories within social history
(family, demographic transition, multiculturalism, industrialization, nationalism);
major aspects of life for which social history has provided a crucial perspective (adolescence,
child abuse, prostitution, retirement, sports); and a broad range of topics for which
social history has provided new vantage points (the Russian Revolution, apartheid, the
environment, organized crime, unions).
Encyclopedia of Sociology
Reference HM 425 .E5 2000
The first multi-volume interdisciplinary and international sociology encyclopedia. Contains
410 medium-length articles with extensive bibliographies. Lacks biographical entries;
instead, the subject index identifies individuals mentioned in the text.
International Encyclopedia
of the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Reference H 41 .I58 2001
Comprises some 3,842 signed articles and 150 biographical references covering all areas
of the social and behavioral sciences. Volume 25: name index; Volume 26: classified
list of entries and subject index.
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
Reference H 40 .F68
Includes comprehensive, authoritative articles on many aspects of anthropology, archaeology,
ethnology, folklore and linguistics, and lengthy biographies on over 70 anthropologists.
Survey of Social Science: Sociology Series
Reference HM 17 .S86 1994
Contains 338 articles, written by experts, that provide non-specialists with essential
views of topics in sociology. Each essay defines principal terms, gives an overview,
discusses applications, and discusses term in modern context. Each entry also has a
brief bibliography.
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Handbooks
There are a number of important handbooks and manuals in specific areas of sociology. Handbooks
are excellent sources to use for an overview of a topic, to begin a literature search, and to
find discussion of schools of thought, theoretical approaches, and landmark research studies.
They provide a more in-depth and comprehensive treatment than encyclopedias or dictionaries
of a specific topic in the field.
The following titles are but a sampling of handbooks in the field. Others can be identified
by conducting a KEYWORD search in the UCF Library
Catalog, combining the term for sociological topic or specialization with the words
handbook or companion.
Annual Review of Sociology
Provides authoritative surveys of recent important sociological theory and research
in specialized fields or of recent literature from other disciplines important for the
development of a specialty within sociology.
Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences
General Collection HQ 1061 .H336 1996
A sourcebook on all social and sociological aspects of aging. Each chapter, written
by a specialist, has a lengthy bibliography appended at the end.
Handbook of Clinical Sociology
General Collection HM 73 .H315 1991
Describes aspects of sociological intervention in clinical settings.
The Handbook of Economic Sociology
General Collection HM 35 .H25 1994
Examines how economic institutions work and how they are influenced by values and norms.
Handbook of Marriage and the Family
General Collection HQ 518 .H154 1999
A comprehensive survey, with chapters on general theory, diversity in family form, life
cycles and family dynamics. Includes a detailed index and numerous references.
Handbook of Medical Sociology
General Collection RA 418 .H29 2000
A review of classic, contemporary, and emerging issues in the sociological study of
health and health care. Among the topics covered are inequality and health, gender and
health, sociology of emotions, environment and health, experience of illness, managed
care, health policy, alternative medicine, genetics research, and interdisciplinary
chapters on sociology and health psychology, medical anthropology, social and psychological
factors, social epidemiology and medical ethics.
Handbook of Organizational Culture and Climate
General Collection HD 58.7 .H363 2000
Comprises five parts: basic concepts of culture and climate; issues in measurement and
assessment of culture and climate; contributions of culture and climate to processes
of change; human resource aspects of organizational life, including commitment, attachment,
socialization, and careers; and an overview on organizational culture in Japanese, Chinese,
European, and American settings.
Handbook of Sociology
General Collection HM 51 .H249 1988
An overview of the field, including history, theory, and modern trends in 22 chapters
written by eminent sociologists.
Handbook of Sociological Theory
General Collection HM 585 .H36 2001
Presents, in 31 chapters, in-depth discussions on the array of subspecialties that comprise
the field of sociological theory. Prominent theorists working in a variety of traditions
cover methodologies, theories, and strategies.
Handbook of Social Psychology
General Collection HM 251 .H224 1998
Sections on historical and methodological perspectives, intrapersonal phenomena (e.g.,
mental representation and memory, motivation, emotions), and personal phenomena (e.g,
self, gender, social development).
Handbook of the Sociology of Education
General Collection LC 191 .H254 2000
Chapters explore theoretical and methodological orientations; development and expansion
of education; the study of access to schooling, school organization, and school outcomes;
and policy implications of research.
Sexuality and Gender
General Collection HQ 21 .S49 2002
Contains 32 chapters on the sociology of sex and gender. Topics include gender and
sex theory, identity, objectification of women, sexuality and religion, leisure and
recreation, politics and social change, and the possible future of sexual relationships.
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Statistics
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS7702
Available through the U.S. Bureau of the Census site. Can easily display and print
tables and maps from the 1990 and 2000 census.
County and City Extra
Reference HA 203 .C68 (1994-95, 1997, 1999+)
Provides official, in-depth data on population characteristics for each U.S. state,
county, metropolitan area, congressional district, and for cities with populations above
25,000 according to age, race, and household.
Florida Statistical Abstract
Reference Desk HA 311 .F55 (latest edition)
Florida Documents UF .S3:S8/ (1967+)
A one-volume statistical compendium issued annually by the University of Florida Bureau
of Economic and Business Research. Chapters include population, income, housing, education,
health, and comparisons with other states.
Formerly known as Statistical Universe. An online database covering almost
all statistical publications produced by the U.S. government, a large number of state
and privately-published statistical publications, and international and intergovernmental
statistical publications. Use the "Power Tables" feature to search 30,000 full-text
statistical tables for current information. Use the "Abstracts" feature to search for
statistics as far back as 1970, some of which are available full text. All of the documents
in LexisNexis Statistics are available in the microfiche collections American
Statistics Index: ASI (U.S. Documents Microfiche Z 7554 .U5 A46), Statistical
Reference Index: SRI (U.S. Documents Microfiche HA 155 .S72), and Index to
International Statistics: IIS (U.S. Documents Microfiche HA 155 .I5), located on
the Library's 2d floor.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
Reference Desk HA 202 (current edition)
Both printed single-volume work and online database updated annually that presents quantitative
summary statistics on the political, social, and economic organization of the United
States. Statistics in most tables cover a period of several years, usually 10, 15, or
20. The first source for statistics of national importance.
Statistical Portrait of the United States: Social Conditions and Trends
Reference HA 214 .S73 2002
Illustrates demographic, social, and economic trends in U.S. society using interpretive
text, charts, and tables. Chapters cover population, immigration, labor force, income,
education, crime, voting patterns, recreation and leisure, social trends, and trends
in government taxing and spending.
Statistics Sources
Reference Desk HA 36 .S84
A finding guide to statistics, arranged in dictionary form with topics and countries
in alphabetical order.
Vital Statistics of the
United States
Online version
(1936+)
U.S. Documents HE 20.6210: (1937-50, 1955, 1963+)
Contains statistics on natality (births), mortality (deaths), and marriage and divorce
in the U.S.
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Biographies
There are countless sources for biographical information. In addition to the sources cited
below, also check the sources listed under "Encyclopedias
and Dictionaries."
Authors of Their Own
Lives: Intellectual Autobiographies by Twenty American Sociologists
Twenty of America's most prominent sociologists recount the intellectual and biographical
events that shaped their careers.
Contains biographical information on over one million individuals from all time periods,
geographical locations, and fields of endeavor. The "Biographical Facts Search" allows
searching for people based on one or more personal facts, such as occupation.
The Blackwell Companion to Major Social Theorists
General Collection HM 478 .B583 2000
Examines the life and work of 25 major theorists, discussing the social and intellectual
context of their writings and offering an analysis of the impact of their work over
time.
Profiles in Contemporary Social Theory
General Collection H 61 .P74 2001
Profiles include Michel Foucault, Jurgen Habermas, Roland Barthes, Jean Baudrillard,
Pierre Bourdieu, Zygmunt Bauman, Martin Heidegger, Fredric Jameson, Richard Rorty, Nancy
Chodorow, Anthony Giddens, Stuart Hall, Luce Irigaray, and Donna Haraway. Provides detailed
accounts of the development of the work of major contemporary social theorists and charts
the relationship between different traditions of social, cultural, and political thought.
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Internet Sources
There are literally hundreds of Internet (or World Wide Web) sites pertinent to sociology.
Most of the following are essentially "meta-sites," starting places for finding and linking
to a wide variety of information online.
www.asanet.org
The Internet site of the major U.S. association of professional sociologists provides
a number of useful links, including a page, "What is Sociology?," and the profession's
code of ethics.
www.academicinfo.net/soc.html
Users will find a compendium of links to data archives, discussion groups, and educational
facilities. Includes basic online reference materials.
http://www.sosig.ac.uk/sociology
Provides access to hundreds of sociology sources on the Internet. Each source has been
evaluated and categorized both by type (e.g., articles, databases, discussion groups)
and by sub-field within sociology (e.g., sociology of adolescence, sociology of children,
sociology of economics, sociology of education).
http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/w3virtsoclib/
Includes links to organizations, journals, research centers, and academic departments.
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Style Manuals and Research Guides
The sources below include style manuals (offering assistance with the mechanics of paper
presentation, such as preparing bibliographies, footnoting, underlining, and using quotation
marks) and research guides (useful for determining how to write a scientific paper or beginning
research in psychology).
Reference HM 73 .A54 1997
Designed to aid authors in preparing manuscripts for all ASA journals and publications.
Chapters are included on matters and mechanics of style, preparing a manuscript for
submission, copyeditor's notations, reference sources, and reference formats.
Handbook of Research Design and Social Measurement
Reference H 62 .M44 1991
General Collection H 62 .M44 2002
Sometimes referred to as "Miller," after the author, Delbert Miller. A standard sourcebook
covering basic, applied, and evaluation research. The chapter on "Selected Sociometric
Scales and Indexes" includes many scales that have been tested for a high degree of
reliability, validity, and utility.
http://www.uwp.edu/information.services/library/best/asa.htm
This Internet site from the University of Wisconsin--Parkside provides examples from
the
ASA Style Guide (above).
The Sociology Student Writer's Manual
General Collection HM 585 .S638 2002
Helps both beginning and advanced students learn how to research and write in sociology
and how to improve their writing ability. Gives specific directions for writing a variety
of papers in sociology, while also providing instructions on how to write and how to
format the paper and cite sources following the American Sociological Association guidelines.
http://www.asanet.org/pubs/infoab.html
Tips and suggestions from the American Sociological Association's Internet site.
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Ask a Librarian
If you have questions or need additional assistance, Ask
a Librarian, call the Reference Department at (407) 823-2562, or e-mail the Department
at askalibrarian@mail.ucf.edu. The Library liaison
for Sociology is Meredith Semones, Associate Librarian,
msemones@mail.ucf.edu.
Last Updated:July 19, 2010
