Introduction to Sociology

Need help with your research? Contact:

Jen Jarson Social Sciences Reference Librarian phone: x3552 email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu IM (AIM, Yahoo, MSN): jjarson1 Note: Add @hotmail.com for MSN.

Need help after hours? IM the Library at TalkToTrexler (for AIM, Yahoo, and MSN)! Note: Add @hotmail.com for MSN. Online Sunday-Thursday 1pm-9pm. See http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/forms/ask.html for more information.

Selected Reference Materials

Bankston, Carl, ed. Racial and ethnic relations in America. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2000.
Reference 305.800973 R121a v. 1-3

Borgatta, Edgar F. and Rhonda J. V. Montgomery, eds. Encyclopedia of sociology. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Macmillan, 2000.
Reference 301.03 E56of v.1-5

Elliott, Anthony and Larry Ray, eds. Key contemporary social theorists. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2003.
Reference 300.922 E46k

Levinson, David L. Education and sociology: An encyclopedia. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Reference 306.43 E56o

Marshall, Gordon. The concise Oxford dictionary of sociology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
Reference 301.03 M368c

Mink, Gwendolyn, and Alice O'Connor, eds. Poverty in the United States: An encyclopedia of history, politics, and policy. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2004.
Reference 339.460973 M665p v. 1-2

O'Connor, David. Encyclopedia of the global economy: A guide for students and researchers. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006.
Reference 330.03 O18e v. 1-2

Odekon, Mehmet, ed. Encyclopedia of world poverty. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006.
Reference 362.503 E56o v. 1-3

Ritzer, George, ed. Encyclopedia of social theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005.
Reference 301.01 E56o v.1-2

Smelser, Neil J. and Paul B. Baltes, eds. International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences. New York: Elsevier, 2001.
Reference 300.3 I61e v.1-26

Finding Books

TREXLER LIBRARY

Search the Trexler Library Catalog to find out what books, government publications, journals, videos, etc. the library owns.

GETTING THERE:      Use the shortcut search box on the Library Homepage or
                                      Library Homepage    Finding Books    Our Catalog

• For tips on searching the catalog, use the Help link above the search boxes. (Or click here.)


• Need help with your keywords and search strategy? Try the Keyword Searching (Combining Concepts) worksheet.  [ PDF | Word ] 

OTHER LIBRARIES

• WorldCat. To find books held by other libraries, search WorldCat, a database of over 60 million library records from around the country and world. Use the ILL button to request a book from another library. (ILL can take 10-14 days.)

GETTING THERE:      Library Homepage    Finding Books    WorldCat

• E-ZBorrow. For quick delivery of books from many Pennsylvania and area academic libraries (including University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, and many more), use E-ZBorrow. (E-ZBorrow takes 2-4 business days.)

GETTING THERE:      Library Homepage    Finding Books    E-ZBorrow

TIP: Check the E-ZBorrow catalog for any books you find in WorldCat. If not available there, then request via ILL.

• LVAIC. You can borrow books directly from LVAIC (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) Libraries.

GETTING THERE:      Library Homepage    Finding Books    Other Libraries

For more information on Interlibrary Loan options, see http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/more/ill/index.html or ask for help.

GETTING THERE:      Library Homepage    Finding Books    Borrowing from Other Libraries

Articles: Databases & Indexes

SEARCHING FOR ARTICLES

See a list of all Social Sciences databases at http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/articles/databases/social_sciences.html.

Get to this list, and more: Library Homepage    Finding Articles    Periodical Databases and Indexes    Social Sciences.

Need help with your keywords and search strategy? Try the Keyword Searching (Combining Concepts) worksheet.  [ PDF | Word ] 

Sociological Abstracts
Subjects Covered: community development, culture and social structure, demography and human biology, environmental interactions, family and social welfare, health and medicine and law, religion and science, social psychology and group interactions, welfare services, and women's studies.

PAIS
This is the main political science database. PAIS covers many aspects of nationalism, nationalist movements, civil society issues, religion and politics, and state creation.

Business Source Elite
A major database for journal articles related to business and economics.

Communication and Mass Media Complete
For all aspects of media studies: critiques and studies of film, television, newspapers, and other forms of mass media.

Interdisciplinary Databases

Academic Search Premier
Large and diverse database that covers most academic disciplines. Contains both scholarly and non-academic resources. Includes many articles in full text.

JSTOR
Searchable collections of full-text journals.

LexisNexis Academic
Major source for finding U.S. and interntional newspapers. Also includes some magazines.

OmniFile (WilsonWeb)
Multi-disciplinary database providing the complete content-indexing, abstracts, and a lot of full text.

GETTING THE ARTICLES

1. When searching for articles, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.


2. If not, you need to search the Trexler Library Catalog to see if we own the journal in which the article is published.
   • Some databases have a Search Trexler Library for this title link embedded. Click the link to check our holdings.
   • Otherwise, search the catalog by journal title. Verify that we have online, print, or microform access to the year/volume you need.


3. If we do not own the journal you need, request the article via Interlibrary Loan.
   • Some databases have a Request on Interlibrary Loan link embedded. Click the link to fill out the form. Click Submit.
   • Otherwise, use the Interlibrary Loan Journal Article Request Form (Library Homepage    Finding Articles    Getting a Copy of an Article). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.

Statistical Sources

American Factfinder (U.S. Census Bureau)
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Easy-to-use census data/maps.

Bureau of Statistics, Treasury Department. 2006. Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington: G.P.O.
Statistics Reference 317.3 U58s 2002
Note: Various other editions, dating back to 1886, are also available in the Government Documents section at C 3.134:886 - C 3.134:2004/2005.

FedStats
http://www.fedstats.gov/
Gateway to statistics for U.S. Federal agencies

Kurian, George Thomas. 1994. Datapedia of the United States, 1790-2000: America Year by Year. Lanham, MD: Bernan Press.
Statistics Reference 317.3 K96d
Note: An updated version (published 2004) of this volume is on order.

LexisNexis Statistical Universe
Note: This is a searchable database of statistical tables, accessible via the Library Homepage    Finding Articles    Periodical Databases and Indexes    Alphabetical List.

Statistical Resources on the Web (University of Michigan Library, Documents Center)
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html

U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
        Census 2000 Gateway (http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html)
        Census 1990 Gateway (http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen1990.html)
        Paper versions of the decennial census (1850-1990) are available in the Government Documents Census Section on Level A.

Citing Your Sources

For help using ASA (American Sociological Association) Style, consult the following resources:

American Sociological Association. 1997. ASA style guide, 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: American Sociological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.0663 A512a (at Reference Desk)

ASA Style Guide (California State University, Los Angeles)
http://www.calstatela.edu/library/bi/rsalina/asa.styleguide.html

Quick Style Guide (American Sociological Association)
http://www.asanet.org/page.ww?name=Quick+Style+Guide§ion=Sociology+Depts

For help using APA (American Psychological Association) Style, consult the following resources:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).  (2001).  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 p976m 2001 (at Reference Desk)

Concise Rules of APA Style.  (2005).  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 C744r (at Reference Desk)

Trexler Library handout on using APA style: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/apa_example.pdf.
This and other style guide handouts available from the library website.  Library Homepage    Research Help    Citation Guides.

Try NoodleBib Express for a quick tutorial on APA Style: http://www.noodletools.com/login.php.

© Muhlenberg College
Last modified: 10 April 2007
URL: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/guides/libinst/socanth/introsociology.html