Social Research Methods:
A Guide to Library Resources for Sociology 380

Welcome! This site has been created to assist you finding and using library resources for your Sociology . Our library is the largest publicly funded university library in the world. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it is truly a treasure trove for scholars. All of the UIUC Library's resources are available to you as you do your research, so explore, have fun, and don't hesitate to ask questions!

ASK-A-LIBRARIAN FOR HELP WITH YOUR RESEARCH

FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND

We have over 40 departmental libraries on our campus. The libraries you will likely find most useful for this class are the Education and Social Science Library and Undergraduate Library.  The Education and Social Science Library is located in the Main Library building, in Room 100 on the first floor.

LIBRARY HOURS

Education and Social Science Library, 100 Main Library, Summer I semester:

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Finding background information about a topic is an important step of the research process. Consulting a handbook or subject-specific encyclopedia can help you put your research in a broader context and help point you to areas for further research.

REVIEW ARTICLES

Annual Review of Sociology - a compilation of review articles summarizing the current state of research on a particular topic. An excellent roadmap to the current state research in a particular area, this is also a great source of citations to current and retrospective publications. The online version allows you to search the full text of all issues from volume 1 (1975) to present.

HANDBOOKS

For this assignments in this course, it may be helpful to consult handbooks that describe methods for doing research in sociology and related disciplines:

• Writing and Research:
• Developing Effective Research Proposals (300.72 P966d)
• A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers (301.014 G9411988)
• American Sociological Association Style Guide. 2nd ed. 1996. [http://asanet.org/page.ww?name=Quick+Style+Guide§ion=Sociology+Depts]


• Research Methods:
• Approaches to Social Research (300.72 Ap652005)
• Doing Qualitative Research: A Practical Handbook (300.72 Si395d)
• Handbook of Qualitative Research (300.72 H1915 2005)
• Research Methods in the Social Sciences (300.72 r3119)
• The Sage Handbook of Sociology (301 S129)
• The Sage Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods (300.72 L585s)
• The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3rd ed. (300.72 H1915 2005)

Hints to find more handbooks on social science research

Browse the shelves in the 300-301 call number range in the "Reference," "Reserve," and the circulating collection at the Ed & Social Science Library.

Search Online Catalog using one of the following SUBJECT HEADINGS (use the "Guided Keyword" tab):

• Social sciences--Research
• Social sciences--Methodology

FINDING ARTICLES

Plan out your search statement

• Start with the "key concept" terms from your "Devising a Search Strategy" worksheet.
• Enter your keyword search in the search box(es). Use a subject search if available.
• Use the HELP screens in the database to find what truncation symbols are used.
• If desired, limit to Peer Reviewed (items approved by experts in the field) and to a range of publication dates.

Search the database and evaluate the results.

• Think carefully about the results of your search. Narrow or broaden your search as needed.
• Mark relevant entries.
• Print, download or e-mail citations and print full-text articles.
• Use the Check Your Library link, if available, to determine the UIUC call number(s) and location(s) (i.e. Undergrad, Education, etc.) for your periodical title(s).

Sociological Abstracts - The preeminent database for citations to scholarly journals in sociology. Indexes and abstracts over 2,600 journals and other serial publications, plus conference papers, books, and dissertations.

POPLINE - An excellent gateway to research on reproductive health, population and demography. Can limit to "peer reviewd journals" and link to full content of journals licensed by the University of Illinois Library when searching on campus or entering through the Library's website.

Find journal articles (if full text wasn't available online).

If the article is not available in full-text, and the database does not have or Check Your Library link, you have a couple of options:

Option 1: Easy Search:

Copy the entire citation and drop it in the "Easy Search" box on the top of the Library Gateway

Option 2: Find the journal using the Online Library Catalog:

• Choose the "Quick Search" tab
• Type in the Title of the Journal
• Select Start of Magazine/Journal Title from the pull-down box
• Click Search
• Once you have found the record you need, scroll down to "Library Has" and compare with your article citation
• Write down the call number
• Check for big red "e": - the library has online access to thousands of journals.

If the item you need is not available through UIUC, use the online Interlibrary Loan request services

FINDING BOOKS & OTHER MATERIALS IN THE LIBRARY

Online Library Catalog - Look here to find books, magazines or journals containing articles that you need, DVDs, and many other resources.  In addition to the 10 million volumes we have on this campus, you can connect to over 40 other libraries in Illinois and request books be sent to you.

When you find something you want in the catalog, note the following:

Location - in which library the item is kept (or libraries, if we have multiple copies)
Call Number - this number is essential for finding the item on the shelf
Status - is it available for you to check out?

Hint: Library catalogs are used for two purposes: (1) If you know exactly what you are looking for - an exact title or author - you can use the catalog to locate your material (this works for book titles and journal titles); (2) You can also use catalogs to discover material that might be helpful to you by doing subject and keyword searching.

• I-Share Catalog
  Find and place requests for materials located at I-Share libraries (over 50 academic libraries in Illinois).
• WorldCat
  Search libraries worldwide. Can request loans of materials not available through UIUC or I-Share network. You can also request books by filling out a form on the Interlibrary Loan page.
• How do I find...?
  A series of brief tutorials on locating research materials.

CITING SOURCES IN YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY

Style and Writing Guides - How to format citations, write papers, and do research in the social sciences.

MORE HELP ON USING THE LIBRARY

Library Research Guide for Sociology - A guide to sociology-related sources in the Education and Social Science Library.

How Do I...? - A series of brief tutorials about library services.