Sociology of Law:
A Guide to Library Resources for Sociology 477

Welcome! This site has been created to assist you finding and using library resources for your Sociology 477 research assignments. Our library is one of the largest publicly funded university library in the world. It can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it is truly a treasure trove for scholars. All of the University of Illinois Library's resources are available to you as you do your research--so start exploring, 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, Fall Semester 2005:

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.

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 form volume 1 (1975) to present.

FINDING ARTICLES (for your lit review)

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. The best place to start for the scholarly literature in sociology.

SocINDEX with Full Text - An EBSCO database providing access to full-text articles in thousands of journals (1895-present) in sociology and related disciplines such as anthropology, criminology, ethnic & racial studies, gender studies, politics and urban studies. All papers presented at meetings of the American Sociological Association (2003-present) are also included in pdf.

InfoTrac's Academic Index - Some newspapers, general and scholarly periodicals, and some full text documents.

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).

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 Check Your Library, find the journal call number by using the Library Catalog "Quick Search:"

• 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 JOURNALS, 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, write down 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 using the catalog.

CITING SOURCES IN YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY

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

Refworks - A great tool for writing papers, Refworks helps you export bibliographic records from databases, change the citation styles as needed and import the citation directly into a Word document so you can create bibliographies on the fly. For help using this utility, see Refworks Help.

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.