Sociology Research Methods

Sociological Abstracts
  1. Sociological Abstracts
    Sociological Abstracts provides access to the world's literature in sociology and related disciplines, both theoretical and applied. The database includes abstracts of journal articles selected from over 2500 journals, abstracts of conference papers presented at various sociological association meetings, relevant dissertation listings from Dissertation Abstracts International, enhanced bibliographic citations of book reviews, and abstracts of selected sociology book chapters. Approximately 2500 journals in 30 different languages from about 55 countries are scanned for inclusion, covering sociological topics in fields such as anthropology, economics, education, medicine, community development, philosophy, demography, political science, and social psychology. Journals published by sociological associations, groups, faculties, and institutes, and periodicals containing the term "sociology" in their titles are abstracted fully, irrespective of country or language of publication. Non-core journals are screened for articles by sociologists and/or articles of immediate interest or relevance to sociologists.
  2. Accessing   Sociological Abstracts

    3. Go to the Sociological Abstracts terminal in Huie Library. It is to the left of the staircase directly across from the Reference Desk on the first floor.
    1. Select the Sociological Abstracts icon.
    2. Click on the "Start" button in the middle of the screen.
    3. Select the date range you are interested in searching. To select both ranges, hold the "Shift" button down on the keyboard as you highlight your selections by clicking on them. Click on the "Add" button, and then click on the "OK" button.
    4. Type your search terms in the "Search" box at the top of the screen and click on the "Search" button to the right of the "Search" box (or hit the "Enter" button on the keyboard).
  3. Composing and Entering Search Statements
    1. Literal Words     are key words that are important to the topic. Consider these two topics: first, you want information on elder abuse. The literal (key) words you should choose would be "elder" and "abuse." Another topic could be a comparison of abuse among the elderly and children. The literal (key) words would be "abuse," "elderly," and "children."
    2. Logical Words     or boolean operators,     instruct the system to retrieve records containing the literal words according to the logic assigned. AND retrieves records containing BOTH words. For instance, the search statement "elder and abuse," retrieves records that contain both words. AND is restrictive. Some variants of AND are listed below:
      1. WITH retrieves records with both search terms in the same field. For example, the statement "elder with abuse" retrieves records in which the two words, "elder" and "abuse" appear in a single field, but they may be separated by several sentences.
      2. NEAR retrieves records with both search terms in the same sentence. For example, the statement "elder near abuse" retrieves records with both search terms in the same sentence, but in any order. NOTE: Add a number next to NEAR to specify how close the terms are to appear to each other. For example, "elder near2 abuse" retieves records in which the words "elder" and "abuse" appear within two words of each other.
      3. ADJ retrieves records with search terms next to each other in a specified order. For example, the statement "elder adj abuse" retieves records in which the term "elder" immediately precedes "abuse."
      4. OR retrieves records containing EITHER word. For instance, the search statement, "elderly or children" retrieves records containing either "elderly" or "children." The records do NOT have to contain both words. OR is expansive.
    3. Complex Search Statements -- Using Parentheses
      Search statements are complex when you use more than one operator in a statement, especially AND (or one of its variants) and OR. For example, "abuse and (elderly or children)." Placing parentheses around "elderly or children" nests those two words, so that the system knows the order in which to search.
  4. Understanding Document Types
    1. After you enter the search statement, press the "Enter Search" box.
    2. Each record citation is divided into fields which begin with two-letter labels, such as TI, AU, SO, etc.
    3. To identify what kind of record (journal article, book review, association paper, etc.) is being cited, you should look first in the DT field ...this is where it tells you what type of document is being cited. Valid content fields for the DT field are listed and explained in the table below:
    Field Code Field Content Explanation of Field
    aja Abstract-of-journal-article A citation to a summary of a journal article.
    asp Association-paper A citation to a paper read at a professional association.
    bca book-chapter-abstract A citation to a chapter out of a book.
    bka book-abstract A citation to a book.
    brv book-review A citation to a review of a book.
    dis dissertation A citation to a doctoral dissertation.
    frv film-review A citation to a review of a film.
    swr software-review A citation to a review of some software.
  5. Determining Whether or Not Huie Library Owns the Article Cited

    6. To find out if Huie Library hsa the periodical cited, look for an LHM field towards the bottom of each record. If Huie Library has a subscription to that periodical, a catalog record for it will appear in the LHM field. Compare the date of the specific issue you are looking for (listed in the SO field) to the range of dates we have for that journal title to be certain we have the specific issue you need.
    Periodicals are stored and accessed in the following ways in Huie Library:
    • mf (microfilm) and fc (microfiche) which is found in the gray and maroon cabinets on the first floor of Huie Library.
    • bound/p (paper) journal collection is stored on the second floor of the library on the gray shelves.
    • Some journals can be accessed electronically through one or more of Huie Library's partially full text online periodical indexes (research databases), such as:
      • EBSCOHost
      • ProQuest Direct
      • Lexis-Nexis
      • ABI/Inform
      • CountryWatch.com
      • Health Reference Center
      • CINAHL (Nursing)
      • FirstSearch
      • MEDLINE: 1966-Present
  6. Printing Citations

    7. To print abstracts & records, select the article abstracts you want by placing a check in the box preceding the article record (click inside the box with your mouse). Then press the Print    button at the top of the screen. The   Search History      will be included in your print job.
  7. Specialized Searches
    1. Narrowing your search to journal articles only:
      1. Perform a key word search. This will be Set #1 in your search history.
      2. To narrow your search to records for journal articles only, type the following in the Search   box:
        1. #1 and dt=aja
        2. elder abuse and dt=aja
        3. elder abuse and dt=abstract-of-journal-article
    2. Consult the Thesarus       if you want to use the official, controlled vocabulary for a topic. See below for an example with the term   generation gap
      1. Select the   Thesaurus     button.
      2. Enter "generation gap," and the system will respond "Generation gap, see Generational differences." Click on the   Search Now    button on the right side of the screen to perform a search on "Generational differences."







Core Sociology Reference Sources
Research Guides and Style Manuals
  • Chicago Manual of Style Citation Resources Call No.: REF 808.027 C532m14 at Ref Desk.
  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Call No.: REF 808.02 P976a4 at Ref Desk.
  • Library Use: A Handbook for Psychology. Call No. at OBU: 025.560 2415 R324.
Encyclopedias and Handbooks
  • Encyclopedia of Sociology Call No.: REF 301.03 E56s2 v.1 – 5
  • Encyclopedia of Sociology Call No.: REF 301.03 E56
  • Encyclopedia of American Social History Call No.: REF 301.0973 E56c vol. I
  • Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice Call No.: REF 364.0321 E56k v.1 -- 5
  • Encyclopedia of Social History Call No.: at OBU REF 306.09 E56o
  • Encyclopedia of Social Work Call No.: REF 361.003 En5619 v. 1 -- 3
  • Encyclopedia of Violence: Origins, attitudes, consequences)
         Call No.: at OBU REF 303.603 D545e
  • Handbook of Research Methods: A guide for practioners and students in the social sciences
         Call No.: REF 001.42 S771h
  • Handbook of Social Psychology Call No.: 301.15 M973 v.1 -- 2
  • Handbook of Sociology Call No.: REF 301 H236s
  • Handbook of Sociology Call No.: REF 301.03 R447h
  • International Encyclopedia of Population Call No.: REF 304.60321 In61r v.1 -- 2
  • International Encyclopedia of Sociology Call No.: at OBU REF 301.03 I61e
  • International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences Call No.: REF 303 I61 v.1 -- 18
Bibliographies
  • Sociology: a guide to reference and information sources. Call No.: REF 301 A167s
  • Social support and health: an annotated bibliography. Call No.: 016.3621 S678b
  • Redekop, Paul. Sociology of Sport: An Annotated Bibliography.
         Call No.: 016.306483 R314s
Handbooks
  • Handbook of Applied Sociology: frontiers of Contemporary Research. Call No: 301 H236o
  • Handbook of Clinical Sociology. Call No.: 301 H236r
  • Handbook of Sociology. Call No.: REF 301 H236s
  • Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education.
         Call No.: 370.19 H236r
  • International Handbook of Contemporary Developments in Sociology.
          Call No.: 301.09 In61m
Some Sociology Periodicals

Journal Title Call Number or Online Index Available Volumes & format
American Journal of Sociology
(see ALIS for call number of bound issues)
 ProQuest Direct Jan 1995--present (web)
Annual Review of Sociology
(see ALIS for call number of bound issues)
 ProQuest Direct Jan 1995--present (web)
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology
 P/301/Au v.4 1968--v.17 1981 (bound)
Berkeley Journal of Sociology
 P/301/Bjs v.13 1968--v.27 1982 (bound)
British Journal of Sociology of Education
 P/301/B v. 1 1950 -- v. 22 1971 (mf)
v. 23 1972 -- v. 32 1981 (bound)
Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology
 P/306/Sa
EBSCOHost
ProQuest Direct		 v. 1 1964 -- v. 9 1972 (mf)
Jan 1990 -- curent year (web)
Feb 1992 -- present (web)
Contemporary Sociology
 P/301/Cs
ProQuest Direct		 v. 5 1976 -- present (web)
Jan 1994 -- present (mf/p)
Current Sociology
 P/301/Cu v. 15 1967 -- present (bound/p)
Free Inquiry in Creative Sociology
 P/301/Fi v. 1 1972 -- present (bound)
International Journal of Sociology of the Family
 P/301.42/In v. 7 1977 -- v. 10 1980 (bound)
International Review of Sociology
 EBSCOHost
 May 1996 (web)
Journal of Applied Sociology
 P/301/S v. 6 1921 -- v. 11 1927 (bound)
Journal of Educational Sociology see: Sociology of Education
Journal of Political and Military Sociology
 ProQuest Direct Jan 1996 -- present (web)
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
 P/361/Ss v. 4 -- present (bound/p)
Kansas Journal of Sociology
 P/301/Ma v. 4 1968 -- v. 11 1975 (bound)
Mid-America Review of Sociology
 P/301/Ma v. 1 1976 -- v. 13 1988 (bound)
Rural Sociology
 P/307.72/Rs
P/307.72/Rs
P/307.72/Rs
P/307.72/Rs
ProQuest Direct		 v. 1 1936 -- v. 12 1947 (bound)
v. 13 1948-v. 19 1954 (mf only)
v. 20 1955-v. 34 1969 (bound)
v. 35 1970 -- present (mf only)
Jan 1997 -- present (web)
Sociology & Social Research
 P/301/S v. 12 1927 -- v. 51 1967 (bound)
v. 52 1967 -- v. 76 1992 (mf only)
Sociology of Education
 P/370.19/S
ProQuest Direct		 v. 28 1954 -- present (mf only)
Jan 1994 -- present (web)
Sociology of Religion
 ProQuest Direct Jan 1994 -- presentn (web)
Sociology of Sport Journal
 P/306/Sp v. 1 1984 -- present (bound)
Sociology of Work & Occupations
 P/301.55/S v. 3 1976 -- v. 8 1981 (bound)
Sociology: The Journal of the British Sociological Association
 ABI/Inform
ProQuest Direct		 Feb 1992 -- Nov 1996 (web)
Feb 1992 -- Nov 1996 (web)
South African Journal of Sociology
 EBSCOHost
 Jan 1995 -- Nov 1996 (web)
Soviet Sociology
 P/306/Ss v. 7 1968 -- v. 18 #3 1979 (bound)
Studies in Sociology
 P/301/S v. 1 1916 -- v. 5 1918 (bound)
Teaching Sociology
 P/301.07/Ts v. 1 1973 -- present (bound/p)

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