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Citation Guides:
American Sociological Association

ASA Style icon ASA Style Guide, 4th ed. 2010 (REF 808.027 A798)

ASA Quick Style Guide for Students
(updated for 4th ed.)

Class Handouts & Presentations

Research Methods handout (PDF)
Research Methods presentation (PPT)

Research Guide for Sociology

Start Here

Research Starters: Sociology
Comprehensive topic summary articles written by researchers, scholars and other sociology experts with bibliographies and links to scholarly articles for further research.
ProQuest Social Sciences
Search across 11 databases for social science topics. Includes Sociological Abstracts, the premier index for sociology.
Points of View Reference Center
Covers current issues like immigration, health care, bullying and climate change from multiple viewpoints. Contains point and counterpoint essays, magazine and newspaper articles, radio and TV news transcripts. POV also includes helpful guides for developing arguments, writing position papers and preparing for debates.

Class in America, 2007, REF 305.50973 C614

Fifty Key Sociologists: The Contemporary Theorists, REF 301.092 F469

Fifty Key Sociologists: The Formative Theorists, REF 301.092 F469f

Encyclopedia of Social Problems, REF 361.103 E563sp

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family, 2nd ed., REF 306.8 I612m

Find Books

Search CSE CoolCat Catalog
WorldCat (check other libraries)
Borrow from Another Library
Check Freely Available Ebooks

Books related to sociology have call numbers in the 300's. Reference books are on the main floor in the Reference Room. All other sociology books are located on the lower floor, right side.

Other Relevant Databases

Social Science Full Text
Full text coverage of journals covering all the social sciences, with an easy-to-navigate interface and sophisticated searching tools.
Science Direct
Our largest database for the sciences and social sciences, including sociology, providing full text access to scholarly journals often unavailable on other databases.
Sage Premier Journals
Access hundreds of thousands of full text articles related to sociology.
GPO (Government Printing Office)
Covers all types of U.S. government documents, including Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and documents issued by executive departments, many pertaining to sociological issues.
Google Scholar
Google's search engine for scholarly literature on the web. Check the box to limit your search to 'Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities.' Some full text is available, but much is not (behind publisher paywalls).

Statistics & Data

Statistical Abstract of the U.S.
Annual publication providing a comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.

U.S. Census Bureau
Vast database containing a wide variety of statistics and demographic information on the changing nature of the American population.

ICPSR Data: Browse by Topic
Over 500,000 digital data files representing research in sociology, demography, economics, gerontology, criminal justice, public health, political science, foreign policy, terrorism, education, racial and ethnic minorities, psychology, law, substance abuse and mental health.

GVRL Social Sciences Collection
This subcollection of the Gale Virtual Reference Library contains 45 reference publications covering a wide range of topics in the social sciences.

Search the whole collection via the link above, or browse an individual title:

More Reference Sites

CQ Researcher
Independent publication provides coverage of topics that have gained the attention of government and thus provides a unique political perspective. Offers pro and con viewpoints, documentation, etc.

Dictionary of the Social Sciences
Resources from Canada's Athabasca University has 1,000 entries covering the disciplines of sociology, criminology, political science and women's studies.

Dead Sociologists
Overview, on sixteen theorists who have played significant roles in the development the field of sociology. Includes biographical information, excerpts of their writings, and a summary of their ideas and work.