InfoGuides: SOC 200 Introduction to Sociology: Finding Information (articles, books, & encyclopedias)

Getting Started

Do you need to skim current sociology research or look up definitions of sociology concepts? Check the below recourses:

Literature Reviews

Annual Review of Sociology
In publication since 1975, covers the significant developments in the field of Sociology.

Encyclopedias provide wonderful scholarly summaries/ overviews of topics.

Sometimes the author of the entry was asked to write because he or she is an expert on the topic - so look for other works he or she has written
Reviewing the bibliography, you may find a list of helpful articles.

Helpful Dictionaries:

Finding Books

Find books IN the library by searching the Library catalog

>have books we don't own sent to you from other libraries

Find eBooks (book online)

Browsing Sociology Call Numbers

Pepperdine University Libraries arrange books by Library of Congress call numbers. The major sections for sociology are listed below.

HM	Sociology (general)
HN	Social history & conditions, Social problems, Social reform
HQ	The family, Marriage, Women
HS	Societies: secret, benevolent, etc.
HT	Communities, Classes, Races
HV	Social pathology, Social & public welfare, Criminology

For a more specific breakdown of the call numbers see the Library of Congress Classification Online: H subclasses.

Browsing Sociology Subject Headings

Standardized subject headings are used for subject searches in library catalogs. Some sample subject headings relating to sociology:

Clinical sociology
Communities
Criminal Behavior
Criminology
Deviant Behavior
Group Identity
Organizational Sociology
Political Sociology
Social Change
Social Conditions
Social Conflict
Social Ethics
Social Influence
Social Institutions
Social Problems
Social Psychology
Social Structure
Social Systems
Socialization
Sociological Aspects
Sociological Jurisprudence
Sociology
Sociology Research
Subculture

Finding Articles

Multidisciplinary Databases:

Academic Search Complete
multidisciplinary databases -its a good database to start searching for information on almost ANY topic.
ScienceDirect
Current issues of scholarly journals published primarily in the sciences and social sciences.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
- This link opens in a new window
A complete one-stop source for information on social issues. (summaries and reports on social hot topics)

From immigration to stem cells to texting-while-driving, Opposing Viewpoints in Context delivers 13,000+ pro/con views, 1,000+ court case overviews, and thousands more topic overviews, biographies and profiles.

Sociology Subject Specific Databases:

PsycINFO
The American Psychological Association’s (APA) resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health.
Gender Watch
focus on issues regarding women and minorities
Sage Journals Online
Covers over 80 sociology titles.

The Family and Child Development Databases:

Child Welfare Information Gateway
Covers a wide range of topics from prevention to permanency, including child welfare, child abuse and neglect, adoption, search and reunion, and much more.

Jaimie Beth Colvin

Email Me

Contact:

Payson Room 231 next to Circulation Desk

(310) 506-7432

Subjects:International Programs, Public Policy, Social Sciences, Social Work, Sociology, Theater Arts, Women's Studies

Encyclopedia

Encyclopedias provide wonderful scholarly summaries/ overviews of topics.

Sometimes the author of the entry was asked to write because he or she is an expert on the topic - so look for other works he or she has written
Reviewing the bibliography, you may find a list of helpful articles.

(Online) Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Sociology by Edgar J. Borgatta (Editor); Rhonda Montgomery (Editor)
Call Number: Online in Gale Virtual Reference Library
ISBN: 002864851X
Publication Date: 1999-08-01

Online version of the 5 v. encyclopedia published in 2000. This classic reference has been updated to reflect many changes in society and in the field of sociology in recent years. Articles covering core issues such as race, poverty, violence, economics, pregnancy and abortion have been updated and expanded, and completely new articles have been written on topics such as the Internet, privacy and epidemiology.
The Concise Encyclopedia of Sociology by George Ritzer (Editor); J. Michael Ryan (Editor)
Call Number: Payson HM425 .C66 2011
ISBN: 1405183535
Publication Date: 2011-02-02

This concise encyclopedia is the most complete international survey of sociology ever created in one volume. Contains over 800 entries from the whole breadth of the discipline Distilled from the highly regarded Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, with entries completely revised and updated to provide succinct and up-to-date coverage of the fundamental topics Global in scope, both in terms of topics and contributors Each entry includes references and suggestions for further reading Cross-referencing allows easy movement around the volume
The SAGE dictionary of criminology by Eugene McLaughlin
Call Number: Payson HV6017 .S24 2006
ISBN: 1412910854
Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice by Thomson Gale Staff (Contribution by); Joshua Dressler (Editor)
Call Number: Available in Gale Virtual Reference Library
ISBN: 002865319X
Publication Date: 2001-10-15

A complete revision of the 1982 edition, the "Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice" is a unique interdisciplinary source, dealing with not only law but also sociology, psychology, history and economics. With entries ranging widely from abortion to rape and from family violence to wiretapping, the "Encyclopedia" covers issues dominating today's headlines.
Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice by Frank P. Williams (Editor); Marilyn D. McShane (Editor)
Call Number: Payson REF HV9104 .E58 2003
ISBN: 0761923586
Publication Date: 2002-12-18

The Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice provides more than 200 up-to-date, concise, and readable entries in a single, authoritative volume. Includes: Complete review of the complicated juvenile legal and court system, juvenile punishment, rehabilitation efforts and legislation · Extensive entries on child and adolescent crimes, pathologies and problems · Coverage of psychological, biological, and sociological theories of delinquency, as well as historic `body type' theories
Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior (3d ed.) by Pamela Korsmeyer (Editor); Henry R. Kranzler (Editor)
Call Number: Online in Gale Virtual Reference Library
ISBN: 0028661141
Publication Date: 2008-01-01

Explores the social, medical, legal and political issues related to drugs and alcohol and associated behaviors. Includes emerging topics and developments in the many fields of addiction studies.
Parenthood in America by Lawrence Balter (Editor); Robert B. McCall (Foreword by)
Call Number: Payson REF HQ755.8 .P3783 2000
ISBN: 1576072134
Publication Date: 2000-12-13

Based on the latest research, Parenthood in America is the work of the nationʼs most prominent authorities in psychology, sociology and health.
The Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence by Jerome Kagan (Editor); Susan Gall (Editor)
Call Number: Payson REF HQ772 .G27 1997
ISBN: 0810398842
Publication Date: 1997-10-01

A source of multidisciplinary information on issues, terms, people, theories and trends related to children and their development. Written to have a broad appeal, each of the approximately 800 alphabetically arranged entries is signed by one of the book's expert contributors and includes a resource list and a brief bibliography.
Encyclopedia of the United States Census by Rolf Anderson
Call Number: Payson Oversize HA37.U55 E53 2000
ISBN: 1568024282
Publication Date: 2000-07-10

Drawing from academia, government, and the private sector, CQ Press and the editorial board have commissioned more than 100 concise, definitive articles on the decennial census and related topics. Subjects covered include: Content of the census. What the census tracks, and when it began to ask specific questions; how questions are formulated, and factors that affect which questions are asked; other types of censuses (housing, economic, and agricultural). Procedure. How the census is planned, advertised, and conducted; state and local involvement; how results are tabulated and stored. Uses of the census. Publications, databases, and electronic products that provide census information for statistical and demographic research.
Encyclopedia of social theory. by George Ritzer
Call Number: Drescher REF HM425 .E47 2005

Examines the global landscape of all the key theories and the theorists behind them, presenting them in the context needed to understand their strengths and weaknesses. The Encyclopedia of Social Theory draws together a team of more than 200 international scholars covering the developments, achievements, and prospects of social theory from its inception in the 18th century to the present.
Dictionary of the Social Sciences by Craig Calhoun (Editor)
Call Number: Pasyon REF H41 .D53 2002
ISBN: 0195123719
Publication Date: 2002 (2012 updated version online)

Featuring over 1,800 concise definitions of key terms, the Dictionary of the Social Sciences is the most comprehensive, authoritative single-volume work of its kind. With coverage on the vocabularies of anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, human geography, cultural studies, and Marxism, the Dictionary is an integrated, easy-to-use, A-to-Z reference tool. Designed for students and non-specialists, it examines classic and contemporary scholarship including basic terms, concepts, theories, schools of thought, methodologies, issues, and controversies.
The Social Science Encyclopedia by Adam Kuper; Jessica Kuper (Editor)
Call Number: Payson H41 .S63 2009
ISBN: 0415476356
Publication Date: 2009-01-09

The third edition of this classic reference work, the leading single-volume social science encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia of Aging by David J. Ekerdt (Editor)
Call Number: Online in Gale Virtual Reference Library
ISBN: 0028654722
Publication Date: 2002

Encompasses all aspects of aging, covering a variety of disciplines including biology, medicine, economics, law psychology, sociology and history, and also explores related issues such as religion, spirituality, and ethics. Also provides a topical outline, primary source documents, addresses, and Web sites.
Gale Encyclopedia of American Law
Call Number: Online in Gale Virtual Reference Library
ISBN: 1414443021
Publication Date: 2011-02-01

Covers today's leading cases, major statutes, legal terms and concepts, notable persons involved with the law, and important documents. Includes topics such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, physician-assisted suicide and more.