Subject Guide -- Sociology

Sociology is a broad discipline that consists of a scientific study of society, illustrating how members of society interact with each other as individuals and also through associations, groups and institutions. It includes other social sciences such as psychology, political science, and economics.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

  • The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Psychology   1999
    Written primarily for social psychologists, this online encyclopedia also has articles of interest to sociologists and other behavioral scientists.
  • Encyclopedia of Social Theory   Ref. HM425 .E47 2005
    A standard resource for social psychologists and others who are seeking basic information in the social sciences.
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Sociology   Ref. HM 17 .C66 1994
    Intended for the beginning student, this dictionary provides easy to understand definitions used in the discipline.
  • Encyclopedia of Social History   Ref. HN 28 .E53 1994
    A starting point in the study of social history, this compendium covers major social history topics and methods, providing reference and suggestions for additional reading. Includes a list of entries by topic.
  • Encyclopedia of Sociology   Ref. HM 425 .E5 2000
    Very comprehensive encyclopedia of people and concepts pertaining to the field of sociology. Each topic is followed by a fairly extensive bibliography.
  • The Social Science Encyclopedia   Ref. H 41 .S63 2004
    3nd ed. Informational articles on all disciplines in the social sciences for the serious scholar (who is not necessarily a specialist). Includes a list of articles by subject or discipline.
  • International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (vol.1-24)   Ref. H 41 .I58 2001
    Extensive collection of articles covering topics such as Aboriginal Rights, Theory of Lifespan Development and Violence as a Problem of Health.

Handbooks, Methodology, and Statistics

  • The Sage Encyclopedia of social science research methods   Ref. H62 .L456 2004
    First of its kind encyclopedia of research methods. Contains essays on many social science methods.
  • Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods: A Guidebook and Resource   H 61 .T385 1998
    Found in the general collection, this resource proceeds through the process of conducting qualitative research.
  • Vital Statistics of the United States   Ref. HA 203 .A22
    Statistics available from 1939 to 1994. More statistics available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/vsus/vsus.htm
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States   Ref. HA 202
    Latest edition found in Ready reference, inquire at reference desk. Produced by the U.S. Census Bureau, this source presents a multitude of U.S. statistics in various areas.

Locating Books

  • Search MaagNet (the online catalog)
    • For search tips and information see Using MaagNet.
    • Not sure of a topic? Here are a few Library of Congress Subject Headings to get you started:
      • Social Conflict
      • Population
      • Political Sociology
      • Historical Sociology
      • Clinical Sociology
      • Educational Sociology
      • Individualism
      • Social Structure
      • Women Sociological aspects
  • Browse the collections

    Resources in Sociology may be found throughout the library: in the Reference Room, in the General and Oversize Collections, in the Serials/Microforms area and in Government Documents (see Building Guide).

    Use the following sections of the Library of Congress Classes for Sociology to browse the shelves for books and periodicals. (For a listing of what the initial letters of LC Classes stand for, see the Library of Congress Classification Outline).

    Use the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification to locate items in the Government Documents Collection.

    • HM 1-1281 — Sociology
    • HN 1-991 — Social History and Customs, Social Problems
    • HQ 1-2044 — The Family, Marriage, Women
    • HS 1-3371 — Societies: secret, benevolent, etc.
    • HT 51-1595 — Communities, Classes, Races
    • HV 1-9960 — Social Pathology, Social and Public Welfare
    • HX 1-970.7 — Socialism, Communism, Anarchism
  • Search the OhioLINK Central Catalog

    For search tips see Search Tips and Information About the OhioLINK Central Catalog.

    See Find Books for additional resources.

Locating Articles

Search: Databases, Indexes and Abstracts

  • Search these resources by keyword or subject to find references to journal articles.
  • Alternately, use a Subject Cluster Search to search several databases at one time.
  • Journal articles may be available electronically or on the sixth floor of Maag Library. See Periodical Collections for an overview of how to find articles.

  • Browse or search: the OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center

  • Journal articles may be available electronically or on the sixth floor of Maag Library. See Periodical Collections for an overview of how to find articles.

Sociology-Specific Resources

Multidisciplinary Sources

  • Academic Search Premier
    A comprehensive database that has the index, abstracts, and full text for numerous academic publications.
  • Electronic Journal Center (OhioLINK)
    This database contains the full text of over 6000 research journals.
  • JSTOR
    Full text articles from the first volume to the last 3-5 years for approximately 240 titles.

World Wide Web Resources in Sociology

  • Intute:Social Sciences
    The service aims to identify and evaluate resources to meet the needs of researchers, students and librarians in higher and further education.

  • Sociology Department Web Pages
    Arranged by county and continent, this site provides links to other universities Department of Sociology websites.

  • The Department of Sociology and Anthropology
    Department of Sociology home site. This site provides additional information about faculty, and courses offered at Y.S.U. This site also provides links to sociological associations outside the university.

  • Data on the Net
    Maintained by the University of California/San Diego, 361 internet sites of statistical data, addresses and more.