Sociology 22:
Sociology of the Life Course
Fall 2007
Library Catalogs and Databases
Five College Library Catalog: Catalog to all books, music, videos, online resources, etc., in Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith libraries. Search all together or search one library at a time.
Sociological Abstracts : The most important database of references to all types of publications in sociology. Use ACLinks to locate actual articles.
IBSS (International Bibliography of the Social Sciences): A database of literature from sociology, psychology, anthropology, gender studies, politics, and even more in the social sciences. A great way to search several disciplines at once.
PsycInfo : Index covers professional and academic literature in psychology and related areas, including medicine, psychiatry, sociology, education, and more.
Academic OneFile and Academic
Search Premier: Indexes to articles in many disciplines, including literature, politics, and history. Some references back to 1975. Book
reviews as well as critical articles.
ASSIA: Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts : Covers the contents of 650 journals inmany areas of social sciences. A limited collection but worth a try.
Journal
Locator/Citation Linker See if a journal is available
at AC; connect to electronic copies or look in library catalog for print
journals
Background: Specialized Encyclopedias
The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research 3rd ed. (Ref H 62 H2455 2005): Survey essays on all aspects of -- and major issues in -- qualitative research. Substantial bibliographies included.
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences online and in print (Ref H 41 I58 2001): A very scholarly reference work with essays on all aspects of the social sciences written by real experts. A great tool for starting research, filling in the blanks in your background, and just getting ideas. Good bibliographies up through 2000.
Encyclopedia of Sociology. 2nd edition. (Ref HM 425 E5 2000): Less breadth than the first encyclopeida, concentrated on just sociology but good for survey articles and short bibliographies.
Encyclopedia of Human Development (Ref HM 626 E53 2006): Essay on "human development" in the broadest possible interpretation. Recommended readings included.
Handbook of Pscyhology (Science Library Ref
BF 121 H1955 2003 : Twelve volumes with extensive essays about all aspects of pyschology, including topics where psychology and sociology intersect.
A Few Websites
Qualitative Interviewing : A guide by Prof. Monika Ardelt, Department of Sociology, University of Florida.
What is Qualitative Interviewing? : Website from Prof. Mary Strokrocki, Distinguished NAEA Professor of Art Education, Arizon State University.
Center for the Ethnography of Everyday Life: Non-profit organization whose projects focus on "American working families" but still document a good deal about life events and changes. Interesting working papers posted on the site.
Citing Sources
Be sure to credit the sources you use for a research project -- whether printed books and journals or online texts, websites, etc. The Bibliography Styles Handbook: APA Style from the University of Illianois tells you how to cite all kinds of sources for courses in the social sciences.
Do you have questions about research in this course? Contact Margaret Adams Groesbeck (email:magroesbeck; voice: x2098)