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SOCI 151: Introductory Sociology

Prof. Light Carruyo, Fall 2024

Which database is right for me?

Select a database that matches your information needs. Consider the perspectives you hope to include, source type, disciplinary or interdisciplinary lens, and database functionality. Since each database contains a unique collection (with some overlap) you will likely use multiple databases before exhausting your search.

inverted triangle that visualizes databases and search tools from very broad to more specific Google - good for taking a very wide view of a topic, using a variety of materials and "popular sources" not found in library databases (blogs, websites, news sources, reports, etc.) Domain searching can target your search results example, "climate change" + :.edu | :.org | :.gov.

Google Scholar - still a huge swath of information, but more focused on scholarly publications (including journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, etc.)

Web of Science, Scopus, and JSTOR - multidisciplinary academic databases with an explicit focus on scholarly publications, with many options for complex, targeted searching

Specialized databases - some are focused on a subject area (Sociological Abstracts, America: History and Life, etc.), while others are focused on a type of source (news, primary sources, images, videos, etc.)

Databases for Starting Your Search: Peer-Reviewed Articles & More

Sociological Abstracts
Covers international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.

Soc Abstracts Sample Search

SAGE Discipline Hub - Sociology, Gender Studies, and Cultural Studies
SAGE collection of core disciplinary journals and books in sociology, gender studies, and cultural studies.

ProQuest Social Science Collection
Combined search of 15 ProQuest products: Alt-PressWatch, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Black Study Center, Coronavirus Research Database, Econlit, ERIC, Ethnic NewsWatch, GenderWatch, Healthcare Administration Database, LGBT Magazine Archive, PAIS, PTSDpubs, Sociological Abstracts, and Worldwide Political Science Abstracts

Web of Science
Index of articles from scholarly journals spanning the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Provides cited reference searching capability.
The Web of Science “Core Collection” includes the following:
Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI)
Book Citation Index - Science (BCKI-S)
Book Citation Index - Social Sciences & Humanities (BCKI-SSH)
Current Chemical Reactions (CCR-EXPANDED)
Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)
Index Chemicus (IC)
Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)
Scopus
Index of articles from scholarly journals spanning the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Provides cited reference searching capability.
1. For Safari users: limits currently do not work. Please use Firefox. 2. For Mac users: When using Firefox, you may be confronted with a request to login. To eliminate this problem, please clear the cache in Firefox and restart the browser.
JSTOR
Provides full text online access to back issues of selected scholarly journals in history, economics, political science, architecture and art history and other fields. Consult the online tables of contents for holdings, as coverage varies for each title, but usually ends several years before the current year.
Project MUSE
Covers literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, etc. Contains current full text scholarly journals which cover these fields and a significant collection of recent scholarly books.
ProQuest Research Library
Multidisciplinary index to articles in scholarly and popular periodicals. Coverage 1850 - present
Google Scholar
Links to peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations

Library Search
Use the Library Search to find print and electronic books and periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers) owned by the Library, as well as other media. Use the drop-down menus to specify the type of search you want to conduct. When Vassar does not have the book you need or our copy is not available, search Connect NY.

Communication & Mass Media Complete
Indexing and abstracts for key journals in communications, mass media, and related fields of study. Level of access and searchability for titles vary. Information about journals will include indexing and abstracts, and may include full text, PDFs, or searchable cited references. Also provides a thesaurus and author profiles. Date range: 1915 - present
Includes the content of CommSearch (formerly produced by the National Communication Association) and Mass Media Articles Index (formerly produced by Penn State)
Environment Complete
Index of journal articles relevant to agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, renewable energy sources, natural resources, marine & freshwater science, geography, and more.
GreenFILE
Index of articles from journals, government publications, and general interest titles relevant to human impact on the environment including global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and recycling.

SELECT SOCIOLOGY JOURNALS

American Journal of Sociology
Established in 1895 as the first US scholarly journal in its field, the American Journal of Sociology (AJS) presents pathbreaking work from all areas of sociology, with an emphasis on theory building and innovative methods.
Annual Review of Sociology
In publication since 1975, review articles covering significant developments in the field of sociology, including theoretical and methodological developments as well as current research in major subfields.
Gender & Society
Official journal of Sociologists for Women in Society; articles analyze gender and gendered processes in interactions, organizations, societies, and global and transnational spaces.
Social Currents
Official journal of the Southern Sociological Society, is a broad-ranging social science journal that focuses on cutting-edge research from all methodological and theoretical orientations with implications for national and international sociological communities.
Social Forces
Renowned journal of sociological research associated with the Southern Sociological Society. It highlights sociological inquiry but also explores realms shared with social psychology, anthropology, political science, history, and economics.
Sociological Forum
Flagship journal of the Eastern Sociological Society, Sociological Forum strives to create a site of learning and exchange for scholars and students of the social sciences.