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Sociology

General resources and information for researching in the sociology field.

Major Search Tools for Books

 

Key Databases for Articles

  • Academic OneFile - A multidisciplinary database with full-text articles, references from over 12,000 journal titles.
  • Academic Search Complete - Over 7,000 full text periodicals. Also contains indexing and abstracts for more than 11,000 publications.
  • EBSCO databases - Full-text of periodicals on a wide range of topics.
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library - Takes research to the next level by delivering great reference print titles you rely on in a database format.
  • Google Scholar - Google Scholar is good for conducting simple searches across a broad number of databases. Within Google Scholar you may conduct searches by keyword, author and article title. There is also an advanced search with more options.
  • International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences - Fully revised and updated, the second edition of the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences offers a source of social and behavioral sciences reference material that is broader and deeper than any other. It comprises over 3,900 articles, commissioned by 71 Section Editors, and includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.
  • JSTOR - Full-text of approximately 250 journals, generally covering the years up to 2000. Also focuses on law, business and education.
  • Points of View Reference Center - Full-text essays that present multiple sides of a current issue.
  • SocINDEX with Full-Text - The world's most comprehensive sociology research database, with extensive coverage of scholarly journals.
  • SSRN: Social Science Research Network - Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of social science research and is composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences. The SSRN eLibrary consists of two parts: an Abstract Database containing abstracts on over 542,600 scholarly working papers and forthcoming papers and an Electronic Paper Collection currently containing over 445,100 downloadable full text documents in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.

Social Science Data

  • General Social Survey (GSS) - It is a nationally representative survey of adults in the United States conducted since 1972. The GSS collects data on contemporary American society in order to  monitor and explain trends in opinions.
  • ICPSR - The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) provides a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction. Users may view documentation, download raw data, and search a bibliography of data-related literature. (You must create a personal ICPSR account with your virginia.edu email address in order to download data.)
  • Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) - Collection of 250,000+ research data files on social and behavioral sciences.
  • UN Data - Internationally-focused statistical data from the United Nations and other international organizations.
  • United States Census Bureau - Collection data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Web Resources

  • Global Social Change Research Project - This website links to various reports about social change over time.
  • Pew Research Center - it is a non-partisan fact tank that informs the general public about the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the United States and the world.
  • The Socjourn - It is a new media journal intended to offer sociologists, students, and the general public a window into the world of sociology.

Controversy

Professional Association

  • The American Sociological Association (ASA) - Founded in 1905, it is a non-profit membership association dedicated to advancing sociology disciplinary and profession serving the public good.
  • Association for Applied and Clinical Sociological (AACS) - The AACS helps students and professionals apply the most up to date sociological research findings where and how they are needed most. It provides opportunities for learning and sharing ideas.
  • Association of Black Sociologists (ABS) - it was founded to provide equity to Black population. It is a place for non-Black sociologists to creative positive social change.
  • Consortium of Social Science Organizations - it is an advocate organization that promotes attention to and Federal funding for the social and behavioral sciences.
  • Eastern Sociological Society - it is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in sociological scholarship and instruction.
  • International Sociological Association (ISA) - It aims to bring together sociologists from around the world. It provides a platform to tackle worldwide sociological issues and broaden perspectives.
  • International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) - This non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the visual representation of sociology. These are the images that people around the globe see about society every single day. IVSA tackles sociological issues as presented in art, photography, films, and journalism.