Subject Guides: Sociology Subject Guide: Finding Background Information

Encyclopedias, Handbooks, Literature Reviews, and More

To find more print and online reference books for general sociology, as well as specific subjects within or related to sociology, search Encompass Search or ask for help..

Annual Review of Sociology
Literature reviews providing summary and analysis of research in the field of sociology, published annually. Good for an overview of the state of research on a given topic. Full text is available online for 1975-present.
Sociology Compass
"Sociology Compass is an online-only journal publishing original, peer-reviewed surveys of current research from across the entire discipline. Sociology Compass publishes state-of-the-art reviews, supported by a comprehensive bibliography and accessible to an international readership. Sociology Compass is aimed at senior undergraduates, postgraduates and academics, and will provide a unique reference tool for researching essays, preparing lectures, writing a research proposal, or just keeping up with new developments in a specific area of interest."
21st Century Sociology: A Reference Handbook
Location: Main Collection (Ref.) 301 T971c vol. 1-2
Highlights the most important sociology topics, issues, questions, and debates in the 21st century.
Encyclopedia of Social Theory
Location: Main Collection (Ref.) 301.01 E56o vol. 1-2 (Level B)
Key Contemporary Social Theorists
Location: Main Collection (Ref.) 300.922 E46k (Level B)

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Hundreds of authoritative dictionaries, encyclopedias, fact books, guides, companions and more from respected publishers across dozens of major subject areas.

Resources for Newspapers and Magazines

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
A database of both scholarly and popular publications in a wide variety of disciplines and subject areas, including media and communication. Most full text is linked directly in the database; otherwise use the Get It links to check for full text online or in the library.

Mondo Times -- the Worldwide News Media Guide
Links to local media in the United States and worldwide, including newspaper, TV stations, news radio stations, and online news sources.

Reader's Guide Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Provides indexing of general-interest periodicals published in the United States for the period 1890-1982.

Getting Started with Reference Resources

The resources on this page can help you to brainstorm topic ideas, narrow your topic to make it more manageable, or learn background information about a topic you have picked.