Guides: Sociology: Getting Started

Welcome to your Sociology guide!

This guide includes information and quick links to help you do library research in the field of Sociology.

Explore the guide to find more information about reference sources, books, articles, professional associations, and how to organize and cite your sources.

Start with Reference

Reference sources can provide information about the topic and lead to concepts and keywords to use in your research.

Representative print and online reference sources for the discipline of Sociology are listed below. Print reference sources are located on the main floor of Preus Library.

Sociology Reference Sources

Specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, and subject bibliographies can be helpful in choosing and narrowing a topic. Reading in the specialized reference materials introduces background information and can provide key concepts or keywords to use in your search. This is just a selection. Search the reference databases below for more sources.

Key Sociological Thinkers
Call Number: Ref HM 51 .K43 2017

An introduction to theorists who made key contributions to the discipline of sociology.
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Sociology by George Ritzer (Editor); Wendy Wiedenhoft Murphy (Editor)
Call Number: ebook

The new, updated edition of the authoritative and comprehensive survey of modern sociology The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Sociology, Second Edition is an authoritative survey of the major topics, current and emerging trends, and contemporary issues in the study of human social relationships and institutions.
Encyclopedia of Sociology by Edgar F. Borgatta; Rhonda J. V. Montgomery
Call Number: ebook

The 2nd edition of the encyclopedia provides in depth entries on a variety of topics and concepts in Sociology.
International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family
Call Number: Ref HQ9 .E52 2003

Contains over three hundred alphabetically arranged articles that provide information about issues related to marriage and family, focusing on the diversity of marriage and family lifestyles in fifty countries representative of the regions of the world.
Encyclopedia of Race and Racism by Patrick L. Mason
Call Number: ebook

This work provides critical information and context on the underlying social, economic, geographical, and political conditions that gave rise to, and continue to foster, racism. Religion, political economy, social activism, health, concepts, and constructs are explored. Given the increasingly diverse population of the United States and the rapid effects of globalization, as well as mass and social media, the issue of race in world affairs, history, and culture is of preeminent importance.

General Reference Databases

Credo Reference
An online collection of over 600 full-text reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
A collection of over 3,000 reference works, covering all disciplines.
Oxford Reference Online
This online source provides access to subject and language reference works from Oxford University Press. In addition to text, access is provided to maps and illustrations, timelines, web sites, and bibliographies.