Social Sciences Research Resources
Finding Books and Articles:
Google Scholar and Google Books can be great sources for interdisciplinary topics but lack precision and comprehensive indexing of the literature in a field. For the most efficient searching use:
- Find Articles using Databases - by subject. Choose databases by reviewing the ABOUT screens which describe what each covers.
- From your search results, click the
icon to connect to an article when it is available online or check Find a Journal from the Research Tools menu, or search the library catalog for the journal title. Here's a video demonstrating how to find articles.
Research by Subject guides -- including: Psychology, Sociology, and Linguistics -- can help you choose which databases are best for your topic, provide info about other useful subject-specific tools, and offer contact information for further help.
Guides frequently useful for Social Sciences researchers include:
Advertising and Marketing,
African and African American Studies,
American Studies,
Asian American Studies,
Business,
Communication,
Education,
Film,
Gender Studies,
Government/Political Science,
History,
Journalism,
Latin American Studies,
Marketing,
Mexican American/Latino Studies,
Middle East Studies,
Public Affairs,
Radio-Television-Film,
Religious Studies,
Social Work,
Sports and Recreation,
Statistics and Demographics, and
Women's and Gender Studies
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Contact Susan: via email, chat, or phone: 495-4335 with questions or to schedule a research consultation. |
Citing your sources:
Advanced Searching
- Simultaneously search Ebsco databases: from the Find Articles using Databases menu, choose Ebscohost Databases, or from any Ebsco database, click the blue CHOOSE DATABASES link.
Some of the social science databases available via EBSCO include ERIC, PsycINFO, Gender Studies Database, Communications and Mass Media Complete, MLA, Academic Search Complete, and a number of others.
- Simultaneously search Cambridge Scientific Abstracts databases: from the Find Articles using Databases menu, choose CSA Illumina Databases, or from any CSA database click the CHANGE - SPECIFIC DATABASES choice under the search form.
Social science databases available from CSA include: Sociological Abstracts, Social Service Abstracts, Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts, FRANCIS (International Humanities and Social Sciences), PAIS International (which covers public affairs and policy) and several others.
- Search any combination of databases at once with "CrossSearch" (Metalib). Login with your EID to create your own custom database sets (see this step-by-step guide).
Government Information
UT Libraries' Government Information Sources includes links to resources at the federal, local, state and international levels, as well as guides to print resources in the PCL. Other useful guides to GovDocs are available from:
The University of Michigan Documents Center
Columbia University Libraries' Guide to U.S. Documents
Michigan State University Libraries Guide
Which databases index a particular journal? Try these tools:
- Search for a source in Find a Journal to connect to online access to that journal from the publisher access or fulltext databases that contain it.
- Check the journal's publisher website for indexing and abstracting services that include that particular journal.
- Check Ulrich's Periodical
Directory Online, then select the "Abstracting/Indexing" tab for a list of databases that index it.
- Search CUFTS - a tool from Simon Fraser University Library which displays all the databases and indexes that include the journal or issn in question.
- Most databases and indexes have a Title List, Source List, or Publications indexed menu that you can check for a particular title and date range, and whether it is abstracted only or available within that database fulltext.
- Ask a Librarian for suggestions.
Services for Faculty
Information on services for faculty, such as
Preventing and Detecting Plagiarism, requesting: a hands-on
research session for a class, a
tailored research guide or
assignment, and help with
Integrating the Library into Blackboard, can be found at
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/services/faculty/
Information Literacy Resources: the
Association of College & Research Libraries recently published
Information Literacy Standards for Anthropology and Sociology Students, which describe what students need to do in order to be effective researchers in these fields and the key behaviors for success that information literate students demonstrate. Several other subject sections have published similiar discipline specific guidelines. For more information, see the
ACRL Standards & Guidelines.
