Library Research Guide for Sociology Graduate Students

Don't know where to start?      

Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. -- Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)

For an introduction to concepts and ideas for research topics subject Encyclopedias can be useful.

Search for Sociology Encyclopedias  and Sociology Handbooks @ RU Libraries on QuickSearch

Also use Google Scholar (via Rutgers Libraries to link to RU subscriptions)

What is your research about?

Which words would best capture your topic?

After you run some searches preliminarily, list out keywords, synonyms (to broaden your search), and additional keywords (to narrow your search).

Thesaurus, Library of Congress Subject Headings/Authorities search (LCSH), and browsing through the keywords listed in articles/journals will help you gain vocabulary related to the topic/field you are interested in researching.

Cover ground through comprehensive searching and across multiple resources

Here is an example about how you may want to think about your search as you get started. Keep track of the searches and search chains you are using for your searches in each database, or online websites. Note what you are finding and new keywords could be added. A tabular form/spreadsheet is the simplest way to record this process.

Get comfortable with searching in Library databases using Boolean and Proximity operators (such as AND, OR, NOT, NEAR/, NEAR/5 (before or after the keyword), PRE/, PRE/5 (prior to the keyword) etc). These may differ depending on the interface of the database. Use the "help" option for searching that is provided on the database you are using.

For example, check out the help pages in Sociological Abstracts, where you will find detailed help with using Boolean and Proximity operators in this particular database. Go to the Advanced searching option from the top menu lines on the left.

Command line help

Thesaurus for finding more relevant keywords/terms for searching