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Introduction to Sociology (50:920:101)

Guide for Fall 2024

Finding Articles

To find articles, you can use the following access points:

  • QuickSearch  (QuickSearch Help): Use one search bar to find journals, articles, books, periodicals, videos, and more. 
  • Indexes and Databases: Search all of the libraries' indexes and databases by title, subject or resource type. Once you choose an index or database, search your topic.
  • Go directly to the suggested databases given to you by your librarian

The library databases contain scholarly peer-reviewed literature along with other types and sources of information. The links below provide additional information on the types of information available.

Popular Literature vs. Scholarly Peer-Reviewed Literature: What's the Difference?

Tutorials and Guides: 

General Databases

Sociology Databases

Searching Tips

Searching Tips:

Start out with general ideas/terms and then work on narrowing your search (use the filters, usually on the left)

Determine the correct SUBJECT heading for more specific searching. 

Pay attention to what is available in the database you are searching (full text?, years available, etc.)

Let the database help you!

If you are not finding anything, or you are finding too much, change your search and ask for help.

Looking for Empirical Studies? Check for these words: this study, control group, participants, sample, respondents, methodology.

Google Scholar

Not everything on Google Scholar is peer-reviewed. It is not possible to filter only to peer-reviewed, so pay attention to your sources! Google Scholar also does not contain ALL the scholarship, especially the most recent articles that may be available in a library database.

Google Scholar automatically places AND between words:  zombie library  (This will conduct a search for zombie and library)

Exact Phrase Searching: Enter the phrase in quotation marks:  "zombie apocalypse"

Search related words: ~library (This will conduct a search for library, libraries, librarian)

Search for alternative words: use OR (must be caps), with terms in parentheses: 

Limit to specific sites: limit to specific sites such as .org/.edu/.gov at end of search type site: type you wish to limit to ex: "zombie apocalypse" site: .org

Search for alternate terms using OR, with the terms enclosed in parentheses: (zombie OR undead)

Settings:

1. Link to Bibliography Manager (RefWorks)

2. Library Links- Choose Rutgers in order to see what is available to you via Rutgers subscriptions.