SOCI 3020: Research & Methodology II (Tang)
This guide lists sources from AUM's Library and the web which you can use for research on your topic. If you have questions, please:
- go to the Reference Desk on the Library's second floor
- call the Reference Desk at 334-244-3649 when we are open
- Ask A Librarian by e-mail
Reference Sources
Reference sources and librarians at the Reference Desk can help you:
- explore potential topics that interest you
- find background information on your chosen topic
- locate brief factual information like statistics, dates, names, and places quickly
- create a list of words that describe your topic (You'll need these when you search for books and articles on your topic.)
- determine the best sources for finding information on your topic
The reference sources listed here are a sample of what's available in the Reference Collection on the second floor of the Library.
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
- Blackwell Dictionary of Modern Social Thought
Reference: H 41 .B53 2003- Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology: A User's Guide to Sociological Language
Reference: HM 425 .J64 2000
online (AUM)- Dictionary of the Social Sciences
Reference: H 41.D53 2002- Encyclopedia of Social Measurement
Reference: H 62 .E53 2005- Encyclopedia of Social Theory
Reference: HM 425 .E47 2005- Encyclopedia of Sociology
Reference: HM 425 .E5 2000- Social Science Encyclopedia
Reference: H 41 .S63 1996
Journal Articles
The entire text of articles from many journals is included in the Library's databases which are accessible off campus. If the text of an article is not in the database you are searching, you may be able to find it in another database by typing the journal title into:
- Serials Solutions (AUM)
If an article is not full text in any of the Library's databases, check the AUM Library Catalog to find out if the article is in the Library's Periodicals Collection on the second floor. The journals are arranged by call number. Ask at the Reference Desk if you need assistance.
You can request articles not available in the Library or a database through Interlibrary Loan.
Databases
- Academic Search Premier (AUM)
- EBSCO Electronic Journals Service (AUM)
- Expanded Academic ASAP Plus (AUM)
- InfoTrac OneFile Plus (AUM)
- JSTOR (AUM)
- Oxford Journals (AUM)
- Proquest Research Library (AUM)
- ScienceDirect (AUM)
- also search subject databases (AUM) related to your topic
Print Indexes/Abstracts
- Thesaurus of Sociological Indexing Terms - list of subject headings used in Sociological Abstracts
Reference: HM 1 .B6 1996- Sociological Abstracts
Reference: HM 1.S67- Social Sciences Index
Reference: A I3 .S62
Books
You can request books not available in the Library or netLibrary through Interlibrary Loan. Books may also be requested through Universal Borrowing.
- AUM Library Catalog - books in the Library
- NetLibrary (AUM) - eBooks online
- NetLibrary @ AUM - guide to using netLibrary
Citing Your Sources
Why do sources have to be cited?
- to give credit to the original author
- to avoid plagiarism
- to help others find and verify information
You can read more about plagiarism in CQ Researcher (September 19, 2003).
How do I cite sources?
For this course, you may use one of several style guides including the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Copies of these are available at the Reference Desk on the second floor. You can also consult Web sites providing information on various citation styles.
