Sociology 

We often find ourselves with a need for more informaiton- to do research.  It can be as simple as checking a webpage or more complex with a need for scholarly material and sources.  Before you begin you need to find out what you need and what your professor wants you to find.  Is this research for your own knowledge or to validate your position?  Do you need statistics to prove a point or example of work to give you idea for your own work? 
Remember these critical steps:

• Review your assignment
• Ask your professor for clarification
• Ask the librarians for guidance
• Determine the way to get the best sources
• Don't be afraid to ask for help

Books will always be great tools for research.  Books allow an author to provide an indepth look at an issue, considering it from all points of view and including all the research related to it. It may be one expert gathering all the research into one book or it may be mutiple experts to put their research in one book.  What's cool about books these days is that they are not always in print.  Many can be found via the internet. Here are some great ways to find books for you to use in your research.

Now what!?  Let us help you get the books you need.  We will do it for free!

It is important that you know exactly what you are researching.  If a topic is too general, you won't get real answers.  The more specific you are, the better your research will be.  Use mind mapping to develop your topic.  Here are some great mind mapping tools

• Mind Map Your Topic: use this easy and interactive tool from the University of Arizona.  It will allow you to pose a research question when you are done and print the entire map.
• MindMeister: social networking meets the mind map.  Use this to collaborate with others on topic development.  Basic accounts are free.

 

What do you do if your topic is too narrow?  Get a little bit broader with location, dates and similar information.  Your job is to take the broader research and decide if it is connected to your narrower topic.

Reference sources are a great way to start your research.  They provide you with a concise overview of a topic of idea.  Wikipedia is nothing more than a reference source.  Before you run off to Wikipedia, consider trying some of these sociology specific resources.

A Critical Dictionary of Sociology	REF HM17.B6813 1989
Dictionary of Sociology	REF. HM17.C66 1998

Encyclopedia of Adolescence	REF. HQ796.E58 1990
Encyclopedia of Drugs and Alcohol	REF. HV5804.E53 1995
Encyclopedia of Family Life	REF. HQ534.E53 1999
Encyclopedia of Homosexuality	REF HQ76.25.E53 1990
Encyclopedia of Sex	REF. HQ9.E54 2000
Encyclopedia of Sociology	REF. HM17.E5 2000
Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict	REF. HM291.E625 1999