Background resources (dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks) will introduce you to key sociological concepts and help you define your research topic. Below is only a selection of what is available at the library.
To find more, go to the Summon search box and type in the relevant keywords (ex. handbook and gender) and use the "books" filter on the left of the screen.
- Mappers of society : the lives, times, and legacies of great sociologists
- Sociologists in a global age : biographical perspectives
- Women in sociology: a bio-bibliographical sourcebook
- Dictionary of Marxist thought
- A dictionary of sociology
- Key quotations in sociology
- The Max Weber dictionary: key words and central concepts
- Sage dictionary of sociology
- Blackwell encyclopedia of sociology
- Encyclopedia of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history in America
- Encyclopedia of modern American extremists and extremist groups
- Encyclopedia of postmodernism
- Encyclopedia of social theory
- Encyclopedia of urban cultures : cities and cultures around the world
- International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences
- Propaganda and mass persuasion: A historical encyclopedia, 1500 to the present
- 21st century sociology: a reference handbook
- A handbook of political sociology : states, civil societies
- Handbook of social movements across disciplines
- The Routledge international handbook of the sociology of education
Start with the Summon search box to search across almost all of the databases the library subscribes to. Use the main keywords found within your research topic. As you retrieve results, you should use the Summon filters on the left of the screen to narrow or broaden your search.
Searching more specifically:
When you need to search by specific fields like methodology, NAICS code, jurisdiction, etc. you should go directly to specialized databases such as the ones listed below.
- Sociological Abstracts
- Proquest Sociology collection
- provides access to Sociological Abstracts in combination with other databases covering the international literature in sociology and social services,
- Web of Science Core Collection (choose the Social Sciences Citation Index)
- America History and Life and Historical Abstracts (North American and non-North-American history, respectively)
- Child Development & Adolescent Studies (child studies)
- Criminal Justice Abstracts (criminology)
- CINAHL (health sciences)
- ERIC (education)
- Gender & Work Database (sociology of work)
- Gender Studies Database (gender studies)
- Population Index (demography)
- World Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Abstracts (rural sociology)
For a more complete listing, see databases by subject webpage
For Canadian social issues:
Watch films produced by the National Film Board of Canada. Includes historical films dating back to 1928 to current contemporary releases, including award-winning documentaries, animation and fiction.
A streaming service that provides a platform for educational video products covering a wide range of subjects, from arts, humanities, health, business, education, and more.
Library DVD Collection
The library's video collection is housed in our Reserves room. Since the shelves are not browsable, it is best to do a catalogue search for the title of the movie you are looking for. You can then bring the title and call number to Reserves on the main floor of the library.
Is the film you're looking for not in our collection? Search Watmedia to locate videos at other Ontario universities. If you wish to borrow a video listed in Watmedia please fill out our Interfilm Video Request form - do not submit requests directly to Watmedia.
The following are a few resources that may help you with your research projects:
Start with Sage Research Methods, a comprehensive database of resources on research methods in the social sciences which includes:
- the Little Green Books series on quantitative applications
- the Little Blue Books series on qualitative research methods
- short videos by leading social scientists
- try the "project planner", a tool designed to guide you through your research project.
- Real research : research methods sociology students can use
- The research experience : planning, conducting, and reporting research
- Research design: quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory research approaches
- Video as method
- Visual methods in social research
- Ethics for graduate researchers : a cross-disciplinary approach
- Research ethics : a philosophical guide to the responsible conduct of research
- The student's guide to research ethics
- Data mining for the social sciences : an introduction
- More statistical and methodological myths and urban legends
- Practical Statistics: A Quick and Easy Guide to IBM® SPSS® Statistics, STATA, and Other Statistical Software
- Social statistics for a diverse society
- Write a Book Review
- Writing the Research Paper Video
Learn how to use citation management software.
Helpful documentation from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology:
Style Guide for the Preparation of Essays (Carleton University Department of Sociology)