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Urban Sociology (SOC 234): Gather Background Info

This guide is to help students in SOC 234 courses learn about key research resources and strategies in urban sociology.

Begin here!

Reference titles (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, manuals, etc.) provide summary and factual information. They contain authoritative, well established information and are particularly useful when you are just starting your research. Look to them to:

  • find basic concepts and viewpoints of your topic;
  • get the historical context and relationships to other topics;
  • identify and define special terms used to discuss the topic;
  • identify the leading researchers and authors on your topic; and
  • find or verify data, facts, and formulas.

You can find reference works in OneSearch, the library catalog, or some of our databases (online collections of information).

Library Resources for Learning More about a Topic

  • Britannica Academic Edition - Delivers fast and easy access to high-quality, comprehensive information. The combination of the Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools provides the variety of reliable sources students need for research all in one place.
     
  • Gale Ebooks - A database of encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. it is an excellent resource for general overviews.
     
  • Opposing Viewpoints - Provides a complete one-stop source for information on social issues. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Attribution

Part of this page was used with permission from Marshall University Libraries' Psychology guide. The guide was created by Tim Balch.