Quick links
Databases in Related Subjects
Find an Article
Teach Yourself tutorial.
Contact the Sociology Librarian if you would like help with your search strategy.
The Googles
Search this to find government and organisational publications, such as reports, policy documents, research and conference papers. The Advanced search enables you to limit your search to particular domains e.g. .govt, .org
Google search tips
Enables you to search simply and broadly across the scholarly literature. You will need to use the Library's databases for a systematic and comprehensive search of your topic. Note that search results are displayed by relevance, not date. The Cited Reference feature is particularly useful.
More information about Advanced searching and linking to the Library's holdings.
Databases for Sociology
British and American spellings
To do effective searches on international databases you need to be aware of the different spellings authors may use in their work so that you can cover both possibilities in your search terms.
AskOxford provides a summary of the main differences to be aware of.
Tips for Selecting a Database
Selecting the best database(s) for your search is the first step to a successful result.
To help you decide which database(s) to choose for your search, ask yourself the following questions:-
What subjects are covered by the database?
Some databases focus on a particular subject, such as Sociological Abstracts (Sociology) or PsycINFO (Psychology).
Others are multidisciplinary, covering a broad range of subjects, such as ProQuest and Web of Science which cover all academic disciplines.
What is the regional coverage of the database?
Some databases, such as the academic subject-specific ones, index journals published around the world.
Other databases focus on one geographical area. For New Zealand information you would use Index New Zealand.
What types of publications are covered by the database?
Most databases index journal articles. The subject –specific databases index scholarly journals and the multidisciplinary ones usually include general interest, trade and professional magazines as well.
Other publications indexed may include chapters from books, book reviews, conference papers, reports, dissertations, newspaper articles and audiovisual material.
Some databases cover newspapers only and provide the full text of the articles, e.g. Factiva
What years does the database cover?
Most databases cover material published from the 1960's or 1970's onwards.
Currency is also a consideration.
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