LibGuides: Sociology: Reference Sources

What are Reference Sources?

Reference sources are available in general or subject specific contexts and in print or online formats.

Examples:

Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Almanacs
Glossaries
Handbooks
Atlases
Bibliographies
Indexes

Reference materials are good starting points for research projects because they can provide:

background or introductory information on a topic
terminology or additional keywords to use in further searches
a bibliography listing other materials on a topic

Your SOC Librarian

Lyena Chavez

Subjects: Art & Architecture, Career, Communication, Criminology, Education & Social Policy, English, History, Humanities, Music, Performing Arts, Social Sciences, Theatre, Writing

Online Reference Shelf

Biography - Gale in Context This link opens in a new window
Find biographies of people, searching by occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth and death date, and of course by name. Courtesy Massachusetts Library System.
Britannica Online This link opens in a new window
Free site available to all. See also Britannica sources provided by the Mass. Board of Library Commissioners for Children, Young Adults, Reference and Escolar Online.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Search hundreds of reference sources - dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases - for topic overviews and links to our other online resources. Includes mind map/concept map search feature.
Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
~ Encyclopedia of Population
~ Encyclopedia of Race and Racism
~ Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender
~ Int'l Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
MasterFILE Premier - EBSCOhost This link opens in a new window
Search magazines, reference books, primary sources, and photos, maps and flags in this general multidisciplinary collection.

Virtual Reference Shelf
~ Library of Congress

Reference Books/E-Books

Below is a selection of reference books about Sociology. Be sure to browse the reference shelves on the 2nd floor between HM and HV to find more materials.