Welcome to the Sociology LibGuide
Use this Subject LibGuide to help you make the most of the library and information resources.
Library Search will help you discover books, journals, articles, audio visual material and more on your chosen topic. This is a good place to start when you are beginning to research a topic as you can draw on content from a variety of different sources.
For more in depth research in databases and archives, use the A-Z Databases List.
Library Search is a good starting point for finding material on topic. 
However, if you want to research the global literature on a topic, and go beyond quick full text results, then you should follow up with a database search.
Research databases index the global literature and provide references to journal articles, books, conference proceedings, reports etc that match your search criteria. They help you to find information about previous publications in your research field. You can tailor your search more precisely using all the sophisticated functionality available on the research databases.
You can also target particular types of online resources such as news sources, official publications, statistics etc.
These three databases are all available from Proquest. Use their LibGuides for comnprhensive support and training:
You can explore thw wider literature across the social sciences using the following databases.
Full text archive of back issues of journals and e-books in all subject areas.
JSTOR provides access to scholarly book, journal and primary sources via an easy to use search interface. You can limit your searching to specific disciplines, e.g. Socioloogy.
To learn more about JSTOR, take a look at the short introductory tutorial.
Use the Databases A-Z List to access all the resources available to you.
You can browse by subject (e.g. Sociology or Anthropology) or type (e.g.maps, news, images etc.) or search to find your required resource.
You can use the following catalogues to search for material held at other libraries:
The European Library - gives access to the collections of the 48 National Libraries of Europe and leading European Research Libraries.
Ethnographies are first hand descriptive works of a particular group/culture, based on the immersive observations of the researcher.
Fnd out more about locating ethnographic materials in the library collections on the Ethnographies LibGuide.
You may need to use a range of information types beyond traditional academic books and journal articles, explore the range of sources on the Information Types guide
News sources can be invaluable research resources.
They provide contemporaneous accounts of events as they emerge and unfold, affording a snapshot of developments at a point in time.
By using news archive services, you can also engage in historical research by tracing commentary on issues over time, to identify and track changing political, economic and social trends. .
The availability of news resources online allows for very effective and comprehensive searching
Find out more on the News LibGuide.
Access all the news resources from the A-Z Database List.
Reference resources such as almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauri enable you to:
They can be really useful resources as you begin your background research into a topic, before you move on to more in depth research via your Subject databases.
In many cases, these resources are now available in digital format, allowing you to easily and quickly access the information you need.
Find out more on the Online Reference Resources LibGuide.
Official publications can be broadly defined as the documents and materials produced by the government and governmental departments during the course of government business.
Content ranges from statements of law and policy to government reports and statistics. These publications can be a valuable primary research source and are especially useful to those researching in law, politics and history. However, they are of relevance across all subjects as they address all aspects of governmental work such as science, education, law, agriculture, transport, health etc.
Find out more on the Official Publications LibGuide.
View the list of Official Publications databases in the Database A-Z List
Statistics is the science of collecting, analysing and presenting numerical data and can be a vital source of information for your studies.
Statistical data can be found on a huge variety of subjects, for example the economy, employment, the environment, government, health, international trade, manufacturing, and population.
Find out more on the Statistics LibGuide.
The Census (UK) is undertaken by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Census data is available to academic institutions via the UK Data Service.
The Census Data LibGuide provides full details about the resources available to you and how to effectively search these resources.
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).
You can explore TED Talks related to the topic of Sociology
You'll find talks on all sorts of other topics too.
The latest and most popular talks are available from the TED homepage.
It is important to plan your search strategy, and manage your search results so that you get the most from your online searching.
Keep a record of all the material you need to cite in your assignments, papers, projects etc.
Use the Search Techniques and Referencing guidance to assist you.
As you search you need to keep track of all the material you will be using in your academic work so that you can cite and reference it appropriately.
Always check your module handbook for specific departmental guidance on the style required for your assessed works and dissertations. Check with your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor if you need clarification.
For more guidance take a look at:
Find out more about the skills support available to help you develop a range of study skills including essay writing, referencing, critical reading and getting the most out of lectures.
Sage Research Methods Online (SRMO) is a great resource to use when you are planning and conducting your research.
It is targeted at social science researchers but is useful across all subject areas as it covers key research methodology topics that are applicable across the research spectrum.
Sage have produced a comprehensive LibGuide to help you get the best from the resource.
Linking the University of Exeter Library to Google Scholar
Google Scholar is an online, freely accessible search engine for locating scholarly literature from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. But not all full text content is free to access.
However, it is possible to link the University of Exeter online library to Google Scholar, making it quick to identify and access library full text content.
Just follow these instructions:
Click on Check for this @ Exeter or Access this @ Exeter options to view full text article:
Find out more here: Making the most of Google Scholar
University of Exeter LibGuide is licensed under CC BY 4.0
