CSUDH Library and Information Resources for
 |
SOC 367: Sociology of LawPrepared by:Caroline Bordinaro, Librarian |
Go to: Search Tips | Finding Books | Finding Magazines, Newspapers and Journals | Finding Websites | Library Guides
Concepts and questions for beginning research:
- Where to Start?
- What's your research question?
- What information do you need to find?
- Who cares about the same information? (e.g.: researchers, historians, government, etc.)
- What kind of information do they need?
- Where would they get it?
- What resource are you currently using? Why is it important to know?
- Is there a better tool for the job?
- Are you using it in the most efficient/effective way?
- Types of information available
Advice for searching subscription databases:
- Definitions
- DATABASE: An organized collection of information, especially electronic information.
- ONLINE JOURNAL INDEX: A database that contains magazine, newspaper and journal articles e.g: Academic Search Premier
- JOURNAL (also SCHOLARLY JOURNAL): Scholarly publication, articles usually reviewed by experts in the field before publication; published for an academic audience; narrow focus; deeply researched e.g.; American Journal of Psychology
- MAGAZINE: Publication of general interest: popular interest and broad subjects (e.g: Psychology Today)
- ABSTRACT: a brief summary of the main content of an article
- FULL TEXT: the complete article. Click on the
button to see if the Full Text is available. - CITATION: the basic information you need to find the full text of an article. Includes
- Search Concepts
- Boolean operators
- 1. AND: Adidas AND marketing
2. OR: Adidas OR Nike
3. NOT: Adidas NOT shoes - Phrase searching"" ( "Nike Sportswear of America")
- Advanced Search: Use this frequently to determine your search options. This will save you TIME and FRUSTRATION!
- USE THE HELP SCREENS
- Rules and advice
- Find index descriptors attached to useful article citations- redo your search with these "Official Database Topic Terms"
- Always use the E-Mail, Print and Save functions embedded within the database window. It is usually not a good idea to use the File-Print or File-Save As functions in the upper left hand corner of the browser.
- All databases function essentially the same way and have similar features.
BONUS!! Try our new SEARCH TUTORIAL and tell us how you liked it! Send comments to Jeff Broude, librarian at jbroude@csudh.edu.
Finding Books in the library
Go to TOROFIND: the CSUDH Library Catalog and search on the title, author, subject or keyword. Look not only for that specific call number, but also check out the books in that section. This is the best way to find older government documents and technical reports.
- If you don't see the right item listed, or want more titles, try an
on a few keywords (in separate boxes). - The item you want may not be a book. It may be some other kind of document, or it may be on microfilm.
- If you don't find what you need, ask a reference librarian.
Go to: Finding Websites | Library Guides
Magazine, journal and newspaper articles online
Online indexes must be accessed through the CSUDH library homepage (library.csudh.edu). Select Journal Articles & Electronic Resources; You may either browse by subject area or go to your favorite resource using the Alphabetical List.
NOTE: These are subscription online journal indexes, selected and provided specifically for CSUDH students. To access from home, please see our Remote Patron Access Instructions guide for login instructions.
Recommended journal indexes:
- Social Sciences Full Text*: indexes publications and peer-reviewed research.
- SocINDEX*: offers coverage from all subdisciplines of sociology, including criminology, cultural sociology, demography, economic development, ethnic & racial studies, gender studies, politics, social psychology, social structure, urban studies, welfare, and others.
- Lexis-Nexis: 100% full-text newspapers, magazines and journal articles on a wide range of subjects. Choose News or Legal for articles and research in these areas.
- JSTOR: Peer reviewed journal articles on a wide range of social sciences topics.
- Project Muse: Collection of scholarly articles in the humanities and social sciences with a global and historical focus.
- Ethnic News Watch*: Published research on ethnic groups in the United States.
- Gender Watch*: Scholarly research in the areas of women's studies, gender interaction, LGBT studies, the evolution of the women's movement and the changes in gender roles.
- America History & Life and Historical Abstracts: indexes journals on American and world history from 1450 to the present.
- PsycINFO*: citations and summaries of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, all in psychology and related disciplines, dating as far back as the 1800s. 97 percent of the covered material is peer-reviewed. Also try PsycARTICLES and PsycEXTRA.
- Anthropological Index: search for articles about the law as a sociological construct. Warning: for advanced searchers only!
Recommended general interest indexes:
- Academic Search Premier*: Our most popular general index. Many full-text articles. Easy search and retrieval. Many older articles.
- ProQuest Databases*: Excellent multi-subject index, with many full-text articles. Very easy to search.
- WilsonWeb: OmniFile Full-Text Mega*: Another multi-subject index. Lots of full-text.
- Britannica Online: the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica. Search on your country.
*To limit search to peer-reviewed journals only, look for check box next to Peer-Reviewed, Scholarly Journals, or Academic Journals on database search screen (may be in Advanced Search)
Not sure how to search? Use our How To Find Articles help page for assistance.
Finding quality websites
These are indexes to quality web sites that have been reviewed by librarians. The sites have been checked for accuracy, timeliness, stability, and will generally conform to the standards of academic research. However, please be judicious in the use of websites in general, because anybody can put anything on the web.
- CSUDH Law Research Guide: Resource guide for journal indexes and Internet resources compiled by CSUDH librarians.
- The Law and Society Association: an international and interdisciplinary group of scholars interested in the place of law in social, political, economic and cultural life. Publishes the Law & Society Review, sponsors annual conferences and educational workshops, and encourages participation in its workshops and mentorship program for students and new scholars.
- Sociology of Law: A section of the American Sociological Association
- Association for the study of Law, Culture & the Humanities: Scholars engaged in the studies of legal history, legal theory and jurisprudence, law and cultural studies, law and literature, law and the performing arts, and legal hermeneutics. Encourages dialogue about issues of interpretation, identity, and values, about authority, obligation, and justice, and about law's place in culture.
- Infomine (infomine.ucr.edu): A project from the Univeristy of California and other universities, it is a searchable index of websites specifically appropriate for university research. Click on SocSci & Humanities to search their specialized index.
- Librarian's Index to the Internet (www.lii.org): Index of websites reviewed by librarians, geared toward the general public. Choose a topic from the index or use Advanced Search to search for keywords.
- Evaluating Information on the Web: This is a very good checklist from the Pasadena City College Library for judging the quality of not only information on the Internet, but any information you may want to use for an assignment.
For more detailed help, download our LIBRARY GUIDES (.doc format) :
- Finding journal articles using Academic Search Premier (advanced search/retrieval methods, Interlibrary Loan)
- Accessing databases from off campus
- What is a Literature Review?
- Searching Google (advanced Internet search methods)
- OR click here to download ALL FOUR GUIDES with BONUS MATERIAL! (10pgs.)
Go to: Research Concepts | Finding Books | Finding Magazines, Newspapers and Journals | Finding Websites
Created and adapted by C. Bordinaro, CSUDH librarian 10/09/2006