Subject Guide ~ Sociology

1. Find the right box(es)

• Hamilton Library Catalog on the LITS home page.

2. Identify useful words and phrases

• Start with a keyword search.
• Replace your keywords with subject terms.
  • Open the full catalog record for a book that matches your search criteria and browse the subject headings.
  • Click on a promising heading to find similar items.
  • Keep track of potentially useful subject headings.
  • Repeat.

3. Focus searches using filters

Use the filters on the right hand side of the library catalog's results page to focus or expand your search.

• Books: choose Resource Type > Books
• Articles: Show Only > Scholarly and peer-reviewed articles
• Subject: use for broad categories (e.g., Sociology)
• Date range

4. Retrieve books

• From Burke Library's shelves  ("How to Read LOC call numbers")
• From online using the Available Online link in the catalog record
• From other libraries by making an interlibrary loan request

1. Find the right box(es)

• Choose a subject guide.
  • LITS home page > Guides > Subject Guides > Sociology
• Select a database.
  • We suggest: Sociological Abstracts 

2. Identify useful words and phrases

• Start with a keyword search from the Advanced Search screen.
• Replace your keywords with subject terms.
  • Open the full catalog record for an article that matches your search criteria and browse the subject headings.
         --or--
    Browse terms under the Subject heading in the left hand column.
  • Replace keywords from your search with corresponding subject terms.
  • Keep track of potentially useful subject headings.
  • Repeat for each term used in your keyword search.

3. Focus searches using limiters

• Subject
• Peer-reviewed
• Date range 

4. Retrieve articles

• Find It
• Interlibrary loan

1. Meadow, Tey. Trans Kids: Being Gendered in the Twenty-First Century. Oakland,: University of California Press, 2018.
   • Is this book available in Burke Library in print format?
   • What keywords did you use?
   • Bonus: Is there anything interesting on the results page that gives you an idea of how the search algorithm works?
   • Can you find two good subject headings that will lead you to similar books?
      
2. Perform a search for articles discussing the relationship between grades and participation in intercollegiate athletics.
   • What database did you choose?
   • What three keywords did you use for your initial search?
   • What subject terms did you replace them with?
   • How did changing you revised search from a keyword search in "Anywhere" to a keyword search in "All subjects & indexing - SU"
   • What happened when you clicked on the "Find It" button for records that did not have a direct link to an article?