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Sociology: Getting Started

Begin your research with the best resources recommended by the subject librarian for sociology. Here you will find the specialized databases, indexes, and reference works for the scholarly literature in sociology.

Reference Sources

Items in the Reference collection -- particularly subject encyclopedias -- are great starting points for your research. Encyclopedia articles offer concise overviews of a topic, summaries of key research in a particular discipline, and often include a bibliography which can serve as a starting list of sources for your project.

Subject Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
Platform: Wiley Online Library
First published 2007, with ongoing updates.
Dictionary of Sociology (4th ed.)
Oxford's 2014 edition of John Scott's Dictionary of sociology
Encyclopedia of Research Design
Platform: Sage Knowledge
Sage Publications, 2010
Encyclopedia of Social Deviance
Encyclopedia of Social Psychology
Online!
Encyclopedia of Sociology
Call Number: Baker-Berry Ref. HM425 .E5 2000
5-volume set shelved in Reference collection.
International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (2nd edition)
This massive, broad-coverage work is great for in-depth overviews - particularly social theory.
Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements
Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory
"interdisciplinary compendium of original entries focusing on the origins, evolution, and global development of contemporary social theory"

Last Updated: May 2, 2025 4:21 PM
URL: https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/sociology
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Subjects: Sociology

Tags: Social Sciences, SOCY