About this page
The resources on this page will help you to get an overview of scholarly work on your topic.
- Encyclopedia articles are written by scholars in the field, and usually provide a succinct picture of the issue at hand. They also provide pointers to important theorists, researchers, and literature on the topic.
- Literature reviews usually provide an organized look at the history of research on a topic. They can be long, but they will spell out many of the important scholarly trends related to your issue.
Sociology Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia of Sociology by ISBN: 0028648536Publication Date: 2000-11-16Also available in print: Hatcher Graduate Reference Room (2nd floor North) HM 17 .E51 2000
Search across subject specific academic encyclopedias
- Library Articles SearchSearches across the Library's many collections and databases.
Limit the Format to "Reference" to bring up results from academic encyclopedias.
- SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new windowA searchable collection of over 130 scholarly encyclopedias, handbooks, and reference books in the social sciences.
Examples of subject specific academic encyclopedias include:
Finding Literature Reviews
A literature review article will help you get an overview of the research that's been done on a theoretical question.
These are two sources that publish review articles exclusively. You may also find literature review articles mixed in with your search results in scholarly article databases like Sociological Abstracts.
- Annual Review of SociologyPublished since 1975. "Topics covered in the journal include major theoretical and methodological developments as well as current research in the major subfields. "
- Sociology CompassPublished since 2007. Online-only, peer-reviewed journal providing reviews of current research on topics from across the discipline.