Searching the Social Sciences Literature

Inga H. Barnello, M.L.S. barnello@lemoyne.edu

PSC 202 / SOC 201

Objective: a literature review» A written section of a paper that is a discussion of the

key publications that are out there on the topic

» This section of your project identifies important researchers/authors and what each has done that effectively built the knowledge in field.

» It should put the topic into context. You have tapped into the “conversation” that is occurring among scholars. Tell the reader what has transpired and how the research and thinking have come along.

Conduct a literature search

» Search a topic in a bibliographic database» “Translate” your research question into search words

˃ Use strategies involving+ And, or+ Use of the database’s subject field only, if results are “sketchy…” or if too

much comes up…+ Use of the database’s thesaurus of subject terms

» Read abstracts & evaluate what you found» Narrow your topic or change it…. Re-do…

» What do you hope/expect to find?» Someone describe your “dream” find today…» Who do you want to hear from?

Before you start searching ….

Data about societies PhDs in academia

PhDs in research institutes & think

tanks

Government agencies

Non-profit organizations

Practitioners: social workers, school teachers, urban

planners

News agencies & magazines

News & magazine articles

Peer-reviewed journal articles

Publish

Gov’t & research institute reports

Publishing in the

social sciences

Databases

Encyclopedia handbook

Books, book chapters

Research Guides, then Course Guides, then SOC 201

See 2nd tab to see list of databases

Differences Among Databases: Journals covered

SocINDEX: Strong focus on sociology….all the social sciences are covered (but less of political science)

Proquest Social Sciences All social sciences covered

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts (ProQuest) Strong on international aspects, public policy & has

government reports ProQuest Criminal Justice Education Full Text and ERIC are good for violence in

the schools, school funding, etc.

Preparing to do a search

» Divide topic into its separate facets or variables (unrelated concepts that you wish to intersect)

» Check the terms used by the database and think about what you really WANT

income inequality unions

income distribution (is what SocINDEX uses) labor unions is the subject heading

labor movement is a subject term wage bargaining (?)

AFL-CIO

Boolean searching : AND

» AND limits retrieval by requiring each term˃ If you were to type into a single search box:

“Income distribution” and unions

SocINDEX database

The Boolean OR » allows all terms into the results » “union of sets”…. A U B » OR increases retrieval ˃ elections or campaigns˃ Homeowners or taxpayers˃ Gender or women˃ Race or racial or ethnicity

Women gender

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts