Research Guides Reference Sources In The Social Sciences And

Leo Migdal

-Dec 7, 2025, 3:41 PM

research guides reference sources in the social sciences and

Need more research help? We're here for you. Schedule a Research Consultation #mysched_0 { background: #2774AE; border: 1px solid #2774ae; border-radius: 4px; color: #FFFFFF; font: 14px Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; padding: 8px 20px; cursor: pointer; } #mysched_0:hover, #mysched_0:active, #mysched_0:focus { opacity: 0.6; } If you need help with writing, schedule an appointment with a peer learning facilitator at the Undergraduate Writing Center (UWC) or a writing consultant at the Graduate Writing Center. Reference materials provide well-researched information—for example, facts, definitions, histories, overviews of a topic, statistics—on a large subject area (e.g., sociology or dance) or for a type of data (e.g., biographies or directories). They pack lots of information into one easy-to-find place, and support student research in a number of ways:

Many reference works are available online and are accessible through links from the Library Catalog and from subject or course guides, but many valuable reference resources are still available only in print. Because print-only reference books are in high demand, they are kept in the separate, non-circulating Reference collection in most UCLA libraries. The Cambridge Economic History of the United States. Cambridge [England]; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996-2000. Call Number: Ref HC 103 .C26 1996. Encyclopedia of Sociology.

New York: Macmillan, 1992. Call Number: Ref HM 17 .E5 1991. Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. New York: Macmillan, 1930-1935. Call Number: Ref H41 .E6. Although dated, this encyclopedia remains of considerable value, stressing historical and descriptive material not considered in its successor, International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences.

International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. New York: Macmillan, 1968. Call Number: Ref H 40 .A2 I5. Focusing on the abstract and conceptual, these volumes are devoted to principles, theories, and methods in the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, history, law, political science, psychiatry, psychology, sociology, and statistics. Includes about 600 biographical sketches; living persons born before 1890 were eligible for inclusion. Kibbee, Josephine Z.

Cultural Anthropology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1991. Call Number: Ref Z 5111 .K53 1991. The umbrella of social sciences encompasses a broad range of disciplines and majors. It is interdisciplinary and incorporates a broad range of studies and discourses. There are, however, some similarities in terms of some of the research methods and types of sources that researchers might use when doing research.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, below are some of the examples of disciplines you might find within the umbrella of the social sciences. Social Science research is unique in that it shares similarities in its primary sources with both the humanities and the sciences in terms of primary sources. The overlap can sometimes be confusing, and if you have questions the best idea is to reach out to your instructor or the liaison librarian who works within your subject area. However, there are some examples below that provide some ideas of what might be considered primary sources for social science research. Original research published in peer-reviewed journals can sometimes be hard to identify but there are a few ways to do so. One way is to become familiar with the types of studies and methodologies that are common in your field.

For example, a longitudinal study completed in an education journal where there is also a clearly laid out experimental methodology, discussion of results, and potentially graphs or tables that further describe the data then... In a broader sense, though, original research often has a clear question at the beginning; methodology that clearly lays out how the research was completed (and could thus be replicated by others); a results... The author, or authors, will typically explain too what other research has been completed in this area of study prior to this one - but its primary focus is not prior research studies. Reference sources are reliable starting points for exploring topics. Definitions, overviews, chronologies, facts, and biographies are some of the types of information found in reference works. Encyclopedias provide concise, yet in-depth, background information about specific topics.

Articles in encyclopedias often provide additional reading lists and serve as basic introductions to topics. Below are several encyclopedias relating to the social sciences. Dictionaries provide definitions of terms and concepts as well as their usage. They help to clarify terminology and can provide clues to useful search keywords. Annual Reviews are comprehensive literature reviews on topics; they are not empirical articles, but summaries of other empirical studies. Use them to familiarize yourself with the research in an area and to mine the references for original empirical research studies.

You can browse them or use the Advanced Search to search within specific ones. This guide provides a starting point for resources in social sciences. Use the tabs on the side for guidance on resources for social sciences research, including If you are new to the topic, go to the Background Information tab to get started. Scholarly sources for this discipline include essays, critical reviews, case studies, research articles, and books. Go to the Scholarly Sources tab to see recommended resources.

Additional Specialized Resources that are particular to this subject include primary sources such as: photographs, artwork, poetry, fiction, and archived materials. If you need further information on How to Cite your work, go to Citations. Some good searches in NUsearch for Social Science encyclopedias include: The above keyword searches can be run as NUsearch as subject searches by using the Browse search feature. To use the browse feature start at the main search page of NUsearch and follow these steps: Reference Universe contains table-of-contents and index information for thousands of encyclopedias (as well as other works) allowing you to find an appropriate article on a specific topic.

Just type in any word or phrase into this box: The Linguistic Bibliography Online covers all disciplines of theoretical linguistics, both general and language specific. Material is included concerning all geographical areas. Particular attention is given to endangered and extinct languages as well as lesser known Indo-European and non-Indo-European languages.

Research Guides Reference Sources In The Social Sciences And

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Many Reference Works Are Available Online And Are Accessible Through

New York: Macmillan, 1992. Call Number: Ref HM 17 .E5

International Encyclopedia Of The Social Sciences. New York: Macmillan, 1968.

Cultural Anthropology: A Guide To Reference And Information Sources. Englewood,