Background Research

The items listed below are meant as a starting point for your research, and are by no means comprehensive. General reference works such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and directories offer background information, and quick answers to specific questions.

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias can be useful for overviews of areas of research, for bibliographies of standard works, and for biographical information. Information in encyclopedias should not replace use of primary and secondary sources, but can be a good starting point for research.

Encyclopedia of Social History, edited by Peter N. Stearns, (New York: Garland, 1994), *R-BA 94-177. Good for the overlap between historical and sociological research. Covers the issues, paradigms, and topics of social history.

Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, edited by Edwin Robert Anderson Seligman, (New York: Macmillan, 1937), Various call numbers (see CATNYP). Seminal work from the formative era of the social science disciplines. Good for historical research and biography of 19th-century figures. Editorial Board and contributors includes the major figures in 20th century social research.

Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by Edgar F. Borgatta and Marie L. Borgatta, (New York: Macmillan, 1992), *R-SC 92-8624. Fairly recent major encyclopedia; good for contemporary perspectives and research.

International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by David L. Sills, (New York: Macmillan, 1968-79), *R-SB. Complement to the earlier Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Updates to the research and perspectives up to the 1970s.

The International Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by Michael Mann, (New York: Continuum, 1984), *R-SC 91-7380. Selective, one-volume encyclopedia, strong on the relation between sociology and psychology.

The Social Science Encyclopedia, edited by Adam Kuper and Jessica Kuper, (New York: Routledge, 1996), *R- SC 96-10554. One-volume compendium with short entries, covering major social sciences.

Dictionaries

Dictionaries are useful for technical vocabulary used in specific sociological fields, methods, and perspectives. Each dictionary has particular strengths and focuses.

The Blackwell Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Social Thought, edited by William Outhwaite and Tom Bottomore, (Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1993), *R- SAB 93-2922. Covers major fields in social sciences: sociology, anthropology, economics, and statistics.

Boudon, Raymond, and François Bourricaud . A Critical Dictionary of Sociology, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989), *R-SC 91-7437. Collection of essays on key concepts and figures in sociological theory by two major French sociologists.

Brooker, Peter, Cultural Theory: A Glossary, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), *R-SC 99-3206. Dictionary of terms used in cultural studies, with focus on 20th century French thought and critical theory.

Jary, David, and Julia Jary, Collins Dictionary of Sociology, (Glasglow:HarperCollins, 1991), *R-SC 91-7495. Very thorough glossary of academic sociology, especially quantitative research and biographical information.

Johnson, Allan G, The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology: A User's Guide to Sociological Language, (Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1995), *R-SC 96-5516. Definitions include suggestions for further reading. Contains biographical appendix.

Directories

Directories provide contact information and basic overviews of organizations or individuals. The directories selected here cover sociology institutions, associations, and academic departments.

Guide to Graduate Departments of Sociology, (Washington: American Sociological Association 1972-), JFM 97-11. Annual guide to major graduate U.S. programs in sociology. Focus on American universities, but also includes Canadian and British programs. Details on faculty and graduating theses.

Research Centers Directory, (Detroit: Gale Research, 1965-). Current copy in Pub. Cat. 80-910, past copies in JFM 00-117. International coverage of research institutions in a wide range of fields, including Behavioral & Social Sciences, Government and Public Affairs, and Labor & Industrial Relations.

World Directory of Social Science Institutions, (Paris: UNESCO, 1990), JFL 95-55. International directory of social science research centers, associations, and other organizations. Covers staffing, publications, activities, and contact info.

Handbooks and Guides

Handbooks have a practical focus that can include orientation within the current literature, research methodology, and theoretical issues. The handbooks listed have been selected for their currency and ease of use. Most of the guides recommended here provide selective annotated bibliographies of reference materials in sociology and social sciences. They are valuable introductions to the available resources within the field.

Aby, Stephen H., Sociology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1997), JFE 98-198. Guide to resources in sociology and other related social science fields, with special attention to sub-fields such as criminology, demography, theory, etc.

Annual Review of Sociology, (Palo Alto, Calif.: Annual Reviews Inc, 1975-) JFK 96-615, or in JSTOR for years 1975-97 available through NYPL Electronic Resources. Reviews developments and trends in sociology.

Bottomore, T. B., Sociology: A Guide to Problems and Literature, (Boston: Allen & Unwin, 1987), JLD 87-2371. An outline of the history of sociology, issues, and perspectives, with reading guides to the classic literature.

Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods, edited by Leonard Bickman and Debra J. Rog, (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998), JFE 92-1455. Practically oriented essays on all phases of qualitative and quantitative research.

Handbook of Qualitative Research, edited by Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1994), JFF 94-1046. Anthology of essays on the methodology and theory of qualitative research.

The Handbook of Sociology, edited by Neil J. Smelser, (Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1988), JLF 88-709. Very thorough guide to perspectives and issues in sociology.

International Handbook of Contemporary Developments in Sociology, edited by Raj P. Mohan and Arthur S. Wilke, (Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1994), JFE 95-4346. International coverage of the history and trends in sociology. Covers both intellectual trends and organizational context.

Li, Tze-chung, Social Science Reference Sources: A Practical Guide, (New York: Greenwood Press, 1990), *RS-S 00-14030. Very thorough coverage of social sciences with focus on databases and web-based resources.

Smelser, Neil J, Sociology, (Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1994), *R-SB 98-9935. Topical essays on all aspects of sociology, with a focus on theoretical paradigms and fields of research.

The Social Sciences: A Cross-disciplinary Guide to Selected Resources Herron, edited by Nancy L., (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1996), *R-SA 99-11095 Well-annotated and selective. Includes introductory essays on various fields in the social sciences.

Sproull, Natalie L., Handbook of Research Methods: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in the Social Sciences, (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995), *R-SB 96-1369. Hands-on guide covering all phases of research design with quantitative orientation.

Webb, William H., Sources of Information in the Social Sciences: A Guide to the Literature, (Chicago: American Library Association, 1986), *RB-S 87-475 Combines annotated bibliography of reference resources with clear discussions of the methodologies and perspectives in the social sciences.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies provide access to books and journals by subject. They are useful for finding books or journals appropriate to a specific topic, and for surveying the literature.

Brown, Samuel R., Finding the Source in Sociology and Anthropology: A Thesaurus Index to the Reference Collection (New York: Greenwood Press, 1987), *RB-S 92-11017 Selective bibliography of the social science reference material with very good subject access. Strong on locating topical bibliographies.

Current Sociology. La Sociologie Contemporaine, (Paris: Blackwell, 1952-), JFL 93-387, current issue in Room 108, Journal of the International Sociological Association. Topical issues, each with an extended bibliography on the issue's theme.

International Bibliography of Sociology. Bibliographie Internationale de Sociologie, (London: Routledge, 1951), JFL 99-221. Yearly bibliography of the sociology literature compiled by the British Library, with classified subject arrangement. International coverage of over 20,000 books and 2,500 journals.

Wepsiec, Jan., Social Sciences: An International Bibliography of Serial Literature, 1830-1895, (New York: Mansell, 1992), *RS-SA 92-8260

———, Sociology: An International Bibliography of Serial Publications, 1880-1980, (London: Mansell Pub. Ltd., 1983), JLF 83-289. Subject access to serial publications in sociology and selected related fields. Includes periodicals, books in series, and occasional papers.

General Works

Included in this list are fairly recent and accessible works that provide a broad view of sociology as a field and can be used to get a better perspective on sociological writers and intellectual movements.

Gordon, Scott, The History and Philosophy of Social Science, (New York: Routledge, 1991), *R-SAB 92-8627. A historical overview of the development of social sciences out of classical and Enlightenment thought.

Levine, Donald Nathan, Visions of the Sociological Tradition, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995), JFE 96-1114. Focuses on theoretical perspectives and their relation to competing accounts of the history of sociology.

Ross, Dorothy, The Origins of American Social Science, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990), *R-SAB 90-12945. History of U.S. social sciences focusing on sociology, relating them to crisis in American modernity and politics.

Social Theory: A Guide to Central Thinkers, edited by Peter Beilharz, (North Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1991), *R-SAB 93-1581. Review of selected theorists and schools of thought in social sciences. Provides short biography and bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

Swingewood, Alan, A Short History of Sociological Thought, (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000), JFE 00-5193. Very clear and concise overview and introduction to the field. Covering Enlightenment sources to current developments.

Westby, David L., The Growth of Sociological Theory: Human Nature, Knowledge, and Social Change, (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1991), JFE 92-6938. Analysis of the development of sociological thought from the 18th to the early 20th century.