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SOC 3 (Hirose) - Cultural and Racial Minorities: Getting Started

1. Explore a Topic

a. Search for current events or recent news related to sociology or society on the web, in a magazine, or on the news.

Examples:

New York Times

The New Yorker

Time magazine

CNN.com

b. Browse library databases that cover current issues and can help you get familiar with an issue or refine your topic . They make a great starting point when you have a general idea of a research topic, but you still need to narrow it down.

Examples:

c. Browse the table of contents, topic outlines, and indexes of subject encyclopedias for ideas. (See #2, below.)

2. Consult Encyclopedias and Reference Sources

  • Use reference books for background information, broad overviews and summaries.
  • The reference collection includes general and subject dictionaries and encyclopedias, biographies, directories, almanacs, atlases, etc.
  • Subject encyclopedia articles are signed by contributors who are experts on the topic.
  • Many also contain bibliographies or lists of recommended titles for further research.
  • Reference books cannot be checked out from the library but may be photocopied.
  • Use the LPC Library Catalog to find other encyclopedias by conducting a keyword or subject search.

Recommended Reference Books & eBooks

eReference

Login Instructions

If you are using any of the library's online databases from off-campus, you will need to log in.

Username: Your W Number*

Password:

  • first 2 letters of first name
  • first 2 letters of last name
  • last 4 digits of W#
  • Example: jado6789

* Don't know your W#, look it up in Class-Web.

Finding eReference Video