This series of handouts is designed to help you use particular resources. You can use these to get an idea about what materials are available through these sources and how to use them. If you need any assistance, please ask a reference librarian for help.

PSYCHOLOGY/SOCIOLOGY: Psychology and sociology are separate disciplines, however, they are closely related. Psychology is the study of behavior, the interactions of people and their physical and social environment. Sociology is the study of society, social institutions and social relationship; the development structure and function of human groups.

SEARCH TERMS: When you need information, you should make sure you are looking under the right subject. Using the wrong terms can waste time and prevent you from finding readily available materials. Both the library catalog and indexes (lists of articles by subject) use standardized terms that may not be the commonly used ones. If you don't find anything under the first term you used, try a variety of others. You can also check lists of terms. Look in the Thesaurus of Sociological of Psychological Index Terms for Sociological or Psychological Abstracts and the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) books for terms to use for the library catalogs. These resources are located in the library near the computers. Some examples of subject headings for psychology and sociology are:

LCSH                                           Thesaurus of Sociological/Psychological Abstracts

Sociology-Urban                             Urban Sociology
Sociology, Christian                        Sociology of Religion
Motivation (Psychology)                 Motivation
Psychology-Children                       Mathematical Modeling
Sociological Jurisprudence              Sociology of Law

BACKGROUND MATERIALS: The first step in an information search is locating background and review materials. General and subject specific encyclopedias, subject dictionaries, handbooks and other reference sources provide you with an overview of a topic and list basic facts. They point to major elements and important scholars of a subject. This information can give you ideas on how to focus or "narrow down" your topic. These are located in the encyclopedia area and in the reference shelves. Some examples are:

Encyclopedia of Psychology                                               R 150.3 E56 1994- EA
Encyclopedia of Sociology                                                        R 301.03 E56- EA
Handbook of Developmental Psychology                                   R 155 H236- EA
Encyclopedia of Human Behavior                                              R 150.3 E56- EA

Handbook of Family Measurement Techniques           R 306.85 H236- Reference
Older Americans Almanac                                              R 305.26 O44-Reference

BOOKS: The second step in an information search is locating in-depth sources. Circulating books usually have more recent information than reference sources and cover single subjects in detail. You can search for books by title, author or subject using LCSH terms in SIRSI, the online library catalog. Ask a reference librarian or look at the Searching the Library Catalog handout if you need assistance. Psychology materials are in the 150s, as well as the 300s, 360s and 370s. Sociology materials are in the 300s, as well as the 370s.

Remember that call numbers arrange books by subject so if you find a book that is on your topic and need more, browse the books in the same area. Examine the table of contents and the indexes to see if your subject is covered.

JOURNAL ARTICLES: The third step in an information search is locating current information. Articles usually have the most current information available. Indexes and abstracts list articles by subject. Appropriate indexes for psychology and sociology are Psychological Abstracts, Psych_Info 1887, PAIS,  Sociological Abstracts and Social Science Index. All of these indexes can be accessed through the FirstSearch database, available from the library web page (http://www.arbor.edu/whitelibrary). For assistance using First Search, please see a reference librarian or look at the handout, Searching First Search. Specific to Social Work issues and concerns, Social Work Abstracts is located on the Index Table in the Reference Area of the library. You will also find older editions of Psychological Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts and Social Science Index available on the Index Table.  SAC discontinued these paper subscriptions in 1999.

Keep in mind that journals and magazines vary in academic quality. If you need scholarly research materials, use the academic journals instead of general magazines.
 

WORLD WIDE WEB: Another source for information is the world wide web.  Students are encouraged to use the web cautiously, however, as much of the information on the web has not been evaluated or reviewed. For background information, the web can be a great place to start. It is not always the source of choice for scholarly research paper. Talk with your instructor about using web resources for papers. The SAC Librarians have reviewed web sites and selected key academic web sites by discipline.  Check out these sites here.

CURRENT: Other current materials can be found by browsing the new books shelf. You can browse the new periodical shelves for newly released art journals and magazines that are not yet indexed as well. Newspapers are another good source for current information.  SAC subscribes to The Jackson Citizen Patriot, The Detriot News, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

FURTHER RESEARCH: Additional ways to research include examining bibliographies in reference books, books and articles for similar materials. You can request materials we do not own through Interlibrary Loan. The vertical file contains various pamphlets, handouts and documents arranged by subject. For specific needs, there is chart and picture file available as well.

DON'T GO AWAY EMPTY HANDED!!! If you are having trouble locating what you need, just ask for a reference librarian. We are here to help!
 

DON'T GO AWAY EMPTY HANDED!!! If you are having trouble locating what you need, just ask for a reference librarian. We are here to help!

 

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