Resources for Research in Sociology

1. Library Tutorial for Hons Year Students Resources for Research in Sociology by Hayati Abdul clbha@nus.edu.sg

2. What shall we learn? • How to: • Search Sociology databases using keywords, Boolean operators... • Navigate LINC+ and access relevant services and resources from Library portal.

3. By the end of session, we’ll learn how to: • Effectively search Sociology databases for journal articles, conference papers,... • Use LINC+and Library portal to locate relevant resources and services

4. Contents • Search Strategy • Databases for Sociology • Newspapers • Other useful sources • LINC+ • Library portal • This is a hands-on session

5. Search Strategy

6. Boolean operators • AND= All terms must be present • OR = Any of the terms may be present • NOT = Excludesspecific search term parenthood ANDmarriage AgedOR elderly casino gambling NOT Internet gambling

7. Truncation • Most databases use asterisk *to retrieve variant forms of search terms: • gambl* =gambled, gambling, gamble (anything that comes after ‘gambl’) • parent*= parenthood, parenting, parents (anything that comes after ‘parent’) • Note: Different databases use different wildcard symbols e.g. $, ?, ! • Check database guides, Help menu...

8. Parentheses ( ) • Use( )to executecommands inside innermost parentheses first • (low income or single) and families = low income families single parent families • (teen*or adolescen*)and pregnancy = teenage pregnancy adolescent pregnancy

9. Things to remember when searching databases Best practices • Enter search terms using natural language • Identify keywords & list synonyms, alternative spellings... • And, OR, NOT, *, $,( ) are standard symbols & can be used in almost all databases. • Look for the following features in each database: • Limit or refine search (by language, date...) • Sort results (by date, relevance, times cited...) • Descriptors, thesaurus, subjects for more search terms • Edit or modify search • Mark, save, print, email, export results • Links to abstracts, full-texts, citing articles • Help menus, Search tips, User guides...

10. Databases “Overall, the ability to communicate with databases as though you were talking to a colleague is pretty amazing, as long as you know what it can and cannot do.”- Thane, Librarians’ Rx, Apr 2008

11. Databases for Sociology • Scopus • Sociological Abstracts • Social Sciences Citation Index via Web of Science • PERIND • Proquest Theses & Dissertations • Expanded Academic Asap • Social Sciences Abstracts

12. Scopushttp://www.info.scopus.com/setup/promo/promo_material/docs/00000_Scopus_User_Guide_General_4WEB08.pdfScopushttp://www.info.scopus.com/setup/promo/promo_material/docs/00000_Scopus_User_Guide_General_4WEB08.pdf

13. About Scopus • Provides indexing, abstracting of and citation linking to • peer reviewed & open access journals • conference proceedings, books… • web sources, author homepages, university sites, articles-in-press, preprint servers… • Coverage, 1966- • Focused on Scientific, Technical, Medical & Social Sciences literature. • Content originates from Europe, Latin America & Asia Pacific region • Possible to Cross-searchScopus& CSA Illumina databases.

14. religion* and social control and deviance Lets search Scopus “While religion has played an important role as an agent of social control, certain forms of religion have increasingly been seen as deviant in contemporary societies.” Discuss this apparent paradox.

16. (welfare state) or (welfare society) and singapore Let’s search Scopus Is Singapore a welfare state? If yes, why and from which perspective? If no, how would you call the Singaporean social policy regime?

17. Let’s search Scopus How do micro-level and meso-level models of international migration contribute to understanding the initiation and perpetuation of foreign workers in Singapore? foreign workers and singapore and migration

18. Let’s search Scopus

19. Notes on Scopus • Basic Search • Use Boolean operators, such as OR, AND, NOT, also multi-character wildcard * • Default search in “Article title, Abstract, Keywords” • Use Limit fields • Use Refine results • Combine Search History • Integration with CSA Illumina databases • Click to search Sociological Abstracts • Advanced Search - Command Line search not really recommended

20. Sociological Abstracts CSA Illumina Quick Reference Guide http://www.csa.com/support/QRC.pdf

21. About Sociological Abstracts • Premier resource for research literature in Sociology • Provides indexes & abstractsto journal articles, book chapters, conference papers & dissertations. • Coverage, 1979- • Culture, social structure, social differentiation, social psychology, sociology of the arts, business, education, studies in violence and power and more…… • Search LINC+ for full-texts of references retrieved • Some overlap in literature coverage between Scopus & Sociological Abstracts

22. (aging or retirement) and singapore and government and family Let’s search Sociological Abstracts Successful ageing for Singapore: the roles of the government and family

23. surveillance and (workplace* or work environment*) Lets search Sociological Abstracts How are surveillance technologies changing the nature of the modern organization?

24. Notes onSociological Abstracts • Quick Search • Searches single words or phrases • Quick search = anywhere search • Enter Boolean operators in search box • AND, OR and NOT • Advanced Search • Allows for more complex searches • Combine terms using Boolean operators from drop-down lists • Use drop-down menus to select specific fields: • Anywhere, Keywords, Author, Title, Descriptors…

25. Notes on Sociological Abstracts • Limits • Date • Use drop down menus to limit to range of years • Latest update • limits results to include only most recent records • Journal articles, English • limits search to journal articles & English records • QuickBib • Use records to create bibliography in ASA style.

26. Notes on Sociological Abstracts • Displaying and viewing records • Click on View record for more details, including abstract • Results displayed by All Publication Types • Results can be sorted by • Most recent or Relevance • Click on Edit Search to modify search • Add or remove term(s) to refocus search • Managing search results • Mark, print, mail, save & export • Export to EndNote Web

27. Social Sciences Citation Index(via Web of Science)Quick Reference Guidehttp://scientific.thomson.com/media/scpdf/webofscienceqrc.pdf

28. About Social Sciences Citation Index • It is a multidisciplinary database covering the journal literature of the social sciences, 1980- • General Search • Searches by topic, author, etc., like any other article database. • Cited reference • A unique search tool that lets you use a particular article or author as a starting point to see who has cited that work since it was published.

29. (welfare state) or (welfare society) and singapore Let’s search SSCI via Web of Science Is Singapore a welfare state? If yes, why and from which perspective? If no, how would you call the Singaporean social policy regime?

30. surveillance and (workplace* or work environment*) Lets search Social Sciences Citation Index How are surveillance technologies changing the nature of the modern organization?

31. responses and research and telephone surveys Lets search Social Sciences Citation Index Measures to improve return rates in a telephone survey

32. Notes on Social Sciences Citation Index • Enter search terms in search fields • Topic, Author, Title or Publication Name • Use quotation marks“ ... “ to look for exact phrase. • Search using AND, OR, NOT and SAME (same sentences) to create logical search statements. • Truncation symbols *,?, $ can be used to search for variants of words • Nest search operators inside parentheses ( )

33. Notes on Social Sciences Citation Index • On search result list, click on the article's title to view its abstract & other details • May refine results by different criteria like subject areas, document types, languages, ... etc. • Sort results by date, number of times cited, relevance. • Click to access articles online. • Create Personal Profile to create Saved Searches and Search Alerts.

34. PERINDPeriodical Indexto articles relating to Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei & ASEANHow to searchhttp://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/lion/d/perind.html

35. About PERIND • Good source for research relating to Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei & ASEAN, 1980s- • Index to journal articles, book chapters and conference papers relating to humanities, social sciences, business, architecture, building, science, technology, law & medicine • Uses Boolean operators, truncation (*), drop-down list to search on specific fields • Save selected records using IE function File> Save as>filename...

36. social security and singapore Lets search PERIND Whatpotential problems does the existing social security system in Singapore pose?

37. gender, class Lets search PERIND Analyze either the gender or class dimensions of Singlish and its relationship with the formation of “Singaporean” identity. (gender or class) and (singlish or singapore english) and identity

38. Journal Citation Alerts • Major Sociology journal publishers • Sage • JSTOR • InformaWorld • SpringerLink • Project Muse • Cambridge Journals Online • Open Access Journals

39. Journal Citation Alerts • I’d like to receive citation alerts from Sage journals on the following topic: “The ethnicity factor in policing” • Access the Sage Publications platform via library portal • Look for the option “Alerts” (in this case, it is found under My Tools tab) • You will be asked to sign in (register for an account if necessary) • Do a search on your topic • Save your alert request

40. Newspapers

41. E-Newspapers • International & local newspapers: • New York Times, Asian Wall Street Journal, Business Times, The Straits Times, more… • Two major databases • Factiva • Lexis/Nexis Academic Click to view E-newspapers Access Factiva directly

42. Newspapers • Press Clippings • In-house collection of articles from Straits Times and Business Times • Articles about Singapore, Malaysia, ASEAN • Check LION under Press Clippings Collection - Subject Headings List* • Available from Singapore-Malaysia Collection (SMC) • Microfilms • The Straits Times from 1880 -

43. workfare income supplement and (welfare or recipient*) and singapore Let’s searchFactiva or LexisNexis Discuss the extent to which the Workfare Income Supplement scheme reflects a major change in the social policy of the government.

44. Lets search Factiva/LexisNexis Academic Why do people use/not use public transport in Singapore? demand* OR prefer* OR usage OR choice* (demand* OR prefer* OR usage OR choice*) AND publictransport* AND singapore

45. Other Useful Sources

46. Foreign Theses • ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database • Index to Theses with Abstracts Accepted for Higher Degree by the Universities of Great Britain & Ireland • Australian Digital Theses Database

47. sociology national university singapore NUS Theses & Academic exercises • Search LINC+, by keywords: • ph d • m soc sc • academic exercise • Search LINC, by call no, HM15 200* (for 2000-) in Theses Collection

48. Statistical Sources • EIU Country Data • Inter-University Consortium for Political & Social Research • SingSTAT Time Series • Statistics on Singapore : • World development Indicators • Yearbook of statistics, Singapore

49. Resources on WWW

50. LINC consumption of culture The enhanced Library catalogue