Searching Sociology Databases

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Searching Sociology Databases

• Hayati Abdul
• Central Library
• clbha_at_nus.edu.sg

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Objectives

• To introduce you to the basics of literature
  search.
• To familiarize you with searching Sociology
  databases for
• journal articles
• conference papers, book chapters
• full text articles

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Outline

• Sources for research
• Search strategy
• Sociology databases (Demo)
• LINC
• Getting help

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Sources for Research
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Sources for Research
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Evaluating Sources

• Authority
• What credentials are listed for the authors?
• Objectivity
• Is the information presented objective or biased?
• Accuracy
• Is the information well supported by references?
• Currency
• Is the information updated?
• Appropriateness
• Is the information what you need?

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Search Strategy
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Build Your Search

• Identify keywords, synonyms that are related to
  your topic
• E.g.
• Keywords/terms
• Single dads single fathers
• Challenges nurture, childrearing, parenting
• Use truncation symbols to retrieve variant
  forms of terms
• nurtur nurturing, nurture, nurturance

Who needs mummy? Challenges of single dads
Challenges of single dads
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Build your search

• Group words to be searched together using ( )
• (nurtur, childrearing, parenting)
• Combine terms to be searched using
• Boolean operators - AND, OR, NOT
• example

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Boolean Operators

• AND
• Results must match both terms

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Databases
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E-Resources

• Databases
• E-Journals
• E-Books
• E-Newspapers
• Statistical Data

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Major databases for Sociology

• Scopus
• Sociological Abstracts
• Social Sciences Citation Index (via Web of
  Science)
• PERIND
• Social Sciences Abstracts

List of major E-resources
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Scopus
http//www.info.scopus.com/setup/promo/promo_mater
ial/docs/00000_Scopus_User_Guide_General_4WEB08.p
df
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About Scopus

• Provides abstracts and citations to
• peer reviewed open access journals
• conference proceedings, books
• web sources, author homepages, university sites,
  articles-in-press, preprint servers
• Coverage, 1966-
• Focused on STM Social Sciences literature.
• Content originates from Europe, Latin America and
  the Asia Pacific region
• Cross-searching Scopus CSA Illumina databases
  including Sociological Abstracts

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Lets search Scopus
Who needs mummy? Challenges of single dads
single fathers AND (nurtur OR childrearing OR
parenting)
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Scopus Basic Search
single fathers
Enter Search terms
nurtur AND childrearing OR parenting
Select Social Sciences
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Scopus Search Results
May refine results by Source, Author, Year,
Document type, Subject Area
Click to sort by relevance
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Scopus Search Results Sorted by Relevance
Output selected records
Download selected records
M A R K R E C O R D s
?
View full-text
?
Check source title in LINC
?
View abstract via CSA Sociological Abstracts
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Output Selected Records
Select output format from drop-down list
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Downloading Selected Records
Download options
Different formats downloaded
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View abstract viaCSA Sociological Abstracts
Copy source title and search LINC
Browse Descriptors to ensure relevance
Read Abstract
Check publication type
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Try this search
Married and better off? Marital status and social
well-being
married AND (single persons OR marital
status) AND well being
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Tips on Scopus

• Basic Search
• Use Boolean operators - AND, OR, NOT
• Multi-character wildcard -
• Search default Article title, Abstract, Keywords
• Can Limit by fields, Refine results
• Combine via Search History
• Integration with CSA databases including
• Sociological Abstracts
• Select to read abstract via
  Sociological Abstracts. Continue to search here
• Advanced Search
• Command Line search not really recommended

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

• Primary database for locating latest research in
  Sociology
• Provides abstracts of
• journal articles, books, book chapters, book
  reviews, dissertations, conference papers
• Database coverage1952-present
• Subjects covered
• culture social structure, complex
  organizations, family social welfare,
  evaluation research, rural urban sociology,
  social psychology, social theory, violence
  power, women studies, more

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Lets search
Asian values and state of the Singapore family
(asian values OR social values OR moral values)
AND family AND Singapore
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Sociological Abstracts Advanced Search
Enter search terms
asian values
moral values
social values
family
singapore
Can search by specific field e.g. keyword from
drop-down list
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Sociological Abstracts Search Results
What are peer-reviewed journals
Results displayed by publication tyoes
May sort by relevance
Output selected records
?
M ark R ecords
View full record
?
?
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About Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Scholarly journals
• More specialized, research based current
• Written by researchers, scholars, experts
• Peer reviewed or refereed for
• research value, scholarly merit and accuracy
• Authors rigorously cite their sources in the form
  of footnotes or bibliographies
• Published by professional association or
  scholarly press.

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Full Record Display
Descriptorsare subject headings
Browse Descriptors for relevance
Read Abstract
Check publication type
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List of Descriptors - Thesaurus
Select Search Tools
Select Thesaurus
Enter search term to be looked up in Thesaurus
Select format of Thesaurus display
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Display of thesaurus terms
Select to expand Thesaurus term - Related
narrower terms
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Thesaurus
Thesaurus terms related to values. Helpful
search tips!
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Output Results Create QuickBib
This is useful for pt 2 of essay
Choose MS Word
Select ASA style
Select Create
Email selected records
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Create QuickBib
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Search tips for Sociological 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 more complex searches
• Combine terms using Boolean operators available
  from the drop-down lists
• Use drop-down menus to select specific fields
• Anywhere, Keywords, Author, Title, Descriptors
• Check for relevant headings
  

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Search tips for Sociological Abstracts

• Limits
• Date, Latest update, Journal articles, English
• QuickBib
• Use selected records to create bibliography in
  ASA style.
• Display records
• Results displayed by All Publication Types
• Results can be sorted by Most recent or Relevance
• Click on Edit Search to refocus search

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E-Newspapers
Factiva
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About Factiva

• Scope
• Dow Jones Factiva covers information on
  industries, public and private companies,
  business and management topics, current
  historical views.
• Content
• Many full-text articles
• Trade journals, newswires, media programmes,
  company stock reports web sites
• International local newspapers
• New York Times, Asian Wall Street Journal,
  Business Times, more
• Straits Times, 1989-
• Excludes stories from news agencies and
  contributors

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Lets search
The impact of Singapores family-oriented
policies on the individual
(family oriented OR pro family) AND (policy OR
policies OR government) AND singapore
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Search Factiva
Enter search terms
(family oriented OR pro family) AND (policy OR
policies OR government) AND singapore
Select dates from drop-down list
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Factiva Search Results
Modify Search
Output selected records
?
M A R K R E C O R D S
?
?
?
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Try searching using Near operator
The impact of Singapores family-oriented
policies on the individual
(family NEAR10 (policy or policies) NEAR
government) AND singapore
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Try this search
What can the state do to bring about higher
rates of marriage and childbearing?
singapore and (policy or policies) and
(fertility or procreat or marriage or
childbearing or parenthood or births)
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Tips for Factiva

• If 2 words are entered, Factiva will search for
  those words as a phrase
• Use Boolean operators OR, AND, NOT to combine
  words/phrases.
• Use asterisk to find variants of terms.
• Use round parentheses ( ) to group words to be
  searched together.
• Nearn (n1-500) searches items where the term
  family is n number of words away from the term
  policy.
• Same finds items containing the term Asian in
  the same paragraph as values.
• W/n (where n1 to10)
• Family w/2 policy finds items containing family
  within 2 words of policy family related
  policy or family oriented policy

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LINC
Library INtegrated Catalogue
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Library INtegrated Catalogue

• Use it to check
• Books
• Journals
• Microfilms
• Multimedia
• Newspapers
• Theses

• Use it to view
• Table of Contents
• E-Journals
• E-Books
• Digitized videos

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LINC Enhanced Library catalogue
Sort by Relevance
Summary
Status, location, call number
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LINC Search Features

• Adjacency (Phrase searching)
• Example family therapy "gendered division"
• Truncation (for 15 characters)
• Example religio
• Boolean operators
• AND, OR, NOT,
• Round parentheses
• ( ) used to group words to be searched
• Proximity Near, Within
• (fertility or births) near asia
• By specific fields
• aauthor ttitle ssubject nnote
• Limit Search, Marking, Saving Exporting

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LINC Keywords Search
Select LINC
Enter search terms
(fertility or births) and asia
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LINC Search Results
Export saved records
Save selected records
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M A R K R E C O R D S
?
?
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May Refine Search by Specific Fields
?
M A R K R E C O R D S
?
?
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Export Selected Records
abc_at_himail.com
?
?
?
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Interpret references

• Journal article

Kosut, Mary. 2006. "Mad Artists and Tattooed
Perverts Deviant Discourse and the Social
Construction of Cultural Categories." Deviant
Behavior 27(1)73-95.
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Search journal in LINC
Search journal by title
Limit to Journals Collection
Select to access E-journal from our providers
Select for location of current issues
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Interpret references

• Book chapter

Farrer, Peter. 1996. "In Female Attire Male
Experiences of Cross-Dressing - Some Historical
Fragments." Pp. 9-26 in Blending Genders, edited
by Richard Ekins and Dave King. London
Routledge.
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Getting Help
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Library Instruction ONline
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Subject Guides

• Good starting point for research

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We are here

• Advisory Service atInformation Desk,Central
  Library,Level 5.
• Email us askalib_at_nus.edu.sg
• Tel [phone]