SOCL11055 Introduction to Sociology

This guide will show you how to conduct a search for resources you can use for your Portfolio assessment.

It is divided into the following topics:

• Planning your search
• Searching the Library catalogue
• Searching SocINDEX with Full Text
• Searching the Informit databases
• Searching Newsbank

The following topic is used as an example throughout this guide:

Describe some of the different formations of the family and discuss how the family operates as a socialising institution

Planning your search

Before you begin searching for resources, you need to to spend some time thinking about the topic.

Firstly, try brainstorming what you already know about the topic.

The brainstorming process should make it easier to select keywords you can use in your search.

You might like to use concept maps, flow charts, lists or tables to organise your information.

The brainstorming process should make it easier to select keywords you can use in your search.

Your list of keywords should include:

• topic words - words from the assignment question
  e.g. family, socialising, institution
   
• synonyms - words with similar meanings
  e.g. family = nuclear family, single-parent family, blended families
   
• related terms - terms related to the topic
  e.g. divorce, working parents

Remember to also include spelling variations (e.g. socialisation/socialization), plurals (e.g. family/families) and word variants (e.g. socialising/socialisation)
 

Searching the library catalogue

To find resources on a particular topic,  perform a keyword search in the Library catalogue:

Example 1:

This search will return all records containing the word family, the word socialization.
(More information on how to perform a keyword search.)

Example 2:

This search will return all records containing the phrase nuclear family i.e. where the words are together.
(More information on how to perform a phrase search.)
 

Searching SocINDEX with Full-Text

SocINDEX with Full-Text is the core database for sociology. SocINDEX contains records for journal articles, as well as books and other kinds of publications.

Some of the records in SocINDEX will contain a link to the full-text resource.

If the resource you want is unavailable in full-text via SocINDEX, you can use ArticleLinker to see if it is available in another database or in hard copy on the Library's shelves.

The SocINDEX with Full-Text: Search Guide will show you how to perform a search in SocINDEX.

Searching the Informit databases

Informit provides access to numerous databases containing Australian content.

Here are some directions for how to access and search the Informit databases:

• Log-in to Informit
   
• You will be taken to the initial screen in Informit.
   
• Tick the boxes beside databases you wish to search.
  Note: Read the description beneath each database to determine if it contains content relevant to your topic.
   
• Click on "Continue"
   
• You will be taken to the search screen - this is where you can enter in your keywords and apply any date limits:

Example:

This search will return all records containing the word family and the phrase socialisation which were published between 2003 and 2008.   

• Click on the "search" button.
   
• This will return a list of results. If the full-text resource is available, there will be a link beneath the result.

Example:


If the resource you want is unavailable in full-text via the Informit databases you are searching, you can use ArticleLinker to see if it is available in another database or in hard copy on the Library's shelves.

Searching Newsbank

NewsBank provides full-text access to major Australian newspapers, as well as a selection of international newspapers.

All of the records in NewsBank will contain a link to the full-text resource.

Here are some directions for how to access and search NewsBank:

• Log-in to NewsBank
   
• You will be taken to the initial screen in NewsBank. Click on 'Major Australian Newspapers'.
   
• You will be taken to the search screen - this is where you can enter in your keywords and apply any date limits:

Example:

This search will return all records containing the phrase blended families which were published in the past year.

• Click on the 'Search' button.
   
• This will return a list of results. To access a full text article, click on the title of the article in the results list:

Example: