Sociology Subject Guide
Welcome to this Guide
The Sociology Subject Guide has been designed by the LWTech Library Links to an external site. to provide you with helpful information to support your research process in your Sociology course. Use the sections below as-needed, and you can always contact your librarian for more information if something is missing.
For all of the sections below, note that you will be asked to log in with your student account to access LWTech databases.
This guide was last updated in Fall 2023.
Meet Your Librarians
The Sociology librarians at LWTech are Katherine Kelley (she/her) and Stirling Holland-Stone (they/them). You can email them at katherine.kelley@lwtech.edu or stirling.holland-sto@lwtech.edu with questions. You can also send an email if you would like to request an online or in-person appointment to discuss your research. For faster support, consider using the 24/7 Library Chat Links to an external site. tool located on the library website.
Reference Information and Other Starting Points
Trying to form your topic and get started on your research? In addition to Wikipedia Links to an external site., the library provides access to the following useful databases as starting points.
- Credo Reference Links to an external site.
- Issues and Controversies Links to an external site.
- Opposing Viewpoints via KCLS Links to an external site. (log in with your KCLS library card or student account Links to an external site.)
Sociology Books
The library's physical collection of books contains many Sociology titles. You can browse the titles in the physical library or through Library Search Links to an external site.. You may also find the Diversity and Social Justice Collection Links to an external site. useful in your research. You can see the books included in this collection via the DSJ Finding Aid Links to an external site..
Additionally, the following eBook databases may contain helpful information for your research in Sociology:
News Information
If you are interested in news information, you can use the library's databases Links to an external site. to get connected to a diverse sources. Use the links below to get connected to the various databases and subscriptions provided by the library.
- EBSCO's Academic Search Complete Links to an external site.
- Issues and Controversies Links to an external site.
- KCLS Databases Links to an external site. (log in with your KCLS library card or KCLS student account Links to an external site.)
- New York Times Links to an external site. (requires registering with your student email address here Links to an external site.)
- ProQuest Links to an external site.
Local News
Accessible local news sources that may be helpful include:
Learning About the News
If you are interested in learning about research and the news, consider exploring organizations and resources like the News Literacy Project Links to an external site..
Research Articles
EBSCO's Academic Search Complete and ProQuest are both databases with high quality academic/scholarly sources. Many of these sources are peer-reviewed. Both databases are searchable through the main Library Search Links to an external site.. You can learn more about research, including database use, on our Research Tools & Resources Links to an external site. page.
You might also find the following useful for finding high quality academic/scholarly sources. Note that if you come across sources that are inaccessible due to a paywall (or other barrier), please use the Request an Article form Links to an external site. and the library will attempt to get you access.
Additional Useful Websites
The following websites are generally useful in conducting Sociology research:
- EdChange.org Links to an external site.
- Everyday Sociology Blog Links to an external site.
- The Marshall Project Links to an external site.
- Society for the Study of Social Problems Links to an external site.
Diversity Organization Websites
The following diversity organization websites will support weekly discussions in some Sociology 101 and are generally useful for conducting Sociology research.
- Age
- Disability
- Gender and Sexuality
- Race and Ethnicity
- Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Links to an external site.
- League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Links to an external site.
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Links to an external site.
- National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Links to an external site.
- Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Links to an external site.
- Social Class and Economic Issues
Video Resources
The library has a small DVD and Blu-ray collection that contains some academic materials. You can browse this information in Library Search Links to an external site. or by visiting the physical library.
The library provides access to streaming academic and documentary videos through Kanopy Links to an external site..
Specific documentaries that may be used in Sociology courses at the college include:
- 13th Links to an external site.
- Hidden in Plain Bite: The Truth About Our Food System Links to an external site.
- Fed Up! Genetic Engineering, Industrial Agriculture and Sustainable Alternatives Links to an external site.
- Food, Inc. Links to an external site.
- Forks Over Knives Links to an external site.
- In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports Links to an external site.
- Inequality for All Links to an external site.
- Links to an external site.Latinos Beyond Reel Links to an external site.
- Links to an external site.Race - The Power of an Illusion Links to an external site.
- The 11th Hour Links to an external site.
- The Latinx Photography Project Links to an external site.
- Unnatural Causes Links to an external site.
- When the Levees Broke Links to an external site.
- White Like Me: Race, Racism & White Privilege in America Links to an external site.
KCLS Videos
Note that KCLS video databases Links to an external site. include Kanopy, Culturegrams, Gale in Context: Biography, and the CBS 60 Minutes Video Collection via the ProQuest Research Library.
Streaming Video Websites
The following sources may contain relevant videos for your research:
Source Evaluation
Evaluating sources is an important part of the research process. Consider meeting with or attending an instruction session hosted by a librarian. Also visit the LWTech Library's Research Tools & Resources page Links to an external site. to gain access to helpful evaluation tools.
APA Citations
Avoid plagiarism, document your research, and join a community scholarship by using the American Psychological Association (APA) format in your work. Creating citations may be challenging at first but there are numerous tutorials and tools available at no cost. Visit our Citation Tools page Links to an external site. to learn more.