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Sociology

Guide for Sociology research topics to support the UNT community. Maintained by Lilly Ramin, Sociology Subject Librarian

About this page on the Sociology guide:

  • This page will include some basic tips and concepts to keep in mind when selecting and researching a topic
  • This page will include any assignment-specific tips, in communication/collaboration with Sociology professor when a course guide does not exist. This may include challenging to research or use of unique materials to ease your search process.

Course Specific Tips: SOCI 5700 (Fall 2025)

SOCI 5700/6601 Health and Aging (Dr. Yeatts) 
 

1. Watch Carol's video Using the EBSCOhost Database for Your Research [YouTube]

2. Review the SOCIhandout2024_PDF  tips on this page or Guide

3. Attend the instruction session 

4. Refer to the Sociology Library guide for links to resources discussed and beyond: 

  • Articles (Databases) for links for Sociology databases and other search tools 
  • Journals - these are for E-journals, when you have a citation you can search that box for the title of your journal. Note:
    Note: This is not for books or print journals- for that you use the Discover catalog
     

This page: guides.library.unt.edu/sociology/tips

Link to this SOCI 5700

EBSCO database search example SUeldercare AND unitedStates

Sociology Handout

Sociology Handout: Attached in Word and PDF

  • Originally created  for September 24th class -  SOCI 3220: Quantitative Methods | Seckin
  • Research terms that sometimes work for keywords or subject headings : research, survey, questionnaires, social sciences--research, sociology--research, statistics, qualitative, quantitative...

EBSCO databases - new interface

EBSCOhost, which includes many databases, has undergone an interface change. To help with your searching, there are some handouts and videos that might help. You can browse on EBSCO tutorials, you click on the selected items below.

 

EBSCO-host vendor-created support materials: 

Quick research tips and selecting your paper topic:

  • Keep in mind even great topics may be too broad and too narrow
  • Do not get discouraged - research is a process.
  • Unless you are doing field research you have to rely on already existing published research available to you, and not all items are available online. So again, you might have an awesome topic, but you are ahead of the enough existing research to complete your undergraduate research paper assignment.
  • Give yourself time for the research process, because you may need to change up your search terms based on the databases keyword preferences (Subject headings) or do multiple searches.
     
  • You can search for peer reviewed full text articles through UNT Libraries through:
    • Subject Specific Databases (one or more at a time - Like SocINDEX with Full Text (EBSCO)
      • OR Databases aggregator (like EBSCO or ProQuest - check boxes of times
    • Online Articles (which searches multiple sources. Might be great for unique topics or super quick search across disciplines or majors for  supplementing research

Image of Online Articles access point from UNT Library website

  • Other tips:
    • Sociology Librarian recommended you also, or instead, start with the subject specific databases because you may get too many results and miss out on the quickest way to search discipline specific content
    • Note on Google scholar:  it is okay  for a starting place or quick search when thinking of topics  (especially if you set Library Links to UNT Libraries for cross references to full text at UNT). However, UNT Libraries subscription databases are available to you through your fees as only as a currently enrolled student, and designed to get you scholarly, peer-reviewed article for your research (so it's a good idea to use them, and not just rely on Google Scholar (which is not always free).

SOCI 3700 - Spring

Assignment:
Check with your professor/teaching assistant on modifications especially page length to 15 pages (from 25). Articles must be 2010 - current, and within these four journals for your topic. (Feel free to share this information via a link to this box)

  1. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (JSSR)
  2. Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review (ASR)
  3. Review of Religious Research (RRR)
  4. American Sociological Review (ASR)

Religion (SOCI 3700)