Sociology
Reference Sources
Finding background articles
Using Gale Ebooks
Gale eBooks (formerly known as Gale Virtual Reference Library, or GVRL) is a great place to find background information on a wide variety of topics.
- Access the database using the button below, and see the following box to learn more about how to search.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Digitized reference works, covering many disciplines. Very useful for background information on a topic.
Sample articles
Gale Ebook Articles
Linked below are some articles from Gale Ebooks. There are articles about notable people in the field, as well as articles that provide a definition and break down of a larger sociological term or concept.
- Mills, C. Wright (1916–62)An article from The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
- Mead, MargaretAn article from The Social History of the American Family: An Encyclopedia
- Durkheim, ÉmileAn article from The International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
- Sociological ImaginationAn article from the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
- Nature Vs. NurtureAn article from the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
- Gender StratificationAn article from Class in American: An Encyclopedia
- Social MobilityAn article from the Encyclopedia of World Poverty
- Societal StratificationAn article from the Encyclopedia of Sociology
- MeritocracyAn article from the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
- Gender IdentityAn article from The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology
- Structural Functional TheoryAn article from The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
- Conflict TheoryAn article from the Encyclopedia of Sociology
- Symbolic Interaction TheoryAn article from Encyclopedia of Sociology
Search example in Gale eBooks
Searching Gale eBooks
Follow the steps shown below to search for content in Gale eBooks.
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Searching for an article
Consider the MAIN concept you are exploring, and use that as a keyword to search this database for relevant articles.
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Selecting an article
To read an article in Gale eBooks, click on the article title. Be sure to note the titles of the encyclopedias the articles come from. Finally, always read through more than one article to get multiple perspectives or views on an issue.
Click the article title to read the whole article.
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Saving and citing an article
Once you click on an article title, look at the tools on the side for how to cite, email, download, etc., so you can take that article with you.
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Why use reference sources?
Why Use Reference Sources in Your Research?
Research, write, and speak from a position of knowledge
An overview of your topic area provides you with specialized vocabulary that is used relating to your topic (you can use these words for searches later in your research process), and helps you to understand the following:
- The historical perspective on your topic
- What the key issues are and how you may want to refine your topic
- Who are the stakeholders (the groups or individuals interested in or affected by this topic)
- A context of how your topic relates to the other issues that surround it
Featured books and ebooks
Sociologists backstage: Answers to 10 questions about what they do by Call Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2011
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