Sociology Subject Research Guide: Online Databases/Articles

If you cannot find the full text of an article in the database you are using, it doesn't mean it isnt available at all, it just might not be in the place you are looking. You can contact us for help, or follow one of these tips to locate the resource you need:

When we use outside sources, we always want to make sure that they are valid: Can we trust that the author was objective in his/her assessment? Can we trust that the information in the document is accurate? Did the author consider all facets of the problem? What is the agenda of the people who are releasing this information? When you write a term paper, you want to make sure that you are using credible, reliable, accurate, and valid sources.

The research community has devised a process to safeguard the validity of the information it releases. This is part of our knowledge-building activities. After all, we are not really building knowledge if we are disseminating falsehoods, biased results, or incomplete information. This process is what is called peer-reviewed publication. Here is how it works.

Academic disciplines all publish professional journals that publish the cutting-edge work of their members. These journals are issued at least once a year. They are usually quite dull and severe in appearance: No fancy colors, few or no pictures, and lots of writing, typically peppered with the technical terms of the discipline. When a researcher wants to publish research findings, s/he will look for recognition of his or her research community by having his or her work showcased in one of these journals. But you cannot just send a piece and expect that it will automatically appear in the next issue. Your article has to go to the journal editor, who will distribute anonymous copies (meaning, your name has been removed) to a panel of experts in your field, who will appraise the quality of your work. You have to give detailed information about how you conducted your work (methodology), why it is relevant, how it fits with the work of others who studied the same question prior to you (literature review), what it is that you found, and what it means for your discipline. Usually, the reviewers, who have studied the same or similar topics, will ask you for clarifications or revisions. And if they deem your research to be solid enough, and your findings to be relevant enough, your work will be published. So your article has been reviewed by your peers, and approved by them, before it gets released. The review is based solely on the merits of the work for the discipline, not who you are or where you work. That's what a peer-reviewed article is. And this is why peer-reviewed articles are the most valid form of information.

When you search the databases, you will have the option to search only "peer-reviewed" or "academic" or "scholarly" articles or publications. If you have been required by your professor to include such peer-reviewed sources in your paper, checking that option when you do a search will save you a lot of time.

The databases listed below provide abstracts and full text articles from peer reviewed journals, non-peer reviewed journals, magazines and newspapers.  (A peer-reviewed journal consists of articles that have been reviewed by a panel of subject experts before they are approved for publication.) 

To access these databases, click on the title and login with the same user name and password that you use for your Saint Leo email.

SocINDEX with Full Text module in EBSCO  (Recommended by the Sociology faculty) 
The world's most comprehensive and highest quality sociology research database.  To access this database, click on the SocINDEX link above and login, then click on All EBSCOhost Research Databases; select SocINDEX Full Text from the list, click on "Continue," then enter your terms in the search box. 

CQ Researcher
Contains unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. 

EBSCO
Scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database.  After logging in to EBSCO, click on "All EBSCOhost Reference Databases," select the appropriate databases below, click on "Continue," then enter your search terms in the search box.
Academic Search Complete
ATLA Religion Database
Book Index with Reviews
Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text
Education Research Complete
E-Journals
ERIC
GreenFILE
Newspaper Source Plus
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
SocINDEX with Full Text

Florida Electronic Library
A collection of resources for Florida residents, only accessible within the state of Florida. Includes databases, newspapers, magazines, and journals.
ArticleFirst (OCLC)
Criminal Justice eCollection
Environmental Issues and Policy eCollection
ERIC
Expanded Academic ASAP
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America
General OneFile
Papers First
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture

JSTOR
Includes a wide range of academic journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.

LexisNexis
Information on legal, corporate, and government subjects through newspapers, journals, and magazines. 

ProQuest
Business and academic multi-disciplinary databases that contain full-text, scholarly articles, as well as newspapers articles.

Sage Premier
Covers subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, science, technology, medicine and more.

Westlaw Next
Comprehensive legal resources.

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