Shaw University Library Guides: Sociology: Find Articles

How to Find Articles

If you are looking for articles related to a research topic
- Search the databases recommended below
- Search the library catalog - see below for video tutorial
If you know exactly what article you are looking for, search for the title in the library catalog.
If you would like to browse issues of a specific journal, search for the journal title in the library catalog.

For tips on searching databases or the catalog, see the Get Started with Research page

For help understanding and identifying journal articles in your search, see this quick tutorial, "The Anatomy of a Journal."

You want to make sure to evaluate your source material to make sure that it fits your need. You can use our Information Literacy guide to Evaluating Sources to help.

Recommended Databases

Sociology and related disciplines:

Sociology Database This link opens in a new window
Gives users access to the full-text of more than 310 journals in sociology and social work. This collection provides full-text coverage of many core titles included in Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts.
Psychology Database This link opens in a new window
This database provides abstracts and indexing for more than 640 titles, with over 540 titles available in full text. Many titles are indexed in PsycINFO. Coverage ranges from behavioral, clinical, cognitive, developmental, experimental, industrial and social psychology, along with personality, psychobiology and psychometrics.
Social Science Database This link opens in a new window
Social Science Database offers indexing and full text for hundreds of academic journals, providing extensive coverage across a wide range of social science disciplines including anthropology, communication, criminology, economics, education, political science, psychology, social work, and sociology.
Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) This link opens in a new window
US Government Database of Education Research Literature
Education Database This link opens in a new window
Education Database supports the study and application of education across all levels of education, including early childhood education, primary and secondary education, and higher education. The database supports global study and research, including thousands of full-text journals, dissertations and other relevant sources.

Recommended Multidisciplinary Databases

Multidisciplinary:

These databases cover a wide range of disciplines, which can be helpful if you need to broaden your search, or your research topic overlaps with topics outside of your discipline.

Google Scholar
Only articles that have a link beginning with either [PDF] or [HTML] to the right of their title have the full text available for free.

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Online archive of multi-discipline journal articles.
Project Muse This link opens in a new window
A leading provider of digital humanities and social science content for the scholarly community. Filter your search results to "Only content I have access to."
ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
General reference database for over 175 subjects from magazines, journals and newspapers, including peer-reviewed and scholarly works; an NCLive resource.

For more help with ProQuest, view the tutorials below.

Recommended Online Journals

Access Using Shaw Credentials:

Open Access:

Searching the Catalog for Articles

To search the Shaw Library Catalog for articles (click the link below to view a demo):

Go to the catalog search page.
Enter your search terms.
Under Databases on the right, at the bottom of the list, click Select All in Group under All Databases, then click Save Changes at the top of the list.
Under Search Tools on the left, click the Only return peer-reviewed articles check box.
Under Format, select Article.
Click Search.
Under Content Type on the left, check the Full Text check box.

Catalog Search Demo

Borrowing from Other Libraries

To obtain materials that Shaw University Libraries does not own, there are a few options available to you:

Shaw University is a member of the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges, which means that Shaw students, faculty, and staff can borrow items at other CRC libraries. Prior to going to one of these libraries, you must pick up the appropriate documentation from the James E. Cheek Learning Resources Center.
Interlibrary loan, which ships an item from another library to Shaw for you to borrow. It can take some time for items to arrive as they are sent by USPS mail, and a form is required.

For details and request forms, see the Other Lending Resources guide.