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Social Science Research Assistance

Ask a Librarian

There are a variety of ways to get help from a librarian. You can come see us in person, call us, email us, or chat with us via our new online answerXpress service.

  • Visit the Library
    Between the Business Building and Hemingway Center, we encourage you to come to the library and talk to a librarian in person.
     
  • Call Us
    You are welcome to call a reference librarian at 208 426-3301.
     
  • Email Us
    We invite you to email us at refquest@boisestate.edu. A reference librarian will reply to your email within 24 hours, Monday-Friday.
     
  • answerXpress
    Live, online help from librarians is now available to the Boise State community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from your computer through our www.answerXpress.com service.

Article Indexes & Databases

All databases are available both on campus and remotely, unless otherwise indicated. You will need to supply your BroncoWeb ID and password to access these resources off campus.

For the electronic databases go to http://library.boisestate.edu/indexes and scroll to the alphabetic entry location. For the Print indexes ask at the Reference Desk, for assistance with either style ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

  • Abstracts in Social Gerontology
    (previous title: Current Literature on Aging)
    Sponsored by the National Council on Aging, this index is unique in its focus on aging. Beginning in 1963, it is published quarterly and bound in annual volumes, which can be found in the Library's Reference Room on Index shelf #101A. Full text of articles listed here can be accessed only via the online journals list, which may not include every title indexed here.
     
  • Alternative Press Index (online, paper)
    Indexes journals, newspapers and magazines covering cultural, economic, political and social change. Online indexing begins with 1991. Older issues (1969-2002) are housed in the general circulation stacks under AI3 A27.
     
  • America History and Life (online)
    Primarily an index to historical literature, AH&L also accesses many journal articles relating to the social sciences.
     
  • Contemporary Women’s Issues (online, full text)
    Online index which includes full-text articles for most of the sources listed, both periodical and non-periodical. Sources date from 1992-current. An excellent source for material on women beyond the western world, especially those elusive reports from the NGO's and private agencies that serve them.
     
  • Human Resources Abstracts: an International Information Service (Previous title: Poverty & Human Resources Abstracts)
    Beginning in 1966, this indexing and abstracting service calls itself "a comprehensive source of information relating to the problems our cities and nation." Issued quarterly, this paper index (found on Index shelf #101A) provides only brief summaries of articles, many of which may be accessed via the online journal list.
     
  • Ingenta (online, full text for sale)
    Indexes articles in scholarly journals in all subjects. It claims to have “the most comprehensive collection of academic and professional periodicals” available.  Copies of many of the articles are available directly from the publisher for a
    fee.
     
  • OCLC First Search (online)
    Indexes over 4,000 scholarly journals in all subject areas. Indexing begins with 1995 and is updated daily.
     
  • PAIS: Public Affairs Information Service (online, paper)
    Indexes selected books, government documents and journal articles relating to public affairs. Indexing begins with 1972 and is updated monthly. The early bound volumes of this publication can be found in the general circulation stacks under H1 P9.
     
  • Population Index
    Intended to cover the world's demographic and population literature, including books and approximately 400 journals. Issued quarterly, and shelved in bound volumes on Index shelf #101A. Provides only brief summaries of book and article contents. To find out whether the Library owns titles abstracted here, look in Voyager and/or the Library's online journal list.
     
  • Project Muse (online, full text)
    Indexes over 100 full-text electronic journals in various disciplines. Some coverage goes back to 1993.
     
  • ProQuest Digital Dissertations (online, full text)
    Indexes doctoral dissertations and master's theses from over 1,000 colleges and universities worldwide. Full text of most dissertations written within the past five or six years can be accessed through the free download option.
     
  • Social Sciences Citation Index
    An essential reference tool for those in the social sciences, this covers the contents of over 1700 journals in the social sciences. It has four parts: (1) the Citation Index, which tells who has cited which works; (2) a corporate index, which indicates who is affiliated with which institutions; (3) a source index, which provides a full citation for each work; and (4) a the permuterm subject index, to terms that appear within the title and subtitle of each work. Older issues in paper are shelved in the general circulation stacks under index H1 S6.
     
  • Social Sciences Index (paper)
    Classic author and subject index to over 550 basic English-language social science periodicals that have been published since 1974. Each volume has a book review section in the back. Reference Department Index shelves #101A
     
  • Sociological abstracts
     
  • Studies on Women and Gender Abstracts.
    Paper index to articles on women and gender in many academic and scholarly periodicals. BSU owns v. 5 (1987)-date. Index shelf #101B.
     
  • Women Studies Abstracts.
    Paper index to many feminist and women's periodicals, from 1971-date. The only index covering the women's movement literature from the 70's and forward. Index shelf #101B.
     
  • WorldCat (All subjects) 

Also Useful

Periodicals

To determine the library's holdings for each of the following publications, click on the journal title, and then enter the journal name in the search box.

The titles listed below are examples of interdisciplinary or general social sciences journals. For journals devoted to a specific discipline, see the Subject Guides under Sociology, Criminal Justice, Anthropology, History, Political Science, Psychology, Gender Studies, etc.

Subjects in italics after each journal title are represented in that title fairly frequently.

Reference Books

This subject guide deals with the literature of the social sciences generally. The titles listed here are interdisciplinary in scope. For lists of reference books in specific disciplines, see the separate subject guides for those disciplines, e.g. anthropology, communication, criminal justice, gender/women’s studies, psychology, sociology. Unless otherwise indicated, the titles listed here are all housed in the Reference Department.

  • Atlas of Poverty in America: One Nation Pulling Apart, 1960-2003
    In her introduction, author Amy Glasmeier explains her intent to provide an historical and contemporary account of economic opportunity - or lack thereof -- in the U.S. during recent decades, and describes the various ways in which poverty is defined and measured. Each brief essay followed by easy-to-read charts and graphs (necessarily limited to data from the 2000 Census and before) on topics such as poverty basics and lived experiences, poverty history, impoverished regions, and the history of poverty policy. A list of sources and an index conclude the book.
    ref HC110 P6 G543 2006
     
  • Blackwell Dictionary of Modern Social Thought
    ref H41 B53 2003
     
  • Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology: a non-technical guide for the social sciences
    Now in its third edition, this publication defines both statistical and methodological terms used in the social and behavioral sciences. The definitions are supposed to be accessible to "educated general readers." The book explains concepts, but does not attempt to describe how to do the calculations.
    ref HA 17 V64 2005
     
  • Dictionary of the Social Sciences
    ref H41 D53 2002
     
  • Encyclopedia of Religion and Society
    ref BL60 E53 1998
     
  • Handbook of Interview Research: Context and Method
    ref H6128 H36 2002
     
  • International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 25 v.
    ref H41 I58 2001
     
  • Linguistic Cultures of the World: a Statistical Reference
    ref P35 P29 1997
     
  • Reader’s Guide to the Social Sciences, 2v.
    ref H41 R43 2001
     
  • Researching Society and Culture
    ref HM24 R439 1998
     
  • Sage Dictionary of Social Science Research Methods
    In his introduction, the editor explains that concepts presented here have been selected on the basis of six key themes: philosophy of science; research paradigms; research design; data collection; issues to be considered when conducting research; and finally, the role of research in terms of function. He also notes that individual entries are encyclopedic in nature, making the work less like dictionary than an encyclopedia. Each article provides a definition, a discussion of distinctive features, a brief paragraph on evaluation; a list of associated concepts, and a very brief list of relevant readings. Author and subject index in the back.
    ref H62 S274 2006
     
  • Sage Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods, 3.v.
    ref H62 L456 2004
     
  • Statistical Portrait of the United States/ Social Change in America: the Historical Handbook
    ref HA 203S63
     
  • Social Science Encyclopedia, 2nd ed.
    ref H41 S63 1996
     
  • Social Sciences Reference Sources: a practical guide, 3rd ed.
    ref H61 L5 2000
     
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States
    ref HA 202 (at reference desk) or online at:
    http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS2878
     
  • World of Ideas: a dictionary of important theories, concepts, beliefs and thinkers
    ref B41 R64 1999

Web Resources


 

General Library Information and Assistance: 208-426-1204
Support for Electronic Resources and Remote Access: 208-426-1235
Albertsons Library, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725-1430 USA
Network Services Manager: Dan Lester, dlester@boisestate.edu