LibGuides: Social Sciences: Sociology, Social Issues, Social Services

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Need help finding a topic?

Use these websites to help you find a topic that interests you.

Selecting a Research Topic (Old Dominion Univ.)
This is a website that helps students narrow down and choose a topic.
CQ Researcher-Pros & Cons Section List controversial topics to choose from

Find Internet Resources on Social Sciences

Pros and Cons on Controversial Issues
Website selects social issue topics and presents unbiased overview, pros and cons , public opinion, relevant research, and legal ramifications
Public Agenda Online
Issue guides to a wide range of social topics provide an overview, statistics, public opinion, and arguments for an against possible solutions. Research articles are great for informative papers.
Supreme Court Database
Information about Supreme Court decisions from 1953-2008. Clicking on the "Analysis" section allows users to search for a specific decision. This database is a "definitive source for researchers interested in the U.S. Supreme Court." Information about each case available includes “the parties to the suit and the votes of the Justices.” A Getting Started section is helpful to first-time database users. Author/Publisher: Washington University in St Louis School of Law
FindLaw
Online legal information about topics such as will preparation, divorce, child custody, bankruptcy, immigration, criminal law, and more.

Find Articles about Sociology

Search these database for articles on all topics in the social sciences, including economics, government, history, social problems, family, culture, and diversity.

EBSCOhost This link opens in a new window Ebscohost provides access to thousands of periodicals and journals, with approximately 9,000 unique titles in full-text. In addition, users may access other reference materials through this site. A portion of this database was funded through the Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, Library Division.
OmniFile (EBSCOhost) (multidisciplinary, all fulltext) This link opens in a new window Full text database with articles on all aspects of the social sciences
Opposing Viewpoints (Gale) This link opens in a new window Find articles and viewpoints on controversial social issues. Excellent resource for your persuasive research paper.

Find Books, Videos & DVDs in the Library Catalog on Social Sciences

These resources are available at a Gateway library and can be delivered to the campus of your choice.

Sociology books at Gateway
Resources on sociology as a discipline; research, theory, broad topics.
Childhood and Parenting
Resources on childhood and parenting.
Criminal Behavior and Social Deviance
Resources on criminal behavior and social deviance.
Ethnicity, Multiculturalism, Cultural Diversity
Resources on ethnicity and cultural diversity.
Government
Resources on the United States Government and governments around the world.
Marriage and Family
Resources on marriage and family.
U.S. Citizenship
Resources on U.S. citizenship.
Opposing Viewpoints and At Issue books
These books argue both sides of controversial social issues.

EBSCO eBooks This link opens in a new window
Browse broad social science categories or search by keyword for the area of interest.

Library Chat Service

If the button below says "Chat with Library Staff", that means our chat service is online. If the button says "Check our FAQs", chat service is offline and you can search through our FAQs or submit a question which library staff will answer within 24 business hours.

Watch Videos on Writing a Research Paper

Information Literacy: The Perils of Online Research (FOD) In a world of information overload, information literacy has become a survival skill. But what exactly does information literacy mean? With a focus on the Internet, this video explains how to conduct solid online research by collecting information in an organized, efficient, and ethical way.
Researching, Reading, and Writing (FOD)
Faced with a mountain of research to conduct, reading to do, and papers to write, students must work both efficiently and shrewdly. This three-section program tells how to identify and cite reliable online and offline sources of information, carve textbook chapters into manageable chunks, and outline and revise papers—all elements that are essential to getting the job done well.

Find Information on Careers in Social Services

Books, DVD, and video in the Library Catalog on Careers
These resources can be sent to the campus of your choice.
Human Services Careers (FOD)
Watch this streaming video now.
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social & Human Services
Current online information about careers

Watch Videos Online (Soc Sci)

Social Sciences Videos (FOD)
Scroll down to browse subjects, or type keywords such as social change, culture, ethnic, Latino, African American, Native American, government, human services, women, inequality, class, or gender.
Videos on Business & Economics (Films on Demand)
Browse categories, such as Accounting & Finance, Business Ethics, Technology, Finance, Management, Marketing & Advertising, and Economics, then select a title to watch.

Social Sciences: Sociology, Social Issues, Social Services

Gateway Libraries

Library Home

About the Library

Find Books & Videos

Find Articles

Citing Sources

Subject Guides

Resources for Faculty & Staff

Help & Tutorials