Sociology classes (Fall 2006 SO 226 Social Research Analysis students and 2004 SO 226 Social Research Analysis students)
Doing Sociological Research

Helpful People
Here are people who will help you improve your writing and the paper you turn in:
 

Your Professor
Of his college education, James Garfield recalled his Williams College professor: "Give me ... a simple bench, Mark Hopkins on one end and I on the other." Follow Garfield's example. Sit with a professor on a bench to talk about your research. Other faculty may be useful, too, depending on your paper's topic.
 

Librarians
They're over in the Scribner library right now, waiting to help you find information for your paper. (Social Science librarians Elizabeth Putnam and Barbara Norelli are especially helpful for sociology students.)
  Your Friends
Learning is inherently social, so talk about sociological ideas with other students (and nonstudents too).

Research: Journals
Professional journals and other periodicals are essential for good research. Here are some Web sites for these sources at Skidmore.
  Sociology Journals
Sociology journals, both print and electronic, available at Skidmore.
  All Journals
All journals, both print and electronic, available at Skidmore. Grouped by subject matter. But additional journals, including full-text, are available from EbscoHost, ProQuest, and LexisNexis databases.
  Scholarly Journals versus Popular Periodicals
You will usually be better off using peer reviewedscholarly journals rather than popular magaiznes in your research for course projects. Here's our library's Web page on this distinctions among periodicals.

Research: General Web Sources
The Web has much information that may be relevant to your sociology paper, but be careful: As with any information, some is good and useful and some is bad. Your job is to tell the difference. Click here for Scribner Library's suggestions on assessing Web sites.
  Evaluating Information Found on the Internet
More info on how to evaluate Web information. Maintained at Johns Hopkins University.
  A Sociological Tour Through CyberSpace
 Many sociologists & students think Mike Kearl's Web site at Trinity University in Texas is the best there is for sociology.
 

Links from the University of Hawaii at Manoa
A well-organized list of useful links to web sites of sociological interest.
 

SocioRealm
Sociological references accompanied by annoying music.
  SocioWeb
Another valuable Web tool tool for sociologists, but sans music.
 

Social Science Information Gateway
Selected Internet information for researchers and practitioners in the social sciences, business and law. It is part of the UK Resource Discovery Network.
  Syracuse Library's Social Science Links
Syracuse University librarian Elaine Coppola's extensive list of social science associations, organizations, data archives, statistics, surveys, journals, locators, directories and search sites on the Web.
  Universal Codex for the Social Sciences
 Offers over 250 links to research sources.
  Annual Reviews in Sociology
Abstracts from over 15 years of Annual Reviews and full texts for the last several years, all searchable on-line.
  Sociological Research Online
A British on-line journal for applied sociology.
  Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences
A social science dictionary for undergraduates covering sociology, criminology, political science and women's study.
  Criminal Justice Resources
For research on topics related to crime--all the best links to crime data, websites, and journals. Skidmore's David Karp and Elizabeth Putnam created and maintain this page.
  Social Capital Resources
 Interested in social capital? Find resources on a Web site maintained by Italian economist Fabio Sabatini.

Research: Web Sources for Theory
Here are some sociology Web sites with a narrow focus. Use these sites wisely -- distinguish the good and useful info from the bad and stupid.
 
Dead Sociologists Society    Theory Greats
Sociologists Dead and Alive
Info on major sociological theorists, and their pictures too.
  The Durkheim Pages
Devoted to the great French sociologist.
  Max Weber's Home Page
Maxed out Web site.
  C. Wright Mills' Home Page
Are you sure he's from George W. Bush's home state? Hard to believe.
  Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction
 An organization of scholars interested in qualitative, especially interactionist, research.

Research: Ethics
Ethics is listed last, but it is of first importance in your research.
 

Code of Ethics
American Sociological Association guidelines for doing the right thing.
  The Ethics of Scholarship
What you need to know about plagiarism and related issues. A hardcopy version is available from the Dean of Studies office in Starbuck Center.
  The Ethics of Writing
The Expository Writing Network's Web site on plagiarism.