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Karin Heffernan

She/Her

Contact:

k.heffernan@snhu.edu
603.665.2290
WLLC 108C

Welcome to the SCS-224 Research Guide!

What's in this guide?

This guide is your one-stop library resource for scholarly and non-scholarly books and eBooks, databases and journals, web resources, research tips and tools, career information, and more to support your assignments in SCS 224! In this guide, you'll also find information on library services, tools, and other web resources to help you conduct your research project, create your presentation, cite your sources, submit a proposal to Undergraduate Research Day, and more.

Where to get help?

Use the blue buttons on the left to navigate through the guide and find what you need. Ask a reference librarian if you need additional assistance via email (ask@snhu.libanswers.com), phone (1. 844.684.0456), or by using the yellow "Chat 24/7 with a Librarian" button on the library home page. Additionally, you can make an appointment (any length... 5 minutes to an hour+) to meet virtually or in-person with the Social Sciences Liaison Librarian, Karin Heffernan, by emailing k.heffernan@snhu.edu.

A word about sources...

Social Sciences are fascinating and varied. Often, you'll find that the core resources (databases) below contain the information you need for your research project. However, you will want to look at websites from non-profit organizations in the field as well as government agency websites for sources of information and data.

Social Science Resources

For most topics and research questions in Social Sciences, you'll find the resources below helpful. Icons indicate what kind of resources are included in each database. Because the Social Sciences span across other disciplines, you will see databases listed below for specific areas that may not apply to all Social Science topics but do apply to topics frequently selected by students for research in SCS 224.

Databases - Related to Social Science topics

All Shapiro Library databases are available from the A-Z Database List link in the Quick Links box or from the Find Articles, eBooks & More tab on the library home page.

SocINDEX with Full Text - EBSCO This link opens in a new window
Sociology research database
SAGE Journals This link opens in a new window
The SAGE Journals platform includes full text of scholarly journals from SAGE publications in many disciplines, such as, education, sociology, women's studies, criminal justice and business.
ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Offers a collection of full-text, scholarly journals and eBooks in science, technology, medicine, and social sciences.
Global Issues In Context - Gale This link opens in a new window
Global Issues In Context spans continents and cultures to bring essential, balanced information to researchers across many academic disciplines. Integrating news, global viewpoints, reference, country information, primary source documents, videos, statistics and more in a single search.
PsycARTICLES - EBSCO This link opens in a new window
From the APA: a definitive source of full-text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in psychology
Psychology Database - ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Full-text journals and indexing from top psychology and related publications
Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text - EBSCO This link opens in a new window
This comprehensive database includes full text and bibliographic records of leading journals in the criminal justice field.
Criminal Justice Database - ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Magazines, journals and trade publications for professionals in law enforcement, corrections administration, drug enforcement, rehabilitation, family law, and industrial security
U.S. Political Stats - SAGE This link opens in a new window
U.S. Political Stats is a powerful data download and visualization tool covering all three branches of the United States government. Bringing together valued content from sources like CQ Roll Call and CQ Press, users will discover a wealth of information on election returns, congressional floor votes, Supreme Court decisions, plus presidential performance and economic indicators, as well as diverse demographics.
LGBT Life with Full Text - EBSCO This link opens in a new window
This database provides full-text coverage for the most important literature regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Offering a variety of scholarly, popular and regional resources, it includes journals, books, magazines and more.
Health & Medical Collection - ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Health and medical full-text journals focusing on many medical disciplines and specialties
Health Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Health Reference Center includes comprehensive, in-depth coverage of body systems, current health issues, major diseases and conditions, treatments, and procedures, as well as health and nutrition information specific to men, women, children, teens, and seniors.
Credo This link opens in a new window
Online reference library that provides access to a selection of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations in general and subject-specific disciplines. Credo includes interactive mind maps.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Statista is one of the leading statistics companies on the internet. With a team of over 200 statisticians, database experts, analysts, and editors, Statista provides users with an innovative and intuitive tool for researching quantitative data, statistics and related information.
USA.gov This link opens in a new window
USA.gov is an open database that searches all government websites at the federal and state level. This includes reports, data, research, websites, programs, etc. from across the United States.

ProQuest Central Database
ProQuest Central is the largest single periodical resource available, bringing together complete databases across all major subject areas, including Business, Health and Medical, Language and Literature, Social Sciences, Education, Science and Technology, as well as core titles in the Performing and Visual Arts, History, Religion, and Philosophy.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders : DSM-5 This link opens in a new window
The most comprehensive, current, and critical resource for clinical practice available to today's mental health clinicians and researchers of all orientations. DSM-5 is used by health professionals, social workers, and forensic and legal specialists to diagnose and classify mental disorders, and is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international experts in all aspects of mental health. The criteria are concise and explicit, intended to facilitate an objective assessment of symptom presentations in a variety of clinical settings - inpatient, outpatient, partial hospital, consultation-liaison, clinical, private-practice, and primary care.

Shapiro Library Multi-Search

Video tutorial on using the Multi-Search

Multi-Search

Search for books, articles, and more:

About this Search | Search Tips

Social Science Professional Associations

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences This link opens in a new window
ACJS is an international association established in 1963 to foster professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice. ACJS promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis within the discipline of criminal justice for both educators and practitioners.
American Psychological Association (APA) This link opens in a new window
APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members. This site includes a search box to find books and articles as well as a page to explore topics within Psychology.
American Society of Criminology This link opens in a new window
The American Society of Criminology is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific, and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency.
American Sociological Association This link opens in a new window
The ASA seeks to promote the vitality, visibility, and diversity of the discipline of Sociology. Working at the national and international levels, the ASA aims to articulate policy and implement programs likely to have the broadest possible impact for sociology now and in the future.
Eastern Sociological Society This link opens in a new window
Founded in 1930, ESS is a non-profit organization with a mission of "promoting excellence in sociological scholarship and instruction". It publishes a peer-reviewed journal (Sociological Forum) and holds a yearly academic conference, the Annual Meeting of Eastern Sociological Society.
International Rural Sociology Association This link opens in a new window
The objectives of the Association are to: foster the development of rural sociology; further the application of sociological inquiry to the improvement of the quality of rural life; and provide a mechanism whereby rural sociologists can generate dialogue and useful exchange.
International Sociological Association This link opens in a new window
Funded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO, ISA's mission is to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world. It has 126 countries represented.
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion This link opens in a new window
Founded at Harvard University in 1949 as the Committee for the Social Scientific Study of Religion, the now SSSR is an interdisciplinary academic association that stimulates, promotes, and communicates social scientific research about religious institutions and experiences.
Society for the Study of Social Problems This link opens in a new window
The SSSP is a diverse, professional academic and social justice organization.
Boston University Center for Anti-Racist Research
Founded by Ibram X. Kendi, he mission of the BU Center for Antiracist Research is to convene researchers and practitioners from various disciplines to figure out novel and practical ways to understand, explain, and solve seemingly intractable problems of racial inequity and injustice.

Types of Social Science Sources

There are many sources you will encounter as you research in psychology. These sources have different characteristics. Take care to match the sources you use to your projects.

Types of Psychology Sources
Publication Type	Examples	Content	Authors	Audience	Reviewed by
Academic Journals	Journal of Cultural Research Social Change Review	Original research, In-depth, Specific, Sources cited	Scholars and Practitioners	Scholars, Industry Professionals, Students	Scholars (Peer Review)
Popular News and Magazines	Mother Jones Ms. Magazine	Shorter, uncited articles on topics of general interest, Advertisements	Journalists	General Public	Editors
Case Studies	Academic Search Ultimate (Limit to Case Study in Advanced Search)	Detailed examination and analysis of a specific case	Scholars and Practitioners	Scholars, Industry Professionals, Students	Scholars (Peer Review)
Government Information	U.S. DHHS U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development	Research, Health Guidelines	Government Agencies, including NIH and CDC	Scholars, Students	Government Agencies

Google Scholar

Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and other web sites.

Each result in a Google Scholar Search has options beneath it including: Citation for the article in 5 formats & export to various citation managers; "Cited by" lists all the articles written more recently that cite the article; and related articles. If the full text is available, it will appear as a link to the right of the citation. The link below demonstrates how to connect Google Scholar to the Shapiro Library databases. Google Scholar searches may be narrowed down by date in the left margin of the results list.

FAQ: How can I use Google Scholar to find electronic articles held by the Shapiro Library?

Semantic Scholar

Like Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar searches scholarly publications of all kinds. They are "a free AI-powered research tool for scientific literature based at the Allen Institute for AI." Their mission "is to accelerate scientific breakthroughs by helping scholars locate and understand the right research, make important connections, and overcome information overload. Semantic Scholar is... open and free for all to use... and they actively collaborate with industry partners... to provide open access to relevant scientific research." Search using the link below.

Semantic Scholar This link opens in a new window

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

If you locate sources that are not available in the library databases, you may request them through Interlibrary Loan and the library will provide them to you for free. The link to request something through ILL is in the Quick Links box on the library home page.

Interlibrary Loan This link opens in a new window
This link takes you directly to your ILL account where you may click on "Create Request" at the top right of the page to request a book, article, document, etc. The library will mail you print books if requested, and include a pre-paid return mailing label.
ILL FAQs list
Link to a list of FAQs about Interlibrary Loan to answer any questions about the process or how to request an item.