Welcome

Hi! I'm Jess, your embedded librarian and I've created this guide to help you with your research for SOC101. 

Each section introduces the steps you should take when researching for an assessment. You'll find links to videos and resources that will give you the tools to find great information. Use the activities on the Test your knowledge page to see what you need to revise.

If you're feeling confident with the basics, take a look at the Sociology resources page for advanced search tips - these will be especially helpful for Assessment 2: Sociological film analysis and Assessment 3: Social movements essay, where you will need to find multiple peer-reviewed sources to support your ideas.  

For a more general introduction to our Library website and how we can help you, check out: 

Getting started with your assessment

The first thing is to make sure you clearly understand the task and what topic you are seeking information for, this is called topic analysis. Check your assessment task details in your Subject Outline.

With an understanding of your task, you then need to plan how you will search for information. This starts with identifying and brainstorming keywords.

In your Assessment 2: Sociological film analysis task, you will identify and critically analyse social issues represented in your chosen film. From your subject outline, some example issues in the film choices include: heteronormativity and homophobia; racism; and gender inequality. 

Once you have identified the social issues relevant to your film, you will need to include them in your search. To get better results, expand your search beyond just one keyword; brainstorm and add to your search synonyms or related terms. 

Keywords

(this depends on your chosen film)

 Synonyms or related terms
homophobia  heteronormativity, homophobic, intolerance, prejudice, discriminatory, anti-LGBTQIA, hate speech... 
racism racist, xenophobia, colonisation, segregation...
gender inequality  sexism, gender bias, gender discrimination... 

For guidance in topic analysis check out:

Choose the right place to search

Before you start searching, think about what types of information you need and where you can search to find those types of resources.

  • For Assessment 1, you need a minimum of one independently sourced scholarly reference (in addition to a chosen image and your prescribed text);
  • Assessment 2 requires a minimum of four peer-reviewed sources (in addition to the film & prescribed text);
  • Assessment 3 specifies a minimum of five peer reviewed sources (including at least one media source, or a source discussing media involvement in your chosen social movement). 

Always check your Subject Outline for full assessment details. 

Primo Search

Primo Search is a good place to start as it allows you to use one search box to bring back results from most of our Library collection including books, eBooks, journal articles, newspaper articles and more. You may get a large number of results and some of these will be from outside your subject/discipline area. Check the content is relevant to your assessment task before you use it.

Library databases

Databases will help you find academic resources and are often subject specific. You will get fewer results than Primo, but they will be more relevant to your subject/discipline. 

I recommend trying the following databases. SocINDEX will be useful for all assessments; ANZ Newsstream and Factiva will be useful for Assessment 3, where you are required to use a media piece or a source discussing media perspective:

The Humanities, Social Work and Human Services list has more databases you can search.

 

Learn how to search efficiently in Primo and Library databases:

Still not sure where to start? Take a look at the next page of this guide: Sociology resources. 

Create a search strategy

When you search using Primo Search or a library database, use the keywords and synonyms you identified above to build your search. Combine the keywords with "search operators", rather than searching with a whole sentence or question. Search operators tell Primo or the database how to search with your keywords.

Below are some basic searches that use Boolean operators, phrase searching, truncation and/or grouping. Combining these techniques together is called a search string or strategy. Try copying these examples into Primo Search to see your results! 

Search String  Explanation of search techniques 
coloni?ation  Colonisation can also be written as colonization. Try a ? in place of letters that can vary; you'll get results with both forms of spelling! 
heteronormativity AND homophobia  AND Boolean operator searches for both keywords.
heteronormativ* AND "social structures"

* truncation searches for variations to end of the keyword.
= heteronormative / heteronormativity
"Phrase searching" searches for the exact phrase.
homophobi* AND (adolescence OR youth)  OR Boolean operator searches for synonyms, 'adolescence' OR 'youth'.
(Brackets) group synonyms together. 
(homophob* OR heternormat*) AND (teen* OR youth OR adolescen*) AND ("social structures" OR society OR sociolog*) This string combines our search techniques: Boolean operators, grouping, truncation, phrase searching. 

Evaluate

Using credible information will improve the quality of your assessment and may result in better marks, but how can you tell whether the resources you've found are credible and suitable for your assessment? Have you been asked to use peer reviewed, academic or refereed articles? Are you using authoritative websites?

The information below will help you evaluate the information you find, in books, journal articles, or online to make sure it’s reliable.

Your textbook

Good news!

Your textbook is available online through the library!

However access to your textbook is limited. Follow the best practice in the video below to ensure you have access to what you need without disadvantaging other students in your subject.

Search skills demonstration

Watch the Library search demonstrations below; these will assist you with Assessments 1 & 2 (approximately 5-6 minutes) and Assessment 3 (9 minutes). 

Below is a copy of the slide deck I use in the search demonstration: 

Keen for more?

If you're interested in learning more, check out the following:

Reading, writing and referencing

The Academic Skills team can help you to build your writing, referencing and reading skills to be successful at Charles Sturt.

Explore resources from the Academic Skills team in the Learning Skills section of the Student Portal.

Here are some pages to get you started: