Sociology

Welcome to the Sociology subject guide. This guide will help you navigate sources in Sociology, including books, journal articles, databases, and data sources.

Sociology is both an academic field and a practical accomplishment, it may be understood as the competence by which ordinary participants in social settings recognize and obey (or violate) rules and norms that are widely shared by others. The performance of sociological competence leads to the practical accomplishment of the salient and enduring social structures that organize social life into institutions. sociology.

2006). In B. S. Turner (Ed.), Cambridge dictionary of sociology. Cambridge University Press. Credo Reference: https://search-credoreference-com.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/content/entry/cupsoc/sociology/0?institutionId=2001 

Here are some tips to choosing a research topic.

1. Choose a topic that interests you
2. Pick a topic that is of interest within your class. What is a recurring theme or topic in your class? How has a reading been fundamental for your thinking? Try to connect with something that you think you can either go deeper into, or take further.
3. Look to the following for inspiration:
   1. Class discussions
   2. Assigned readings
   3. Topics in the news
   4. Browse journals in the field
   5. Personal interests

Background research can help you learn more about your topic and may also help you refine your focus. By knowing more about your topic's background, you can develop a more effective topic and a stronger research paper. The databases below are great places to start!