Skip to Main Content

Sociology

Tips, Tricks and Time-Saving Tools

When you use phrase searching, you instruct the database or search engine to locate a specific group of words in that exact sequence. This is especially valuable when:

  • You're looking for a specific sociological concept or theory: Searching for "symbolic interactionism" will find information specifically about that concept, not just articles that mention the words "symbolic" and "interactionism" separately.
  • You want to find a particular social movement or event: Searching for "Civil Rights Movement" will retrieve information about that specific movement, not just articles that mention "civil" and "rights" or "movement" individually.
  • The order of the words is significant: Searching for "social stratification theory" will find information about that specific theory, not just any mention of the words "social" and "stratification" or "theory."

How to Use Phrase Searching in Sociology Research:

Simply enclose the phrase you're looking for in quotation marks. Most databases (like JSTOR and Social Sciences Citaiton Index) and search engines recognise quotation marks as a signal for phrase searching.

  • Example: "social capital"
  • Example: "feminist theory"

Why Phrase Searching is Crucial for Students and Researchers:

  • Precision: It helps you find the exact information you need, not just vaguely related content.
  • Relevance: It ensures that the results you get are focused on your specific topic, not just general mentions of the words you're searching for.
  • Efficiency: It saves you valuable time by filtering out irrelevant results, allowing you to focus on the most pertinent information for your research or analysis.

Remember:

  • Don't use quotation marks around excessively long phrases: If your phrase is too long, you might not find any matches.
  • Combine phrase searching with other search techniques: You can use phrase searching in conjunction with other tools like Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) and filters (date range, methodology) to refine your search even further.

Proximity searching allows you to find words or phrases that appear near each other in a document, even if they're not directly adjacent. This is useful when:

  • The order of the words is flexible: You might remember two sociological concepts being discussed in an article, but not the exact phrase. For example, searching for "social class" NEAR/5 "inequality" would find documents where those terms appear within five words of each other, in any order.
  • You want to find linked ideas: You might want to find documents where two concepts are discussed in close proximity, indicating a potential relationship or impact on each other. For example, searching for "gender" NEAR/10 "education" could find articles exploring the link between gender and educational outcomes.
  • You're unsure of the exact terminology: Maybe you recall a general idea from a study but not the precise wording. Proximity searching can help you locate it even if you don't remember the exact phrase.

How to Use Proximity Searching in Sociology Research:

Different databases use varying symbols and syntax for proximity searching. Common operators include:

  • NEAR/ or N/: Finds words within a certain number of words of each other.
    • For example, "social mobility" NEAR/5 "education" would find "social mobility and education" but also "the impact of education on social mobility."
  • W/ or WITHIN: Finds words within a certain number of words of each other, in the order you specify.
    • For example, "social movements" W/3 "activism" would find "social movements and activism" but not "activism within social movements."

Why Proximity Searching is Valuable for Students and Researchers:

  • Flexibility: It offers more freedom than phrase searching, which requires exact word order, accommodating variations in how concepts are expressed.
  • Relevance: It can help you find documents where ideas are closely related, even if they're not expressed in the exact same way, leading to a broader understanding of the topic.
  • Discovery: It can help you uncover valuable information that might have otherwise remained hidden with a more rigid search, leading to deeper insights and a broader understanding of complex social phenomena.

Remember:

  • Check the database's help guide: Different databases might have different rules for proximity searching, so be sure to check the specific syntax and operators they use.
  • Experiment with different distances: The optimal distance between terms can vary depending on the context. Try different numbers after the "NEAR/" or "W/" operator to see what works best for your search.

Wildcards are special characters that substitute for unknown or multiple letters, enabling you to broaden your search and uncover variations of words, leading to valuable discoveries in your sociology research.

The Asterisk (*):

  • Replaces zero or more characters.
  • Ideal for finding different word endings, plurals, or variations of a word stem.
    • Example: Searching for "feminis*" could find:
      • feminism
      • feminist
      • feminists
      • femininities

The Question Mark (?):

  • Replaces a single character.
  • Useful for alternative spellings or when you're unsure of the exact spelling.
    • Example: Searching for "organi?ation" could find:
      • organisation (British spelling)
      • organization (American spelling)

How Wildcards Enhance Your Research:

  • Capture All the Variations: Instead of typing every possible ending or variation of a word, use a wildcard to find them all at once. This saves you time and ensures you don't miss any relevant research papers, reports, or studies.
  • Account for Diverse Terminology: Sociological terminology can vary across regions and disciplines. Wildcards help you find all relevant terms, even if you're unsure of the exact wording.
  • Find What You Don't Know: If you're unsure of the exact spelling of a sociological term, a researcher's name, or an organisation, wildcards can help you fill in the gaps and discover the correct information.

Important Note: Each database might have its own rules for wildcards:

  • Some databases might use different symbols or have restrictions on how many wildcards you can use in a search.
  • Always check the database's help section for specific instructions.

Boolean operators are simple words (AND, OR, NOT) that help you combine or exclude search terms, making your research in sociology more precise and focused on the most relevant information.

  • AND: Narrows your search. Like saying "I want articles about gender AND education AND inequality." All conditions must be true.
  • OR: Broadens your search. Like saying "I want articles about social movements OR activism OR collective action." At least one condition must be true.
  • NOT: Excludes terms. Like saying "I want articles about poverty, but NOT those focused solely on the United States." This eliminates certain articles from your search results.

Why Use Boolean Operators in Sociology Research?

  • Find exactly what you need: By combining terms in specific ways, you can zero in on the most relevant information, like specific case studies, analyses of social phenomena, or comparative studies on different social groups.
  • Save time: Avoid wasting time sifting through irrelevant results by using Boolean operators to filter out unwanted information.
  • Get more accurate results: Be specific with your search terms and combinations to get the most precise answers to your research questions.

Examples in Research:

  • AND: "race" AND "ethnicity" AND "discrimination" (Find articles about the intersection of race, ethnicity, and discrimination)
  • OR: "socialisation" OR "identity formation" OR "coming of age" (Find articles about any of these topics)
  • NOT: "family" NOT "nuclear family" (Find articles about family structures that do not focus on the nuclear family model)

Parentheses (or brackets) act like guideposts in your search queries, instructing the database or search engine on how to group your search terms and in what order to process them. This ensures you get the most relevant results for your research in sociology.

Here's why parentheses/brackets are essential for effective research in this field:

Controlling the Search Engine's Logic:

Search engines have a default order for processing search terms (typically AND first, then OR). Parentheses allow you to override that order and prioritise certain terms or combinations, just as a sociologist might prioritise certain variables in a study.

Example: Searching for ("social class" OR "socioeconomic status") AND ("education" OR "academic achievement") will find documents about social class or socioeconomic status specifically related to education or academic achievement. Without the parentheses, the search engine might find documents about social class/socioeconomic status in general, and then either education or academic achievement separately.

Grouping Similar Concepts:

By using parentheses with the OR operator, you can group together synonyms or related terms to broaden your search and ensure you capture all relevant information.

Example: Searching for (poverty OR "economic hardship" OR "social deprivation") AND ("health outcomes" OR "well-being") will find documents related to poverty and its connection to health outcomes or well-being.

Building Complex Queries:

Parentheses help clarify the meaning of complex searches that combine multiple operators and terms, just as you would structure a multifaceted research question in sociology.

Example: Searching for ("social media" OR "online platforms") AND ("body image" OR "self-esteem") AND ("adolescents" OR "teenagers") will find documents about the impact of social media on body image or self-esteem among adolescents or teenagers.

In Summary:

Parentheses act like punctuation marks in a sentence, guiding the search engine to understand your intended meaning and deliver the most relevant results for your research. By using them effectively, you can:

  • Control the logic of your search, ensuring the search engine processes your terms in the order you intend.
  • Group related terms to broaden your search and capture all relevant information.
  • Construct complex queries that accurately reflect your research question or information needs.

Search String:

("social inequality" OR "social stratification") AND ("social conflict" OR "social unrest") NEAR/5 (protest* OR movement* OR activism) NOT ("social cohesion" OR "peacebuilding")

Explanation: Phrase Searching:

  • "social inequality": Searches for this exact term.
  • "social stratification": Searches for this exact phrase.
  • "social conflict": Searches for this exact phrase.
  • "social unrest": Searches for this exact phrase.

Boolean Operators:

  • OR: Broadens the search to include either "social inequality" or "social stratification," and either "social conflict" or "social unrest."
  • AND: Narrows the search to include only results that contain both a concept of inequality (social inequality or social stratification) AND a concept of conflict (social conflict or social unrest).
  • NOT: Excludes results that contain the terms "social cohesion" or "peacebuilding," focusing on the manifestations of social conflict rather than its resolution.

Wildcards:

  • Asterisk*: The asterisk wildcard is used within "protest," "movement," and "activism" to account for variations such as "protests," "movement," "movements," "activist," "activists," etc.

Proximity Searching:

  • NEAR/5: Ensures that the terms on either side of this operator appear within five words of each other in the text. This links the inequality terms to the conflict terms and the protest/movement/activism terms, ensuring the results discuss their relationship.

What this search will find:

This search will uncover articles, reports, or other documents that discuss protests, movements, or activism related to social inequality or social stratification. It specifically excludes documents that primarily focus on social cohesion or peacebuilding efforts, highlighting the expressions of social conflict stemming from inequality.

Key Points:

  • This search is tailored to students and researchers interested in social inequality, social movements, and conflict studies.
  • It prioritises relevance by ensuring that the key concepts are closely linked within the text.
  • It avoids unwanted results by excluding the terms "social cohesion" and "peacebuilding," focusing on the manifestations of social conflict.
  • It accounts for variations in terminology through the use of wildcards.

Additional Notes:

  • You can adjust the proximity distance (NEAR/5) based on your specific needs and the database you're using.
  • This search can be further refined by adding more specific terms (e.g., "economic inequality," "racial inequality") or using other Boolean operators (e.g., adding specific countries or regions).
  • Always consult the specific database's help guide to confirm the correct syntax for wildcards and proximity operators.