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Sociology Resources: Web Resources

What You'll Find Here

These selected web resources in your subject area may help you find additional information. They have been reviewed by us, so you know they are trustworthy. Take a look!

Professional Organizations

Professional associations often provide research and education and professional development resources.

Useful Websites

Good Internet Sites

Don't be afraid to use the great resources available to you on the Internet!

Government Agencies provide a wealth of free information including reports and statistics. 

   ...Look for URLs that end in .gov

Professional Associations and Organizations provide resources for members.  Some resources may be free for non-members. 

   ...Look for URLs that end in .org

Educational Institutions provide resources to help students with their assignments.

   ...Look for URLs that end in .edu

Evaluating Websites --5 Ws

WHO

...wrote it; what are their credentials; what else have they written?
...published it; are they reputable?
...sponsored it?
...is the intended audience?

WHERE

...was it published?
...where was it written?
...is the supporting documentation?
WHAT

...is the scope or purpose?
...is it; primary or secondary?
...is it; qualitative or quantitative?
...is the bias or point of view?
...is the writing quality and style?
...methods did the author use to gather information?

WHY

...was it written?
WHEN

...was it published?
...was it written?

HOW

...accurate is it?
...was it received?
...relevant is it to your thesis?

Data Resources

Not all statistical data exists in the format you may desire, nor is it always freely available. The most recent statistics for your topic may be several years old, simply because it takes time to compile all the accumulated data. If you need help finding statistics, contact us!

SPSS

SPSS Statistics provides analytical capabilities for research questions: data quality, data complexity,and in-depth sampling assessment and testing.

The Internet and Critical Thinking

Be Wise!

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Image credit
  1. Is the website reliable, valid, accurate?
  2. Is the website authoritative? Who are the creators and what are their credentials?
  3. Is the information current?
  4. Is it free of bias?

For a fun tutorial on how to effectively use the Internet, view the Internet Detective

Internet Reliability

The Internet is an important tool, but you need to remember:

  • Anyone can develop a website on any topic they choose; creativity does not equal authority 
  • Internet does not have:
    • Standards for publishing 
    • Review process to check for accuracy
    • Prompts for removing outdated information

Ask yourself why the site was created.