Research Guides: SOC 1030: Environment & Society: Home

Librarian for Sociology, Environmental Sociology, MHS, GSS, and Public Policy Studies

Pam Morgan

she/her/hers

Email Me

Subjects: Gender and Sexuality Studies, Medicine, Health and Society, Public Policy Studies, Sociology

Sources

Library Search This link opens in a new window
Check out the Library Search which finds print and electronic items, including journal and newspaper articles, book chapters, books, reviews, legal documents, and much more. Note: Due to licensing restrictions, some content is only available to current students, faculty, and staff.
Vendor Tutorials: https://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/searchhelp/
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Citation database from journals and international conference proceedings. Cross-search of the Web of Science Core Collection, BIOSIS Previews, and the SciELO Citation Index (Latin America, Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean and South Africa).
All current Vanderbilt University students, faculty, and staff have access, both on and off campus.
E&E News This link opens in a new window
Essential news for energy & environment professionals. Includes Energywire, Climatewire, E&E Daily, Greenwire and E&E News PM.
User Limit: Unlimited.
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Index of international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Abstracts of journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, conference papers, and citations to book reviews.
Coverage: 1953 to present.
Environmental Studies and Policy This link opens in a new window
Scholarly journals, magazines, and other reference sources covering environmental issues and policies. Perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policymakers, and corporate interests.
Gale In Context: Environmental Studies This link opens in a new window
Interdisciplinary resource for environmental and sustainability studies. Content includes reference works, case studies, multimedia materials, academic journals, newspapers, and magazines. Explore issues and events through topic, organization, and country portals.
GreenFILE (EBSCO host) This link opens in a new window
Information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Scholarly, government and general-interest titles on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.
All Vanderbilt University staff and students have access to this database, both on and off campus.
North American City Reports This link opens in a new window
Surveys, budgets, statistical records, case studies, planning documents, training manuals, policy guidelines, reports, and news from the world’s major cities. Provides research with particular importance in areas of climate change, political instability, and rapid growth.
Global Think Tanks This link opens in a new window
Curated, high quality policy reports, briefs, analyses, working papers, and datasets produced by the world’s leading policy experts, think tanks, research centers, IGOs, and NGOs.
Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Covers most business areas: management, marketing, economics, finance, accounting, & international business. Includes company reports, SWOT analyses, working papers, country reports, industry reports, case studies, etc.
All current Vanderbilt University students, faculty, and staff have access, both on and off campus.

Vanderbilt University Library Search

Selecting the best search scope for your research needs:

Everything vs. Library Catalog vs. Articles

Search Scope	What is included?	When should I use it?
Everything	Broadest search scope Results will include books and ebooks, articles, and media like DVDs	A great option when you are just beginning your research process. Use Everything when you want to survey the research landscape for your topic
Library Catalog	Focuses on VU owned items, physical and digital Results will include books and ebooks, and media like DVDs Digital collections like the TV News Archive will also be included in your results	You have defined your information needs Use Library Catalog when you are ready to create a tailored search for your topic
Articles	Content from selected VU databases Popular and scholarly articles	Use Articles to find popular and scholarly articles on your topic. The Articles scope does not search across all databases accessible to the Vanderbilt community. Not finding the articles you need or want more database options? Consult the Database A-Z

For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?

1. Use quotes around phrases

2. Use the "Quick Filters" if you want just books, articles, etc.

3. If you need peer reviewed sources, apply that filter

4. Use "Format" for other types of sources such as newspaper articles, book chapters, etc.

5. Use the date limiter

A complete list of limiters can be found on the left hand side of the screen below "Refine your results".

What is gray literature? Grey literature is information produced outside of traditional publishing and distribution channels, and can include reports, policy literature, working papers, newsletters, government documents, speeches, white papers, urban plans, and so on. Many of our databases have "format" or "source" filters for gray literature such as "reports"

You can also use Google to find gray literature.

To find grey literature, try keywords such as report, "think tank," "white paper," policy, statistics, or limiting by domain to (.org, .edu, .gov)

screenshot of google search for "climate change" "policy brief"

screenshot of google search for "climate change" site: .org

Scholarly	News	Gray Literature
Scholarly articles publish original research on events related to a specific discipline written by professors, researchers, or professionals. These articles are written by an expert for other experts in the same field and generally go through a process called "peer review," in which they are vetted by other experts. Scholarly sources typically include references to other sources (bibliography) and are written with the assumption that the audience already has significant background knowledge in the topic.	Written by journalists. Events as they actually happened, reflect how people view a topic at a particular time, report on research for the lay person, provide stats, experts.	Grey literature is information produced outside of traditional publishing and distribution channels, and can include reports, policy literature, working papers, newsletters, government documents, speeches, white papers, urban plans, and so on. Many of our databases have "format" or "source" filters for gray literature such as "reports"