Research Guides: Sociology: Reference Sources

Selected Reference e-Books from the Evans Library

Reference Materials are especially helpful for providing quick answers to questions. They are also good sources of factual background information.

They include encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, manuals, and more. Click on the titles below to access.

Records for books from these online reference databases also appear in the Library's Catalog.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference provides full-text access to dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles, along with images, sound files, animations, videos, etc. Includes concept mapping, dynamic tables, interactive maps, timelines, and pronunciation audio.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
An online library of encyclopedias and specialized ebooks series for multidisciplinary research. Subjects include Art; Business; Government and Law; History; Language and Literature; Science; Social Sciences; and Technology.

Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
OPEN ACCESS. Published annually by the United States Federal Government from 1878 until 2012, the Statistical Abstract of the United States is the best-known statistical reference publication in the country. It is an authoritative guide of carefully selected statistical sources on the social, political, and economic conditions that provide a snapshot of America and its people. (NOTE: To access the most current data, please refer to the organizations cited in the source notes for each table of the Statistical Abstract.)

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
Rand Sociology
A division of the Rand Corporation. Links to research, conferences and other scholarly resources are included.
United Nations Statistics Division
World Factbook
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues for 267 world entities. Also includes various maps.
World Bank - Data and Research
Various reports indexed by country and topic.