Contact info

For Library research help, please contact Moninder Lalli, Librarian for Sociology / Anthropology by email (moninder_lalli@sfu.ca) or Ask a librarian.

Course syllabus

SA 315 New Information Technology and Society

Essay  

Start Your Research Here - This page gives you an overview of the research process, or in other words how to find materials for your essay.

Selected reference works

Encyclopedias, handbooks or textbooks provide overviews, definitions and identify key authors and ideas.

• Encyclopedia of social media and politics
• Handbook of research on the evolution of IT and the rise of E-society [single-user access]
• International handbook on responsible innovation : a global resource
• Routledge handbook on information technology in government [print]
• Sage eReference
• SAGE handbook of social media
• SAGE handbook of web history  [access limited to 3 simultaneous users]
• Social media : a reference handbook [print]
• Virtual lives a reference handbook

Find journal articles

How to find journal articles" tutorial.  If the full-text of the article is not available, use the "Get@SFU" link to find it.

The databases below will provide articles on information technology and society.

• Sociological Abstracts
  • Key database for sociology and anthropology journals. 
• Social Sciences Full Text
  •  Multi-disciplinary database
• Communication & Mass Media Complete
  • Media, communication, social media
• Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA)
  • Covers the topics related to information and society and the fields of librarianship.

Find books in the Library

Library Catalogue search guide

Search the SFU Library Catalogue

   You can also use  SFU Library Catalogue: Advanced Search

Books by title

Books can be searched by title using the "Browse by title" search, Catalogue Search or the Advanced Search.  The "Browse by title" will not show book chapters or book reviews.

Keyword searches for topics

Examples:

• "digital economy" AND (labor OR labour OR work OR worker*)
  • Limited by "Resource type of "Books" and selected "Subjects"
• "digital democracy" AND (social OR societ*)
  • Limited by "Resource type of "Books" and selected "Subjects"
• cyberspace AND (society OR social)
  • Limited by "Resource type of "Books" and selected "Subjects"
•  ("information society" OR "network society") AND (resistance OR rights OR "status quo")

Combine different concepts using AND
Combine same concepts using OR
Use quotation marks to search for a phrase
Use brackets for synonyms
Use asterisk (*) for different endings of words

Note:  For Catalogue Search, when combining concepts, use CAPITAL letters ( "OR", "AND")

Browse books by selected subject headings

Check subject headings of relevant titles in your list and click on the "subject" links.  You can also "browse by subject" to find books on a topic.  Examples  of relevant subject headings, below.

• Big data
• Biotechnology -- social aspects
• Computers and society
• Digital divide
• Digital media -- social aspects
• Information society -- social aspects
• Information technology - social aspects
•   "Information technology", Limited to "subject", Information society
• Internet - history
• Internet -- social aspects
• Mass media -- Encyclopedias
• Online social networks
• Social media -- [name of a country]
• Social media -- social aspects
• Technology -- Social aspects
• Technological innovations -- Social aspects

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Library guides

• What is a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal?
• Understanding and avoiding plagiarism [interactive tutorial]
• Library Tutorials

Obtaining books or journal articles not in SFU Library collection

Please use the Library's Inter-Library Loans Service to borrow books or to obtain journal articles which are not in the SFU Library Collection (no charge).

To place an ILL request see Request items from other libraries.

Writing help

For undergraduate students, the Student Learning Commons provides assistance and numerous, helpful guides.

• Academic writing resources
• Library Catalogue search: Academic writing
  • E.g. Writing effective course assignments : a guide to non-degree and undergraduate students
• Book a consultation

Selected resources on writing essays:

• A guide to writing sociology papers 
• The Sociology Student Writer's Manual and Reader's Guide
• The writer's handbook for sociology
• Writing ethnography 
• Writing for social scientists : How to start and finish your thesis, book, or article
  • Access to this book is limited to three-simultaneous users
• Writing up qualitative research