LING/ANTH 432 & 532: Sociolinguistics I: Home

Search by Name

To research a linguist in the sources listed on this guide, use their name as your main search term—it can help you find works by, about, or referencing them. In a database or catalog's advanced search, try their name in the Author, Subject, or Abstract fields.

Summarizing a Linguist's Work

To understand a linguist’s key contributions, start by identifying their most influential or foundational works—those that are frequently cited or discussed in reference sources, book reviews, or literature overviews. Use tools like Google Scholar’s "Cited by", check their CV if available, and search their name in the Abstract or Subject fields to find materials that directly engage with their ideas. Focus on works that are repeatedly referenced to help you meaningfully incorporate their research into your own writing.

Web Search

Start your research with a web search to find background information on your linguist, such as their CV, publication list, or career highlights. Look for professional websites, departmental pages, interviews, or Wikipedia entries with references and external links for further exploration.

Search for your linguist in each of these resources to get the fullest range of resources to draw on for the Trading Card assignment. To learn how to most effectively use these and other information sources, see the other pages on this guide.

Reference Works

Search in reference works like encyclopedias and bibliographies to get background information on a topic.

UW Libraries Search: Books

To find books and ebooks, use our online catalog interface UW Libraries Search. The library catalog is your access point to books, ebooks, and journals.

Databases

Databases for language and linguistics provide the best way to search the literature in a particular discipline and include a number of advanced search tools and filters. Find article citations and full text in databases.

Google Scholar

Use Google Scholar for a broader and deeper search. While it lacks the many nuanced search tools of scholarly databases, it's useful when you are having a hard time turning up material elsewhere. Its Cited By feature is a powerful tool that clues you into the impact of a linguist's article or book by indicating the number of other works citing it.