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Research Guides

LING/ANTH 432 & 532: Sociolinguistics I: Research Strategies

Guide to finding sources for Sociolinguistics I (LING/ANTH 432 & 532) coursework

Using Names as Search Terms

To research a linguist and their work, the most important search term to use is their name. Names are powerful search terms because they directly identify a person. You can use them to find works by a scholar, about them, or works that reference their contributions.

Where to Search Names

When using a database or catalog’s advanced search, you can typically apply a name to different search fields. Some common fields where you can search a linguist's name:

  • AUTHOR Field: Use this field to locate works written by a specific scholar.
  • SUBJECT Field: Search a name here to find works that analyze or discuss the scholar’s contributions.
  • ABSTRACT Field: If a name is mentioned in an abstract, the work likely engages with their research in some way.
  • FULL TEXT: Searching a name in the full text can uncover incidental references and citations. This is useful for tracking the broader impact of a scholar’s work.

Name Searching Tips

  • Name Variants: Try different formats. If you don't find results using an author's full name, leave out the middle initial, or use an initial instead of the first name.
  • Last Name Only: Often works well, especially if the name is unique.
  • Check for Changes: Search all known versions if the scholar has changed names. Check each element of hyphenated names separately.
  • Similar Names: Use affiliations, topics, or co-authors to confirm identity.
  • Misspellings: Sometimes a citation misspells a name – and sometimes you might have. Check your spelling!
  • Avoid Phrase Searching and Middle Initials in Search: Quotation marks and middle initials may miss relevant results due to variations in name formatting.

Searching the Web for Linguist Information

Web search engines like Google and Bing are familiar tools that can be useful for starting your research. While they aren’t as targeted as scholarly databases, they offer broad access to information and can complement your search strategies.

Finding Sociolinguist Information with Web Search

The following sources for information on a scholar's work and their place in the field are typically available openly on the internet. Try looking for resources like these for your linguist of choice:

  • Scholar's professional websites, often including CV and publications as well as current research
  • Wikipedia or other articles providing overviews, references, and external links
  • Departmental / institutional websites
  • Retirement announcements, obituaries, in memoriams
  • Interviews and podcasts

Try adding these keywords to a web search on a linguist's name to find relevant information.

  • biography
  • CV
  • "faculty page"
  • "in memoriam"
  • interview
  • obituary
  • podcast
  • publications
  • retirement
  • Wikipedia

Understanding and Incorporating Key Contributions

It can be challenging to determine which of a linguist’s many works best represent their key ideas, especially if they’ve had a long and influential career. You may find numerous books and articles, but it’s not always clear which ones to prioritize or how to meaningfully incorporate their research into your own work.

To identify and highlight a linguist’s main contributions, consider these strategies:

  • Check reference works or bibliographies for summaries that provide highlights and context.
  • Review the scholar’s CV, if available, to see how they present their own work and priorities.
  • Look for secondary materials like interviews, book reviews, or biographical notes that offer insight into their career and influence.
  • Use citation tools like the “Cited by” feature in Google Scholar to identify which works have had the greatest impact.
  • Search for the scholar’s name in the ABSTRACT or SUBJECT fields of databases to find materials that directly discuss or analyze their work.
  • Start with foundational or early works to trace how their ideas were introduced and developed over time.
  • Look at literature reviews or overview articles that contextualize their work within broader scholarly conversations.