Social Gerontology 

David Weeks
Reference Librarian
Winthrop University
June, 2008

The subject of social gerontology is a multidisciplinary one, which means you'll be using resources for a variety of subject areas.  Following is a list of recommended resources that should give you a good start to your research.  Keep in mind that this list is not comprehensive, and you'll want to search DOC (the Dacus Online Catalog) for other materials we may have related to your topic.  Try a subject search for gerontology, geriatrics, aging, or aged.  Then try a keyword search for the topic you're trying to find information on.  Your textbook also has a comprehensive bibliography at the end of each chapter.  Remember that a bibliography can be an excellent guide to finding additional materials on your topic.

General Resources:

Books:

All the books listed in the following sections are available in Dacus Library.  The ones located in the reference collection can only be used in the library.  The ones located in the general collection can be checked out.

Electronic Resources:

All of the electronic resources mentioned below can be accessed by going to the "Databases" section of the Dacus Library Website www.winthrop.edu/dacus/.

InfoTrac is a good database to start your research with.  It contains a wide range of journal articles for many subject areas.  For gerontology research try the Expanded Academic Index and the  Health Reference Center Academic.  Academic Search Premier is another multidisciplinary database to use in the beginning stages of your research.

The study of social gerontology can be broken down into the following subject areas:

• Biological and Physiological aspects
• Psychological aspects
• Social aspects

Resources for Biological and Physiological Aspects of Aging:

Books:

Electronic Resources:

Medline is an index or journal articles related to medicine and health.

Resources for Psychological Aspects of Aging:

Books:

Electronic Resources:

The PsycINFO database indexes journals, books, and reports in the field of psychology.

Resources for Social Aspects of Aging:

Books:

Electronic Resources:

Serials

The following serials are available in Dacus Library.  CHeck the online catalog for locations and the availability of issues.

Websites