Professional Resources

• The American Sociological Association (ASA)
  Founded in 1905 and based in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to advancing sociology as a scientific discipline and profession serving the public good. With approximately 14,000 members, ASA encompasses sociologists who are faculty members at colleges and universities, in addition to researchers, practitioners, and students. About 20% of the members work in government, business, or nonprofit organizations [self-characterization].
   
• American Sociological Association’s Section on Sociological Practice
  Sections are constituent parts of the American Sociological Association. The purpose of Sections is to promote the common interest of association members in specified areas of sociology. In addition to promoting networking among sociologists with common interests, they can also be a useful point of entry into a specific area of sociology for an “outsider”. Those sociologists who work outside of university settings or do “applied” work are often members of the ASASSP.
   
• The International Sociological Association (ISA)
  Founded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO. The association characterizes itself as representing sociologists everywhere, regardless of their school of thought, scientific approaches or ideological opinion, and to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world [self-characterization].
   
• The Society for Applied Sociology (SAS)
  Founded in 1985 and provides a forum for sociologists and others interested in applying sociological knowledge to social problems, policy, or organizational needs. The organization also houses the accreditation body for training programs in applied sociology.
   
• American Sociological Review and the American Journal of Sociology
  Much of the published work of sociologists appears in professional journals. A full list of journals published by the American Sociological Association.
   
• The American Sociological Review
  The flagship journal of the American Sociological Association. Founded in 1936, the Review’s mission is to publish original works of interest to the discipline in general, new theoretical developments, results of research that advance our understanding of fundamental social processes, and important methodological innovations [self-description].
• American Journal of Sociology
  Established in 1895 as the first U.S. scholarly journal in its field, the American Journal of Sociology is a leading voice for analysis and research in the social sciences, presenting work on the theory, methods, practice, and history of sociology [self-description].
   
• Contexts
  Contexts is a journal published by the ASA that is intended for a broader audience, and it may be especially interesting to undergraduates. Selected articles may be accessed online.
   
• The Socjournal
  Founded in 2010, The Socjournal is dedicated to the consideration of new and emerging communications media.
   
• Journal of Sociology
  The Journal of Sociology publishes theoretical and empirical work at the international cutting edge.
   
• Careers in Sociology 
  Careers in Sociology is an online resource with chapters on eighteen different possible careers in sociology.

Data Resources

• The Statistical Abstract of the United States
  The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States [self-characterization].

Other Resources

• ASA Careers
  What can I do with a degree in sociology? According to Careers in Sociology, a publication of the American Sociological Association, this question can be answered in a multitude of ways. The booklet says it includes a fresh definition of sociology as a discipline and profession and profiles of students who talk about how sociology led to their current employment. It also outlines possible career paths and offers tips for how to apply to graduate school.
   
• AcademicInfo
  AcademicInfo is an online education resource center with extensive subject guides and distance learning information with a mission to provide free, independent and accurate information and resources for prospective and current students (and other researchers).