Sociological Research Online

Nigel Gilbert describes Sociological Research Online, a project from the Electronic Journals section of the Electronic Libraries Programme. SocResOnline is a (free) Web-based journal for people involved in Sociology and Sociology-related fields; it contains refereed articles, a substantial number of reviews and debating forums.

ociological Research Online is a new international journal which promotes rapid communication among sociologists. The first issue was published at the end of March 1996. The journal features high quality applied sociology, focusing on theoretical, empirical and methodological discussions which engage with current political, cultural and intellectual topics and debates.

The journal brings together peer-reviewed articles and debates concerned with the application of sociological forms of analysis to a wide range of public issues and private concerns, with the intention of demonstrating the wide social relevance of sociological research and theory to contemporary social issues. All submissions are fully refereed in the usual way according to the standards of leading international journals.

The first issue includes five articles on a variety of sociological topics:

Evaluating an empowering research strategy: Reflections on action-research with South Asian Women (Alison Bowes)
Theoretical considerations in cross-national employment research (Jacqueline O'Reilly)
'Refuse of all classes?' Social indicators and social deprivation (Geoff Payne, Judy Payne)
Qualitative data analysis: Technologies and representations (Amanda Coffey, Beverley Holbrook, Paul Atkinson)
Has funding made a difference to research methods? (Jennifer Platt) Sociological Research Online also includes a section reviewing the latest books and software.

The aim is for Sociological Research Online to make effective use of the new opportunities for interactive comment and debate made available by the growth of the Internet. In the Symposia attached to each issue, readers are able to discuss and debate articles, issues and longer-standing sociological concerns. The Symposia will be moderated and will include:

Forums around the articles and debates
A Standing Conference to discuss issues of wider sociological concern about electronic writing, publishing and communicating in sociology
A Women’s Salon designed to encourage and support women’s involvement in electronic publishing. Sociological Research Online will be indexed and abstracted in both print and electronic journals and bibliographical searching tools.

The journal is organizing a series of training workshops through SocInfo about the use of electronic journals. These will take place at monthly intervals from April 1996 in universities around the UK and seek to interest sociologists in the use of the World Wide Web.

Sociological Research Online is edited by Martin Bulmer (University of Surrey) and Liz Stanley (University of Manchester), with Victoria Alexander (University of Surrey) and Sue Heath (University of Manchester) as Review Editors, assisted by a distinguished Editorial Board and International Correspondents drawn from throughout the world.

The establishment of the journal is being supported by the Joint Information Systems Committee’s Electronic Libraries Programme. It is managed by a consortium of the Universities of Surrey and Stirling, the British Sociological Association and SAGE Publications, through a Management Board chaired by Nigel Gilbert (University of Surrey).

Further information about the journal and the training programme can be obtained from Stuart Peters (University of Surrey), the journal’s editorial and IT officer (email: socres@soc.surrey.ac.uk).

The journal can be found at: http://www.socresonline.org.uk/socresonline/

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May 20th 1996 - Comments can be emailed to Ariadne