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Theories and theorists

Getting started - introductory works

Sometimes you need to understand the basics of a theory before you can do more in-depth research. 

Explore the Library collection to find introductory information about relevant theories that apply to your research. Handbooks, encyclopedias and other introductory works can be useful starters.

Here are a few:

Theorists and theories

Works by and about theories 

You can search for information written by or about a particular theorist using the Library catalogue's Advanced Search feature.

  • To find information written by a theorist, enter their name and select author/creator from the drop down list.
  • To find information written about a theorist, enter their name and select subject from the drop down list.
  • To search both, do both of the above steps and select the connector OR on the second line.

Advanced Library Collection search on Emile Durkheim

Search tip: You do not need to capitalise names when searching.

Below are example searches for some relevant theorists:

Researching theories

To find information on theories, try a keyword search in the Library Collection or a relevant database.

Search tip: Visit the Plan your Search and Find Information pages of this guide for more help developing a keyword search.

Below are example keyword searches for relevant theories: