Is there a journal that you think the library should have? You can recommend a purchase here or make a comment below.
The following are some of the top journals for sociology sorted by Impact Factor (latest 2011). If you are looking for a journal to skim through or to help you keep up-to-date with current research and trends, start with these. For more detailed listings of journals in sociology and their rankings, visit the Journal Citation Reports within the Web of Knowledge database.
There are several ways to search for journal articles. You can start with UC Library Search, using the Articles, Books and more option, which searches all the databases the UCLA Library subscribes to. Or you can go to a specific database, such as APA PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, PubMed, etc.
In either case, start with a keyword search using words relevant to your topic. When you see some articles that look interesting, click on the title to see the complete citation. If there are subject terms or descriptors, click on those that seem related to your topic to get other articles on the subject.
If the item you find does not have full text online, copy the title of the journal and search for it in the UCLA Library Search. Paste the title into the Search box. Select your title from the list and see if UCLA owns the item you seek. If there is an Available Online link, you can find the full text online. When using these links be sure to check and see if the coverage includes the volume/year that you need.