SocIndex and ProQuest Social Science carry more social science journals than just sociology!
Read abstracts closely to be sure the author is taking a sociological approach to the topic. If you are working in the sub-field of social psychology, you can use social psych sources, but stay away from psychology journals.
How would an abstract read if it is sociology? It can mention a social theory, equality, marginalization, society, social groups....
Sometimes it is very clear from the title of the journal; sometimes it is not.
What are the author's credentials? Is he/she a criminologist, sociologist, ethnologist? Sometimes this info is on the first page of the article. You might have to "Google" the author to find out.
Here are some common characteristics of scholarly journal articles:
- Article appears in a peer reviewed journal (filter your search results for "peer reviewed")
- Author is an expert in the field. The author's credentials in the field are established, and they are likely affiliated with a scholarly institution and hold an appropriate degree in their field.
- There is a lengthy bibliography at the end of the article.
- Based on original research, or new applications of others' research
- Written for a scholarly audience in that field of study (difficult for others to read)
Scholarly article example: