This study discusses the problems of conceptual and bibliographic access to the literature of the social sciences. The study is intended to assist both professionals and students who are conducting social science research. Part I examines conceptual access and search strategies. It traces the flow of social science information from original reports of research or theory through the citation of these publications in recurrent bibliographies, abstracts and indexes, to referencing of the publications in social science publications. Problems of conceptual access to the social science literature arise for various reasons. First, there are differences in concepts and terminology between disciplines. Secondly, there are varying degrees of control over terminology within disciplines. And, third, discrepancies occur between social science concepts and library generated indexing terms. Part I then presents a literature search strategy that takes into account the flow of social science information and problems of conceptual access to the literature. The strategy begins with a basic search of cumulating sources that provides the searcher with an overview of the topic and a basic bibliography. The study then presents alternative sources that can be used to update or supplement the basic search. Part II of the study provides an annotated bibliography of selected bibliographic sources in the social sciences in the order in which they would be logically searched. Cumulating sources--subject encyclopedias and dictionaries, scholarly handbooks and research reviews--are presented first. Next recurrent bibliographies, abstracts and indexes are presented, followed by sources of social data. References to available thesauri and equivalent computer readable data bases are cited. A sample literature search is appended. (Author/RM)