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In an attempt to organize the ever-expanding literature related to the social scientific study of other animals we have developed and organized the Animals Studies Bibliography into the following thirteen substantive categories: animals as philosophical and ethical subjects, animals as reflexive thinkers, domestication and predation, animals as entertainment and spectacle, animals as symbols and companions, animals in science, education and therapy, animals in history, animals as food, animals in literature and ecocriticism, animals in feminism and ecofeminism, animals in religion, myth, and folktales, and conservation and human/animal conflict. We have also included a miscellaneous category where we have placed those citations which did not readily fit into one of the substantive categories. Below are brief descriptions of the six substantive categories as we have conceptualized them.

We welcome English-language published articles and essays on any aspect of the study of animals in society and from any discipline.

This category includes references that address the philosophical and ethical underpinnings regarding our treatment of animals, as well as more general theorizing about the roles of animals in human societies.

The citations in this category address the use of language and other methods of communication among animals, including cross-species cooperation, as well as human perceptions of animal mindedness.

This category is comprised of references that deal with hunting and the domestication of animals, including discussions of animal economies such as the commodification of animals for their end products to feed and clothe humans.

The citations included in this category address the historical and contemporary use of animals as entertainment and spectacle, such as in zoos, circuses and marine animal theme parks.

This category includes references that address the numerous issues related to the keeping of companion animals, such as the literature on the human-animal bond and the abuse of companion animals.

This category includes the various ways in which animals are used as symbols in human society. This includes animals as symbols of a nation, animal symbolism in folk tales, and a myriad of other instances of animals as representations of human culture.

The references in this section are related to the use of animals in science (both the natural and social scientific sciences), education, and in human therapy and rehabilitation. This section also includes specific academic disciplinary overviews.

This category consists of all references regarding a specific time period or presenting a dynamic history regarding animals.

These citations relate to the use and perception of animals as food as well as the numerous debates surrounding the practices required to consume animals.

The citations listed in this category includes both fictional and nonfictional citations regarding animals within literature.

This category is comprised of citations concerning ecofeminism, the interlinking of feminist and animal issues, and feminist perspectives on animals.

The citations in this category address animals within religion, myth, and folktales from around the world. This category will include subjects such as animism, totemism, ritual and sacrifice, religious perceptions of animals, and mythologies.

This category's citations address the various conflicts that have occured or continue to take place between humans and animals, as well as international and local conservation efforts.

This section includes edited volumes, compilations and other works that fit into multiple, or none of, our categories.