Library Resources for Social Work: Policy
A guide to library resources and websites.
Citing Policies and Government Docs
Organizations Concerned with Policy
The following links are sources of information about policy that is pertinent to Social Work. Some of these are for-profit organizations that analyze policy. Please be aware that while these may be useful to you and may provide great perspective on policy, they are not scholarly sources. Also, some of these sources are advocacy groups and are therefore not completely objective. If your assignment calls only for scholarly sources, please use your judgment.
- American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law (ABACCL)American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law has information on federal child welfare laws,state child abuse laws, adoptive laws and working with the courts in child protection.
- American Public Human Services AssociationOrganization of state and local human services agencies and individuals interested in human services.
- Brookings InstituteThe Brookings Institution is a well-respected nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC whose mission is to conduct research and provide policy recommendations based on that research.
- Center for Law and Social PolicyWorks to improve the lives of low-income people through policy analysis and providing information on a range of family policy and equal justice issues.
- Family Strengthening Policy CenterSocial Policy and Law.
- Foreign Policy in FocusHuman Rights and U.S. Policy.
- Influencing State PolicyInfluencing State Policy (ISP) assists social work faculty and students in learning to effectively influence the formation, implementation, and evaluation of state - level policy and legislation.
- National Center for Law and Economic JusticeFormerly the welfare law center, advances the cause of economic justice for low-income families, individuals and communities across the country.
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court JudgesDaily updates of news in juvenile justice, policies and other juvenile issues.
- Public AgendaA nonpartisan opinion research and civic engagement organization helping Americans explore and understand critical issues since 1975.
- RAND CorporationRAND is a source for policy briefs and analysis. To get started, click "Research Areas".
- Social Security Administration's Research, Statistics, & Policy Analysis"responsible for conducting policy analysis, research and evaluation."
- Urban InstituteThe Urban Institute builds knowledge about the nation’s social and fiscal challenges, practicing open-minded, evidence-based research to diagnose problems and figure out which policies and programs work best, for whom, and how.
Where to Find Policy
- Federal Government's Portal: FDSYSGovernment Printing Office's source for Bills, Legislative Histories, Public Law, Statutes at Large, the U.S. Code and the Constitution.
- GovTrackUse this source to find information about the histories of laws or Bills that have yet to become Law.
- Michigan's LegislatureMichigan bills and compiled laws.
- Westlaw This link opens in a new windowCovers state and federal case law and statutes and regulations, the Code of Federal Regulations. Federal Register, American Jurisprudence 2nd, American Law Reports and law reviews.
Databases to support Policy & Issue Research
These databases are subscribed to by GVSU's library. They are also accessible from the Database link on the library's homepage.
- CQ Press Political Reference Suite This link opens in a new windowIncludes many resources, including Congress and the Nation and Supreme Court Yearbook, both of which are searchable and browsable by topic
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowProvides information on various current events & hot topics, including pros/cons, backgrounds, outlook for the future of the issue, maps and graphs, and a bibliography. This is a great place to start.
- iPOLL This link opens in a new windowAcademic, commercial, and media polls in the U.S. with search tools designed specifically for survey questions.
U.S. Code Popular Name Tools
Here are two tools you can use to find the citation of an act. This will make it easier to find the laws in the various databases.
- U.S. Code Popular Name Tool: free government tool to help you find citations, which makes finding the actual laws easier.
- Popular Names of Acts in the U.S. Code: Cornell's Legal Information Institute's list of popular names.
Subjects: Social Work
- Last Updated: Apr 16, 2024 1:09 PM
- URL: https://libguides.gvsu.edu/socialwork
