SW 603: Home
Social Work Librarian
Finding Articles
Databases allow you to look for articles. Databases usually have a citation (information about an article such as the title, author, name of the journal or magazine the article appeared in, volume and issue, date, and pages) and sometimes they will also contain an abstract, or summary, of the article.
Databases also often have information about other types of resources - books, essays or chapters, government documents, etc.
Some databases will also have the articles themselves (called the full text of the article). When that happens, you should see a link to an HTML or PDF document. If you do not see a link, click on Get it at GVSU.
Additionally, a great journal to search within is Research on Social Work Practice!
Constructing a Keyword Search
In order to do a successful search, it's helpful to come up with good keywords. Here's a worksheet to help you get started.
Evidence-based Programs and Practice
Research-Supported Psychological Treatments
NREPP (National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices)
Social Work Databases
Below I've listed databases specific to social work, social services, or social sciences; keep in mind that depending on your topic, databases in other disciplines might be useful. In order to see a list of subjects, go to the library homepage, then click 'databases'. I also recommend checking out Writing Center Graduate Student Services. For your Human Rights assignment, a great resource is the Human Rights GVSU Library Subject Guide.
- Social Services AbstractsFeatures research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development. Includes records for journal articles, dissertations, and citations to book reviews from 1980 to present.
- Social Work AbstractsContains information on the fields of social work and human services (including theory and practice) and social issues and problems from 1977 to present.
- SocINDEX with Full TextCovers sociology and other aspects of the social sciences and may be useful in locating information in related areas like anthropology; criminology; and ethnic, racial, and gender studies. Author Profiles support identifying areas of expertise or focus of authors. Coverage dates back to 1895 for some journals and full text is available for a large percentage of sources.
- Sage Journals This link opens in a new windowSage Complete allows you to find full-text articles in journals published by Sage in the fields of communications, criminology, education, health sciences, materials science, management, political science, psychology, sociology, and urban studies, from 1879 to the present.
- Social Sciences Citation IndexFind journal articles in the social sciences. Over 50 different subject areas covered including: anthropology, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, and social work. Use the citation maps feature to find out who has been citing an article. 1956-present.
- Sociological AbstractsProvides access to the latest findings in theoretical and applied sociology, social science, and political science. Includes references to journal articles; dissertations; book , chapter, and association paper abstracts as well as citations from books, films, and software. Coverage dates back to 1963.
- PsycinfoPsycinfo, produced by the American Psychological Association, provides access to journal articles, book chapters, books, dissertations, reports, and other documents from all over the world in both English and foreign languages in the field of psychology and related disciplines such as education, criminology, psychiatry, social work, medicine, and law, back to 1887.
Policy Websites
- Congress.govU.S. federal legislation.
- Michigan Legislature WebsiteSource for Michigan bills and compiled laws.
- Michigan City CodesLocal city ordinances and policies.
- Family Futures Resource GuideFamily Futures provides a variety of innovative, family-centered programs and services.
Library 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 ResearcherProvides 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.
- CQ Press Political Reference SuiteIncludes many resources, including Congress and the Nation and Supreme Court Yearbook, both of which are searchable and browsable by topic.
- HeinOnline Government, Politics, and LawHeinOnline’s Government, Politics, and Law provides comprehensive coverage of more than 2,000 periodicals. In addition the journals, the database also contains the Congressional Record, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, constitutions for every country in the world, classic books from the 18th & 19th centuries, all United States Treaties, the Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations and more.
- ProQuest CongressionalUseful for finding texts of bills, laws, and legislative histories.
Organizations Concerned with Policy
The following links are to 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.
- 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.
- USA.govSearch U.S. government publications
- 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.
- Michigan League for Public PolicyA nonprofit organization dedicated to education and advocacy on behalf of low income and vulnerable citizens in Michigan.
- 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.
- 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.
- Social Security Administration's Research, Statistics, & Policy Analysis"responsible for conducting policy analysis, research and evaluation."
Michigan Legislature Interactive Tutorial
- Last Updated: Oct 30, 2024 12:41 PM
- URL: https://libguides.gvsu.edu/sw603