LibGuides: Social Work Research: Getting Started

What's In This Guide

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Free Evidence-Based Practice Resources

Google Scholar Cross-discipline search of academic and scholarly literature. It can be set up to link to full-text articles at libraries like BPL, Simmons and WorldCat.
Boston Public Library All Massachusetts Residents can get eCards, which provide access to all remotely-accessible e-resources. (These e-resources can also be connected to Google Scholar.)
Information for Practice News, new scholarship and more gathered by Gary Holden to help social service professionals maintain an awareness of news and emerging scholarship in the profession.
USA.gov A portal to all federal websites and information. Navigate by topic, agency, demographic, etc.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Includes information around topics and programs around substance abuse & mental health prevention, treatment, recovery, grants & funding, publications and more.
Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center The Resource Center contains a collection of scientifically-based resources for a broad range of audiences, including Treatment Improvement Protocols, toolkits, resource guides, clinical practice guidelines, and other science-based resources.
PubMed Comprises more than 21 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
MedlinePlus Health information for consumers, available in multiple languages, from the National Library of Medicine.
National Guideline Clearinghouse NGC mission is to provide physicians and other health professionals, health care providers, health plans, integrated delivery systems, purchasers, and others an accessible mechanism for obtaining objective, detailed information on clinical practice guidelines and to further their dissemination, implementation, and use.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Information by and for professional social workers around the world, including news, publication, advocacy and other resources.
MentalHealth.gov One-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental health problems information. Intended for the general public, practioners, policy makers, and schools.

Welcome!

This guide is intended to provide you access to the resources you need to be successful in graduate-level social work research classes as well as tips and tools to effectively and efficiently use them.

Need help? Ask a Librarian.

Exploring the Issues

These collections can help define your topic, connect you to books, journals, images and related concepts, and will give you multiple, up-to-date opinions on currents events and trends.

Example Searches:

human trafficking

forced OR coercive

Medicaid AND Medicare

Social Work Reference Center Why search here? This tool is designed for clinical professionals dedicated to improving patient quality of life. All evidence is rigorously evaluated and topics are updated as evidence changes.What's included? This resource includes care sheets, patient information, and images usable in all clinical settings - including hospitals, elder-care centers, and mental healthcare facilities.
Encyclopedia of Social Work Online Database Why search here? To ensure that users have access to the most up-to-date articles, Encyclopedia of Social Work Online will undergo updates on a monthly basis.What's included? 400+ articles, over 200 succinct biographies, scholarly content infused with practical advice for social workers in the field. Limited to 1 concurrent user.
DSM Premium Get to the DSM-5 from here, as well as resources that cover diagnosis and differential diagnosis, case vignettes to bring abstract concepts to life, multidisciplinary treatment guidelines, the latest research – all within a single search and navigation interface that integrates journals and books.
Credo Reference Why search here? Credo Reference is a searchable collection of over 500 reference books across a wide variety of subjects from top publishers such as Cambridge University Press, Wiley and Elsevier.What's included? Use Credo to help define your topic and then use the links on topic pages to discover more in-depth information in books and journals, find thousands of art images and connect your ideas using concept mapping.
Points of View Reference Center Why search here? Points of View Reference Center contains articles, reports and more that provide different viewpoints on controversial topics.What's included? A list of some of the most hotly-debated topics with links to articles and other resources.
Global Issues (Gale In Context) Why search here? This reference source -- formerly Global Issues In Context -- provides perspectives on national and global current events from international news providers. What's included? Sections: Business and Economy; Health and Medicine; Conflict and Diplomacy; Science and Technology; Environment and Climate Change; Society and Culture; Government, Politics, and Law; and Women, Children, and the Family. Browse by issue or by region.

Library Search

Search articles, journals, books, media, and more

Brainstorming Topics & Keywords

Coming up with search terms that will help you get to articles and other information on your research topic can be a challenging process. The resources on this page are good for getting keyword ideas, as are article abstracts and the thesaurus function in APA PsycInfo.