Social Work Resources

Sections of this guide:
Encyclopedias   |  Reference Works  |   Databases and Indexes | Subject Headings   |     Call Numbers   |   Organizations & Societies | Other Important Resources     |    Web Resources

 

Encyclopedias Provide excellent background/overview information. An excellent place to begin research. Contain articles written by experts for a general audience. Provide indexes indicating scope of coverage of a topic and pinpointing in which articles a concept will be discussed. Provide bibliographies for further reading.   Encyclopedia of Social Work (Revised every 3 years) HV35 .S6 Encyclopedia of Aging, 2nd ed. HQ1061 .E53 1995 Encyclopedia of Marriage & the Family HQ9 .E52 1995 Encyclopedia of Family Life HQ534 .E53 1999 International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (on order) Encyclopedia of Social Issues HN57 .E59 1997 Encyclopedia of Relationships Across the Lifespan HM32 .T83 1996 Go to top of page

Reference Books Handbooks, dictionaries, statistical sources, tables; detailed or procedural information specific to the subject areas addressed. Social Work Dictionary, 4th ed. HV12 .B37 1999 Social Work Almanac, 2ND ed. HV90 .G53 1995 Older Americans Almanac HQ1064 .U5 O416 1994 Statistical Handbook on the American Family, 2nd ed. HQ536 .S727 1999 Statistical Record of Children HQ767.8 .S73 1994 Statistical Record of Older Americans, 2nd ed. HQ1064 .U5 S697 1996 State Nonprofit Almanac 1997: Profiles of Charitable Organizations HV85 .S73 1997 Welfare Reform: A Reference Handbook HV95 .H554. 1996 Homelessness in America HV4505 .H652 1996 Go to top of page

Databases and Indexes Magazine, periodical and journal articles provide information on current developments, research trends, experiments and hot topics in a discipline. For every discipline, there are specific databases or indexes that provide article level information. Once articles are identified through the database or index search, look up the source journal in Vikat, PSU Library's online catalog, to locate them in the library. For a complete list of online databases and indexes, see the Library's Online Databases pages. Social Work Abstracts PsycInfo EbscoHost Catalog of U.S. Government Publications Ageline Health & Psychosocial Instruments (HAPI) Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) Criminal Justice Abstracts Sociological Abstracts Go to top of page

Subject Headings Subject headings allow you to search library catalogs for materials on a particular topic. Often subject heading searching can be more productive than searching by simple keywords. Listed here are some major subject headings of interest for research in social work. Copies of the complete set of the Library of Congress Subject Headings are available at the reference desks throughout the library.        Adoption   Aged   Aging   Child Welfare   Community Organization   Counseling   Cross-Cultural Counseling   Family Counseling   Family Social Work   Family Psychotherapy   Group Counseling   Medical Social Work   Mental Health Services   Old Age   Old Age Assistance   Poor Laws   Psychiatric Social Work   Public Welfare   Social Casework   Social Service   Social Services   Social Welfare   Social Work   Social Workers   Welfare Services   Welfare State   Go to top of page

Call Numbers Browsing the library shelves by call number ranges is another strategy for locating information on a topic; call numbers can help you get to the "right neighborhood" in the library stacks.   HV1 - HV4699   RC450 - 488   RJ401 - 499   Go to top of page

Organizations Often the best way to find information on a topic is to look for material published by a professional society  or an organization. Encyclopedia of Associations HS17 .E5135 National Association of Social Workers (NASW) http://www.naswdc.org/ NASW - Oregon Chapter http://www.earthlink.net/~nasw/ National Indian Child Welfare Association http://nicwa.org/ Council on Social Work Education http://cswe.org/ Child Welfare League of America http://cwla.org/   Go to top of page

Important Resources These sources don't fit any particular category, but are important for the discipline. Human Services Directory of Multnomah County HV89 .D5235 Human Services Directory of Washington County HV89 .D5236 2000 Human Services Directory of Self-Help Groups HV89 .S43 1999 Violence Prevention Resource Manual. (Published by the Oregon Health Division, Multnomah County Health Department, and the Oregon Public Health Association.) HN79 .O73 V58 1996 Summary Information on Master of Social Work. Programs (1994) - 1999 on order. HV11 .A2 C65 (4th fl.) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association BF76.7 .P83 2001   Go to top of page

Web Resources National Aging Information Center http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/naic/default.htm National Coalition for the Homeless http://www.nationalhomeless.org/ Social Work Resources: About.com http://socialwork.about.com/ SWAN: Social Work Access Network http://www.sc.edu/swan/ Shirley's Social Work Web Resources http://kml.uindy.edu/resources/socialwork/intro1.html Social Work & Social Services Web Site http://gwbweb.wustl.edu/websites.html Social Work Search.Com http://www.socialworksearch.com World Wide Web Resources for Social Workers http://www.nyu.edu/socialwork/wwwrsw/ Child Welfare Training Resources Online Network http://www.childwelfaretraining.org/ The New Social Worker: The Magazine for Social Work Students & Recent Graduates [free] http://www.socialworker.com/ Go to top of page

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