Research and Course Guides: Research in Social Work: Articles

Social Work Databases

Start your research by searching for your topic in these databases:

Social Work Abstracts This link opens in a new window
When you want the Social Work perspective.
SocINDEX with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Research on people and groups in the context of society. Its "subject terms" can help you develop your search terms.
PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
Research on individual, group, and family therapy. Perspective is more on the individual, but does include research on individuals in society.Its thesaurus can help you choose subject terms.
PTSDpubs This link opens in a new window
Sponsored by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, includes research on war-related trauma, military families, and trauma in general.
Psychiatry Online (Including the DSM) This link opens in a new window
Access to the DSM 5 online and all the previous DSMs as well. Includes comparisons to the ICD.
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Scopus includes all disciplines, Helps you follow the scholarly discussion buy linking related and more recent articles.

Reading & Research

Social Work Today
Free, full text articles on a wide variety of topics. Site includes an e-newsletter, job bank and events calendar.
The New Social Worker Online Magazine
Full text feature articles and book reviews. Site includes a blog, job bank, discussion board, more.
SW&S: Social Work & Society International Online Journal
Scholarly research from international authors on topics that range from social work to public policy. One of the early open access (free) online journals.
Social Work and Society Online Magazine
European online magazine.

Sage Research Methods Foundations This link opens in a new window
Provides bite-size, introductory overviews to all the major research methods in the social sciences to help get you on your way.

Translating Your Question into Database Language

Subject: Database's vocabulary (different for each database)

Keyword: Your vocabulary

LImiters: Special to each database ("Age Group" below)

Databases use a grammar of AND, OR, AND NOT -- a language of mathematics. No prepositions, verbs, determiners, affixes -- anything you learned in English or human language classes.