LibGuides: Social Work: A Guide to Library Research: Find Background Information

Handbooks, Encyclopedias, and Manuals

Comprehensive Handbook of Social Work & Social Welfare This link opens in a new window
Electronic book on the profession of social work, human behavior in the social environment, social work practice, and social policy and policy practice.
Encyclopedia of Social Work This link opens in a new window
New, online version of this classic social work encyclopedia which is updated with new and revised content each month.
This new online version of the Encyclopedia of Social Work provides transdisciplinary coverage across the many areas of social work research and practice, including mass incarceration, cyberbullying, addiction treatment, health care policy, social welfare history, international social work, and evidence-based social work practice. This work contains over 700 articles with new articles added and updated each month. The goal of this work is to keep social work researchers up to date and informed on current topics of importance in their field. New articles are added to this encyclopedia on an ongoing basis, making it the most current social work reference work available.
SAGE Research Methods Online This link opens in a new window
Books, journals, reference books, videos, podcasts, data-sets, and case studies on social science research methods.
Sage Research Methods includes over 2,000 books, reference books, journal articles, videos, datasets, and case studies on all aspects of social science research methodology. Browse the methods map or the list of methods to identify a social science method to pursue further. Includes a project planning tool and the "Which Stats Test" tool to identify the best statistical method for your project. Includes the notable "little green book" series (Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences) and the "little blue book" series (Qualitative Research Methods).
DSM-5 on PsychiatryOnline This link opens in a new window
Access to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).
Also includes access to the DSM-5 Handbook of Differential Diagnosis and DSM-5 Clinical Cases.

Demographic Sources

Explore Census Data This link opens in a new window
Population, housing and economic census data from ongoing surveys including American Community Survey.
American FactFinder is an online source for accessing population, housing, economic and geographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data available include: Decennial Census of Housing and Population - 2000 and 2010 Results from each of these data programs are provided in the form of data sets, tables, thematic maps, and reference maps.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Demographic information about the United States, 1790 to present. Create maps and reports based on decennial censuses of 1940 to 2010 and the American Community Survey.
Includes over 40 billion data elements and 335,000 variables. Includes demographic and economic data, religion, election, and carbon emissions data. To save and share projects, please create a personal account.
Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report
Statistics relating to health, disease, & mortality, from the Centers for Disease Control, updated weekly.
Publications from 1982-present.

Social Issues

CQ Researcher Plus Archive This link opens in a new window
In-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.
1923-present. Each single-themed, 12,000-word report is researched and written by a seasoned journalist, and contains an introductory overview; background and chronology on the topic; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro & con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources.
Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new window
Balanced, accurate discussions of over 250 controversial topics in the news along with chronologies, illustrations, maps, tables, sidebars, contact info, and bibliographies, including primary source documents and news editorials.
Covers 1995-present. A Read Aloud button is available for text-to-speech for much of the content.
Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Covers contemporary social issues with pro & con and background information. Also allows searching of the collection Global Issues.
Covers contemporary social issues, from Offshore Drilling to Climate Change, Health Care to Immigration. Helps students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations, and more. This resource helps students explore issues from all perspectives, and includes: pro/con viewpoint essays, topic overviews, primary source documents, biographies of social activists and reformers, court-case overviews, periodical articles, statistical tables, charts and graphs, images and a link to Google Image Search, podcasts (including weekly presidential addresses and premier NPR programs), and a national and state curriculum standards search correlated to the content that allows educators to quickly identify material by grade and discipline.

Keyword(s): United States