LibGuides: Social Work Research Guide: Start Here

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Fr. Leonard Alvey Library

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Featured Resources

Children of the State by Jeff Hobbs
Call Number: Stacks 364.360973 H682 (Room 120, Ground Floor)
Publication Date: 2023-01-24
Very little has been written about juvenile justice. In the greater consciousness, the word "justice" in this context has been leeched of meaning; it just signifies prison for kids. But to those living and working in various capacities within that system, the word "justice" holds a sepulchral gravity. In Children of the State, bestselling author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace Jeff Hobbs presents three different true stories that show the day-to-day life and the existential challenges faced by those living and working in juvenile programs: educators, counselors, administrators, and-most importantly--children.
Torn Apart by Dorothy Roberts
Call Number: Stacks 362.7 R541t (Room 120, Ground Floor)
Publication Date: 2022-04-05
Drawing on decades of research, legal scholar and sociologist Dorothy Roberts reveals that the child welfare system is better understood as a 'family policing system' that collaborates with law enforcement and prisons to oppress Black communities. Child protection investigations ensnare a majority of Black children, putting their families under intense state surveillance and regulation. Black children are disproportionately likely to be torn from their families and placed in foster care, driving many to juvenile detention and imprisonment.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Social Work by Jacqueline Corcoran; Courtney Benjamin Wolk
Call Number: EBSCO ebook
Publication Date: 2023-09-05
The aim of Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Social Work is to provide a comprehensive text, taking on assessment (biopsychosocial-cultural/spiritual risk and resilience; DSM; standardized assessment scales); goal-setting; and intervention, including medication, evidence-based interventions and the process of evidence-based practice with children and adolescents. The social work context is integrated throughout by: 1) considering the complexities of multiple system levels involved with the occurrence of mental disorders and youth adjustment and recovery; and 2) professional ethics and demeanor when working with impoverished, diverse, and vulnerable youth populations in inter-disciplinary settings.
Social Work and the Grand Challenge to Eliminate Racism by Martell L. Teasley; Michael S. Spencer; Melissa Bartholomew
Call Number: EBSCO ebook
Publication Date: 2023-06-13
This text offers a compendium of knowledge and perspectives from leading researchers dedicated to examining various forms of racism and their distinctions and impact on racial groups. Each chapter promotes both evidence and practice-based research that cultivates improvements in the daily lives of people affected by racism. The text also advocates for the facilitation of systemic change on the individual, organizational, community, and greater societal levels. With this advocacy perspective, the authors aim to advance community empowerment and advocacy to address and eliminate both racism and white supremacy.
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
Call Number: Stacks 362.50973 D464p (Room 120, Ground Floor)
Publication Date: 2023-03-21
The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages? In this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor.
Clearing the Path by Lynne Dale Halamish; Eric Cassell
Call Number: Stacks 155.937 H157 (Room 120, Ground Floor)
Publication Date: 2022-05-03
Clearing the Path is a collection of clinical stories that illustrate practical, applicable communication tools for professionals in work with end-of-life patients and families. These vignettes from practice demonstrate how impending death, death itself, and the loss of a relationship affect the lives and grief of both patients and survivors.
How to Raise an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Call Number: Stacks 305.800973 K34ho (Room 120, Ground Floor)
Publication Date: 2022-06-14
Following the model of his bestselling How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi combines vital scholarship with a compelling personal narrative of his own journey as a parent to create a work whose advice is grounded in research and relatable real-world experience. The chapters follow the stages of child development and don't just help parents to raise antiracists, but also to create an antiracist world for them to grow and thrive in.

Best Bets

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This database is a leading resource for scholarly research. It supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing journals, periodicals, reports, books and more on a variety of subject areas.
- What's included?
  The database features thousands of full-text articles and citations from scholarly and non-scholarly journals going back as far as the late 1800s, with the majority of full text titles in PDF format.
Arts & Sciences I (JSTOR Collection)
- Why search here?
  The arts and sciences collection provides core journals in economics, history, political science, and sociology, as well as in other key fields in the humanities, social sciences, ecology, mathematics, and statistics.
- What's included?
  JSTOR provides full text and bibliographic access to academic journal articles, books, and primary sources.
ERIC (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is an authoritative database of indexed and full-text education literature and resources.
- What's included?
  ERIC contains records and links to hundreds of thousands of full-text documents. It includes records for a variety of source types, including journal articles, books, conference papers, curriculum guides, dissertations and policy papers.
MasterFILE Premier & MasterFile Reference eBook Collection (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  MasterFILE Premier and Reference eBook Collection contains full text for general reference magazines and publications covering a wide-range of subject areas including business, health, education, general science and multicultural issues.
- What's included?
  Designed specifically for public libraries, these databases provide full-text magazines, reference books and primary source documents. They also include an extensive image collection containing photos, maps and flags.
National Conference of State Legislatures This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The National Conference of State Legislatures, created by state legislators and legislative staff in 1975, serves America’s 50 states, commonwealths, territories and the District of Columbia.
- What's included?
  Find the most comprehensive and complete 50-state information in NCSL's searchable bill tracking databases. The status of bills listed in these databases is updated every week. Search by subtopics, year, status (e.g., pending, enacted, to governor, etc.) or enter keywords to identify bills.
PsycArticles
- Why search here?
  This collection from American Psychological Association (APA) provides access to the full spectrum of study in the field — including cutting-edge research from preeminent scholars, to the historical underpinnings of the behavioral and social sciences.
- What's included?
  APA PsycArticles contains full-text peer-reviewed articles published by the American Psychological Association and affiliated journals.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection is an essential full-text database for psychologists, counselors, researchers and students and offers particularly strong coverage in child and adolescent psychology and counseling.
- What's included?
  The collection provides access to hundreds of full-text journals, including many indexed in APA PsycInfo.
Sociological Collection (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This full-text database offers a trusted source of sociology literature, making it an essential tool for sociology and social work researchers, professionals and students.
- What's included?
  With hundreds of full-text scholarly journals and coverage spanning over a century, Sociological Collection provides an indispensable source of content pertaining to sociology and its related areas of study.
Social Justice Suite (HeinOnline) This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This Social Justice Suite consists of the following resources: Slavery in America and the World; History, Culture and Law; Gun Regulation and Legislation in America; Civil Rights and Social Justice; and Open Society Justice Initiative.
  LGBTQ+ Rights.
- What's included?
  The collections contain books, pamphlets, periodicals, scholarly articles, briefs from Supreme Court cases, handbooks, and briefing papers.

Still Searching? Try these: Additional Social Work Databases

Browse for journals available in the library on:

NASW Journals Available Through the Library

Children and Schools
Children & Schools publishes professional materials relevant to social work services for children. Topics include student-authority relationships, multiculturalism, early intervention, needs assessment, violence, and ADHD.
Health and Social Work
For 20 years, human services professionals have relied on Health & Social Work for the latest advances in areas such as aging, clinical work, long-term care, oncology, substance abuse, depression, and maternal health.
Social Work
Social Work is the premiere journal of the social work profession. Social Work is dedicated to improving practice and advancing knowledge in social work and social welfare.
Social Work Research
Social Work Research includes analytic reviews of research, theoretical articles pertaining to social work research, evaluation studies, and diverse research studies that contribute to knowledge about social work issues and problems.

Open Access Journals - scholarly research freely available on the web.

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) - Social Sciences
Many journals in the social sciences, including 66 on the topic of anthropology, 26 on gender studies, 19 on ethnology, 212 on social sciences and 89 on sociology.
Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics
The Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics examines the ethical and values issues that impact and are interwoven with social work practice, research, and theory development. JSWVE addresses ethical and value issues that encompass the full range of social problems and issues that social workers encounter.
The New Social Worker
The New Social Worker is now available online only - free for downloading as a PDF file. The site also includes job listings, a discussion forum, tips for new social workers and other features.
Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics
The International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics examines the ethical and values issues that affect and are interwoven with social work practice, research, and theory development. The JSWVE addresses ethical and values issues that encompass the full range of social problems and issues that social workers encounter.

Featured DVDs Available in the Library

You're Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don't
Call Number: DVD 616.8983092 Y82 (Main Floor)
Lee Gorewitz is a feisty, opinionated woman given to philosophical ruminations on the nature of things, even as she struggles to navigate the increasingly confused and confusing landscape of Alzheimer's disease. An immersive documentary that challenges preconceptions of illness and aging.
Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism
Call Number: DVD 305.896073 H632 (Main Floor)
This installment of Hidden Colors tackles the taboo subject of systematic racism.
Crime After Crime
Call Number: DVD 30717001145278 (Main Floor)
ISBN: B006UTDF8O
The film tells the dramatic story of the legal battle to free Debbie Peagler, a woman imprisoned for over a quarter century due to her connection to the murder of the man who abused her.
#ReGeneration
Call Number: DVD 305.235 R334 (Main Floor)
Narrated by Ryan Gosling, the award-winning documentary film, #ReGENERATION, explores the galvanizing forces behind the Occupy Movement and the state of social activism in our society. The film takes an uncompromising look at the challenges facing today's youth and young adults as they attempt to engage on a myriad of social and political issues.

Biographies & Encyclopedias

Britannica Online
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Britannica Academic includes the essentials for conducting thorough research all in one site and delivers fast and easy access to trusted information with balanced, global perspectives and insights that users will not find anywhere else.
- What's included?
  This online encyclopedia includes over 100,000 articles plus an expansive collection of multimedia including images, videos, audio, interactives, and infographics.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia has over 25,000 easy-to-read encyclopedia articles for covering an array of topics. The information is updated annually.
- What's included?
  The database contains images, indexes, and brief biographies as well as information in a variety of subject areas.

eBook Collections

eBooks (EBSCO)
- Why search here?
  This multidisciplinary collection includes thousands of e-books covering a large selection of academic subjects and features e-books from leading publishers and university presses.
- What's included?
  EBSCO eBooks provides full text for thousands of up-to-date reference, scholarly, and professional books.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (Gale)
- Why search here?
  Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
- What's included?
  Gale provides full text for reference, scholarly, and professional books.

Additional Databases

ERIC (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is an authoritative database of indexed and full-text education literature and resources.
- What's included?
  ERIC contains records and links to hundreds of thousands of full-text documents. It includes records for a variety of source types, including journal articles, books, conference papers, curriculum guides, dissertations and policy papers.
Health (Salem Press)
- Why search here?
  The health collection contains resources on aspects of infectious diseases and conditions, genetics and inherited conditions, addictions, and nutrition.
- What's included?
  Salem Press provides full text for reference, scholarly, and professional books.
International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics examines the ethical and values issues that impact and are interwoven with social work practice, research and theory development. JSWVE addresses ethical and value issues that encompass the full range of social problems and issues that social workers encounter.
- What's included?
  The journal provides the necessary historical perspectives on the development of social work values and ethics, as well as present articles providing value and ethical dilemmas stemming from state-of-the-art developments.
Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship is an online journal dedicated to showcasing the research and creative activities of undergraduate students across the commonwealth of Kentucky..
- What's included?
  Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship publishes original research and creative works by undergraduate students currently enrolled at post-secondary educational institutions in Kentucky. The topics vary by discipline.
Kentucky Research Commons This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The Kentucky Research Commons makes Kentucky’s finest scholarship, from undergraduate journals to faculty monographs, available to scholars around the world.
- What's included?
  Curated by university librarians and their supporting institutions, the Commons includes a growing collection of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, working papers, conference proceedings, and other original scholarly work. By aggregating these collections into one portal, the Kentucky Research Commons makes it possible to explore the breadth of Kentucky's finest research.
Learning Cloud Professional Development & Training Solution
- Why search here?
  Learn advanced skills, prepare for new positions or careers, share concepts and ideas with groups or train your students, teammates or colleagues, and earn CEU credits.
- What's included?
  Dive into more than 80,000 microlearning videos and hundreds of professionally developed courses designed to help you master new skills, practice concepts, share ideas, and assess learning.
Learning Express Library
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This e-resource supports those looking to improve core academic skills, pass the GED®, prepare for college, join the military, obtain occupational certification, find a job, change careers, become a U.S. citizen and much more.
- What's included?
  This flagship LearningExpress product offers a comprehensive selection of interactive online tutorials, practice tests, articles, e-books and high-stakes test preparation.
OpenDissertations (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  EBSCO Open Dissertations includes the content from American Doctoral Dissertations and was built to assist researchers in locating both historic and contemporary dissertations and theses.
- What's included?
  Open Dissertations is a free database with records for more than 1.4 million electronic theses and dissertations from more than 320 universities around the world.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Gale's Opposing Viewpoints In Context is the premier online resource covering today's hottest social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to marijuana. This cross-curricular research database supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes.
- What's included?
  Opposing Viewpoints is a rich resource for debaters and includes viewpoints, reference articles, infographics, news, images, video, audio, and more.
PsycINFO (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This database is the world's largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. Produced by the American Psychological Association, it is an indispensable tool for the discovery of global scholarly research.
- What's included?
  APA PsycInfo contains citations and summaries of behavioral and social science research, dissertations, and scholarly literature abstracts.
TOPICsearch (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Teachers, librarians and student researchers can use this database to explore current events, social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries and other popular topics frequently discussed in the classroom.
- What's included?
  TOPICsearch provides biographies, book reviews, government information, periodicals, public opinion polls, and international newspapers.

Brescia University’s library staff are happy to assist you in finding the exact book, article (i.e. journal article or book chapter), or audio/visual you need through our Interlibrary Loan exchange. Use the links at the bottom to get the process started.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service provided By Fr. Leonard Alvey Library for current Brescia faculty, staff, and students.

Submitting Requests

Through our online catalog, or
Through an Ebsco database (articles only), or
Through our Journal Finder service (articles only), or
Through the appropriate link at the bottom, or
Through email: illoan@brescia.edu, or
Through a paper form at the circulation desk

Your current Brescia ID allows you borrowing privileges at area Owensboro libraries (Daviess County Public Library, Kentucky Wesleyan College, and Owensboro Community and Technical College). If the item you need is available at one of these local libraries, you are encouraged to check it out from there.

Arrival/Pickup of Request

Email notification of item's arrival (Brescia email addresses only)
Check out returnable ILL items at the circulation desk with current Brescia ID card
PDFs or photocopied items will be sent via Brescia email only

Disclaimer: Fr. Leonard Alvey Library cannot guarantee that items requested via ILL will arrive in a timely fashion. The late arrival of items is usually due to circumstances out of the Fr. Leonard Alvey Library's control (i.e. courier delay, network failure, lost mail, etc.).

Book Request

Article/Chapter Request

Audio/Visual Request

Renewal Request

Social Work Research Guide: Start Here

Click here to access current Outstanding Social Work Academic Titles

Featured Resources

Submitting Requests

Arrival/Pickup of Request