Using Library Resources
Databases are essential tools for social work research, providing access to scholarly articles, case studies, policy reports, and evidence-based practice resources. See below for recommended databases and tools to enhance your research.
Online Databases
Below are a few of the databases provided by the Maxwell Library. Use these databases to begin your research in the field of social work.
- Academic OneFile This link opens in a new windowThe premier source for peer-reviewed, full-text articles for academic libraries from the world's leading journals, this comprehensive resource covers the physical and social sciences, medicine, engineering, the arts, technology, literature, and many other subjects. With millions of articles in both PDF and HTML full-text format and simultaneous, unlimited usage, researchers are able to find accurate, timely information quickly. Gale's InterLink technology intelligently connects contextually-relevant results from your library's eBook collection on GVRL within articles in a user's search results. The Topic Finder tool adds power and depth to searches, allowing students to mine their search results and develop their research focus in ways never before available.
- Academic Search Complete [EBSCO] This link opens in a new windowMulti-disciplinary full-text database with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. Indexes and abstracts more than 12,500 journals and a total of more than 13,200 publications including monographs, reports, and conference proceedings. Searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,400 journals.
- Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text [EBSCO] This link opens in a new windowMore than 320 full-text magazines and journals, 540,000 records, and coverage of more than 600 journals from around the world. Subjects include criminology, criminal justice, corrections and prisons, criminal investigations, forensic sciences and investigation, substance abuse and addiction, and probation and parole.
- Education Research Complete This link opens in a new windowFull text for more than 1,300 education journals, 540 books, and 2,300 education-related conference papers. Indexing and abstracts for more than 2,400 journals. Covers the areas of curriculum instruction, administration, policy, funding, and related social issues. Subjects include all levels of education from early childhood to higher education and all educational specialties, such as multilingual education, health education, and testing.
- MEDLINE This link opens in a new windowOver 26 million references to journal articles in life sciences with concentration in biomedicine and citations from over 6,700 worldwide journals in 60 languages. Coverage dates back to 1809.
- PsycINFO This link opens in a new windowThe world's largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. Includes nearly 4 million bibliographic records from more than 50 countries and indexing of more than 2,500 journals, 99% of which are peer-reviewed. Coverage dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, with extensive coverage from the 1800s to the present. Produced by the American Psychological Association (APA) and updated weekly.
- Social Work Abstracts This link opens in a new windowExtensive coverage of more than 500 social work and human services journals dating back to 1965. Subjects include therapy, education, human services, addictions, child and family welfare, mental health, and civil and legal rights. Produced by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
***Limited to 4 maximum users at a time. - SocIndex with Full Text This link opens in a new windowFull text for more than 650 journals and magazines, including more than 620 peer-reviewed journals and 320 non-embargoed journals. Covers a broad range of studies, including gender studies, criminal justice, social psychology, religion, racial studies, and social work. Abstracts date back to 1895.
Access Full-Text Articles for Free
If the full-text of an article isn’t available online, copy the journal title (not the article title) and check Maxwell's A to Z Journal list to see if we have access. If results appear below the search box, Maxwell Library provides access to that publication. Click on the hyperlinked database name to determine what dates access is available for.
If Maxwell Library does not provide access to the publication, check the Boston Public Library electronic journal finder. You will need to register for a Boston Public Library eCard (BPL eCard) to access any journals provided through the Boston Public Library. All residents of Massachusetts, as well as full-time students in Massachusetts are eligible to get a BPL eCard. Registration is fast and easy.
If you can't find the full text through BSU or the Boston Public Library, request it via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Enter the item details (author, title, date, etc.) into the ILL platform. You'll receive a confirmation email, and library staff will update you on your request's status.
Boston Public Library eCard
- Sign up for a Boston Public Library eCardYou are eligible to sign up for a Boston Public Library eCard if you are a resident of Massachusetts, a full-time student in Massachusetts, you work in Massachusetts, or you own property in Massachusetts.
- Boston Public Library Online ResourcesWith your BPL eCard, you can access database information in a variety of areas. Use the subject guides if uncertain of which database to use.