Course-Related Web Page SOC/SWK261

RESEARCH TOOL LINKS

Feinberg Library Virtual Tour

Library Catalog [OPAC]
Text [Telnet] Version
Web Version

Library Research Resources

Internet Research Guides by Subject

InterlibraryLoan/Document Delivery

Search Engine Directory

Search Engines Explained

Boolean Searching
(from University at Albany Libraries)

Evaluating Resources
(from Milner Library at Illinois State U.)

Types of Resources
(from Bowling Green State U. Libraries)

Primary vs. Secondary Sources (from Bowling Green State Libraries)

Citing Sources

Plagiarism: How to Avoid It (from Indiana University at Bloomington)


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COURSE RELATED RESEARCH INSTRUCTION

Course # - SOC/SWK261
Social Services Agencies

Course Instructor: Lynne Soine
Session Librarian: Holly Heller-Ross
Session Date: Thursday October 2, 2003
This page includes suggestions for information research resources specific to your research paper assignment.

Information Research Resources:

Finding Journal Articles:

Locate journal articles by searching journal indexes online. From the page Library's Home page, select the subject database menu and choose from the suggested indexes for Social Work. Use the suggestions on the Social Work Research Guide by Subject to get started.

Finding Books:

A. Library Web and text Catalog - Used to locate books, series, and journals owned by the Library.
B. WorldCAT – Used to locate books owned by libraries across the U.S. and Canada. Books you find can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Use the advanced search for more precision searching. Use Keyword (or Subjects) and use the limits to focus your search.
C. Browsing the Reference Shelves - Browsing is a time-honored method of locating research materials. Most sociology and social work books are shelved in the HV sections of the library.

Finding Internet Web Pages:

Search the Internet by using a web browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. Search both Internet directors and Engines/Meta-Engines: Remember there's more than Yahoo! out there!

Use the resources recommended on the Feinberg Library Research Guide for Social Work. These will also get you started with authoritative and trustworthy web sites.

Research Paper Assignment Specifics:
Origin and Social Policy: search the PAIS database, Social Services Abstracts or an agency website such as the Social Security Agency History

Authorizing Legislation: search government information web sites such as FirstGov or a specific agency such as the Administration on Aging . You can also search the web or FirstGov using the term authorizing legislation and your topic. Try also Thomas from the Library of Congress

Statistics: search the PAIS or Social Services databases, include statistics in your search terms. Also search census and agency data such as Aging Statistics or the Statistical Abstract of the United States specific data includes Govt expenditures

Critical analysis: search the research databases for lengthy articles. Here's one example on social security. Also search sociology or social work associations for position papers, legislative alerts, and analysis papers.

Current Information: search the newspaper databases Lexis/Nexis, Proquest Newspapers, or New York Newspapers. These are all listed on the library's Full-Text database menu.

This page created by: Holly Heller-Ross, MLS holly.hellerross@plattsburgh.edu
Last Updated: October 01, 2003