Background Information & Topic Inspiration
As you narrow the focus of your topic, it can be helpful to explore aspects of interest in the scholarly community. Subject-specific encyclopedias are written by experts to familiarize novice researchers with different aspects of the topic or problem, including affected populations and practice implications.
- Building a Search String - Printable PDFCreating a search strategy begins with mapping out or identifying the key components of your topic or research question. Use this form to brainstorm potential keywords that you can use for building a search string.
Finding Scholarly Articles: Best Bets
This is not a comprehensive list. These are starting points for your research - don't rule out other non-social sciences databases! Social Work is multidisciplinary and so your search needs to encompass a variety of subject areas.
- QuickSearch This link opens in a new window
QuickSearch combines results from many search tools for you to review in one list. Results come from the Wright State catalog and hundreds of library databases including all of our Ebscohost databases, JSTOR, the Web of Science, and others.
- Social Work Abstracts This link opens in a new windowProduced by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), this collection provides indexing and abstracts for more than 500 social work and human services journals. Coverage includes therapy, education, human services, addiction, child and family welfare, mental health and more.
- SocINDEX This link opens in a new window
Search extensively indexed books, monographs, and conference papers. This index features citations with subject headings from a sociology-specific thesaurus designed by expert lexicographers. SocINDEX covers all subdisciplines of sociology such as anthropology, criminology, demography, ethnic, racial, and gender studies, marriage, family, and social structures, and social work.
- Public Affairs Index This link opens in a new windowFocus on national and global public policy issues such as human rights, public health, the environment, housing, international commerce and conflict. Articles from scholarly journals, conference papers, trade publications and government documents provide up-to-date information on a broad range of worldwide contemporary topics.
- APA PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
Indexes psychology literature and related disciplines including psychiatry, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, cognitive science, and linguistics. Includes journals and book chapters. Use Historic PsycINFO to identify literature published as early as the 1920s. Links occur to full-text when available.
Identifying Policy Organizations (Think Tanks)
- American Policy Directory - University of Oregon LibrariesSearch think tanks sites grouped by topic for perspectives on U.S. national policy issues.
- Think Tank Search - Harvard Kennedy SchoolSearches more than 1200 think tanks for policy reports.
- Open Think Tank DirectoryA global collection of think tanks and related organizations.
Database Search Strategies
- Database Search Strategies: YouTube PlaylistThis YouTube playlist includes videos on searching the University Libraries databases.
Videos:
Introduction to QuickSearch
Brief Look at QuickSearch Results
Effective Search Strategies: Database Limiters
Effective Search Strategies: Use Subject Terms
Saving Sources in QuickSearch
Citing Your Sources with QuickSearch - Tips for Database SearchingThis guide includes tips, tricks, and techniques for conducting successful database searches.
Boolean Operators
Use Boolean Operators as a way to narrow or broaden your search:
AND: use to combine different concepts or keywords; each result will contain all search terms
Example: race AND libraries
OR: use to connect similar concepts or keywords; each result will contain at least one of the search terms
Example: medicine OR health
NOT: use to exclude words or concepts; tells the database to ignore concepts implied by your search
Example: technology NOT database
Parentheses ( ): place around related terms to search for more than one group of keywords
Example: (teaching OR education) AND race
Asterisk *: use at the end of a keyword to search words that start with the same letters
Example: education AND librar*
Google Site Search
Google Site Search allows you to limit the results to a specific site or domain extension. Put "site:" in front of a site or domain extension to narrow the results. Don't forget to include your keywords or search terms before the "site:"!
site:.gov searches government websites
site:.edu searches educational websites
site:.org searches non-profit organizations
site:.com searches commercial websites
Example search: chronic illness site:.gov
Google Scholar
Google Scholar works even better when you have it connected to your library. Set up your library link and get results that are available through the University Libraries.
- Click Library Link
- Type Wright State in the Library Access Links search Bar
- Click Search
- Check the box next to Wright State University-Full Text
- Click Save and start searching!