Contact Your Librarian
- Susan Edwards
- Office Hours: By appointment
- Office Location: Education Psychology Library, 2600 Tolman Hall
- Contact Info:
510-643-6224
We have hundreds of research databases which help you find articles (and more) on a wide variety of topics. They are organized according to academic discipline, by name, or by type of database (dissertations, e-books, etc.)
Core resources for Social Welfare:
In a literature review you explore research that has come before you and is relevant to your topic. It can help you identify:
Helpful approaches:
UCB: Use OskiCat to find books related to your topic at UC Berkeley. Oskicat will show you where it's located, and will also show you the Library of Congress Subject Heading -- which can help you find material other relevant books.
UC: Not enough books at Berkeley? Use Melvyl to find more books at other campuses in the UC system. Clickon the REQUEST button (in the detailed view of a catalog record) to request the item through Interlibrary Loan.
World: Still want more? You can search thousands of libraries through WorldCat on FirstSearch and then request the material through UC e-links or directly via Interlibrary Loan.
Google Books: Library catalogs don't search inside of books. Google Books can help you identify the book you need, then click on "Find in a Library" to see if we have it.
Sometimes the database you search doesn't link to the fulltext -- it only gives the citation. Click the 
button to see if Berkeley has it online, and if not, it will check for a print version. And if we don't have it at all, it lets you request it through Interlibrary Loan.
What if there isn't a button??? Sometimes you find an article in a bibliography, a book or a footnote -- and you want to see if we have it. The Citation Linker searches through our online databases to see if it's available fulltext. If not, it sets up a search for the paper journal in Melvyl. And if we don't have it at Berkeley, it lets you request it through Interlibrary Loan.
Springer Electronic Book Package E-books in many fields including Social Work, Social Policy and Psychology.
APA e-book collection Current e-books published by the American Psychological Association from 2009 to date.
ebrary Berkeley's largest e-book collection, with thousands of titles on a wide range of subjects, including social work, education and psychology. Some advanced ebrary features require downloading reader software.
Wiley Online Library Ebook Collection Fulltext books in social welfare and psychology from 2011.
Oxford Scholarship Online: Psychology
MIT CogNet E-books in cognitive and brain sciences published by MIT.
Oxford Bibliographies Online: Social Work -- leading scholars identify the most important and significant sources in the area of social work they know best. The guides feature a selective list of bibliographic citations supported by direct recommendations about which sources to consult, and UC-elinks links to the cited articles and books!
Social work dictionary (5th ed.) / Barker, Robert L. Washington, DC : NASW Press, c2003.
HV12 .B37 2003
Dictionary of Psychology from Oxford Reference Online
Concise Oxford English Spanish Dictionary (also links to Spanish/English Dictionary)
Key words in multicultural interventions : a dictionary / Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1999.
BF637.C6 K493 1999
Blackwell dictionary of modern social thought / Malden, MA : Blackwell Pub., c2003.
H41 .B53 2003
English Spanish Dictionary of Health Related Terms, California Mexico Health Initiative, 2005.
Citation management tools help you manage your research, collect and cite sources, and create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, but any are easier than doing it by hand! The Library offers workshops on Endnote, Zotero, and Refworks! Or contact your librarian for individual help.
It's always good to double check the formatting -- sometimes the software doesn't get it quite right.
The Library scheduled workshops are over for this semester -- but I am happy to offer a drop-in workshop for any group of four or more. Just let me know some times that work for you, and we will work something out!
"Cheat Sheets" -- very handy guides showing examples of the different types of citations formatted according to APA 6th, from Purdue and Harvard.
The fulltext of APA 6th is not available online, but we do have print copies in the reference collection of the Social Welfare and EdPsych Libraries at BF76.7 P83 2010, and it's available at other libraries on campus as well.
APA Style & Format from Capella Writing Center, is designed to help you quickly understand the fundamentals you need to write a course paper that meets the APA guidelines. It also has a very helpful guide to how to handle those confusing DOIs.
Basics of APA Style -- tutorial from APA on how to how to structure and format your work, reduce bias in language, avoid charges of plagiarism, cite references in text and it provides selected reference examples. The APA Style Blog -- is searchable by topic and contains weekly posts by APA experts .
Search OskiCat. Once you have records you want to export, if you are:
A. Viewing a list of results, check the box to the left of each record you wish to add to RefWorks, then click Save Selected Records, or
B. Viewing an individual record, click the Save Records button near the top of the window and then:
Thanks to the Public Health Library for creating this guide!
NOTE: If you have Zotero installed, but don't want to use it, you need to go into preferences and TURN OFF "Use Zotero to download RIS/Refer Files."
1. Conduct your search and select Save Citation to add article to My OBO list (must create an account first). NOTE: You have to save them one by one, can't batch them.
2. From My OBO, mark the article(s) you want to export and select Export Citations.
3. A new screen will open. Select Reference Manager (not RefWorks!).
4. Save file as (.ris) file
5. Close, don't open yet!
6. Log in to RefWorks. Select References/Import from the toolbar.
6.. Select RIS Format as the data source (you may have to SCROLL DOWN the list to find it!) Select Reference Manager as the database and Browse to find the file you saved to your computer. Click Import.
7. Your records should appear in the Last Imported Folder.
Thanks to the University of Waterloo Library for these instructions!
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is a great compilation of national statistics from many sources -- government and private. It also is used as an index, or finding tool, to find the source of the statistics.
The Green Book is the standard reference for social policy and federal entitlement programs. It includes descriptions of the program descriptions and historical data on a wide variety of social and economic topics.
Looking for data about children? Kids Count Data Center from Annie E. Casey provides additional data not covered in Factfinder -- such as rate of substantiated child abuse and number of hours of television watched. You can drill down on some of the indicators to county and city level data.
Demographics of people with and without health insurance coverage is tracked by Census Bureau through three surveys. A national snapshot is available of Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States.
The U.S. Census Bureau provides local, state and national statistics relating to poverty, educational attainment, overcrowded housing, single parent families, grandparents raising grandchildren, etc. Much of the data can be "cross-tabulated" by another variable such as race/ethnicity, gender, immigrant status, language or age. American FactFinder is the main entry point. This isn't as easy to use as it should be -- ask your librarian if you'd like help!
4 Things To Try:
State of California statistics
The State of California provides a number of sources of statistics on state social service programs. Links to selected social services programs are below. For others, go to websites for the respective state departments and look for tabs on research, data, publications or statistics.
California Department of Social Services
CalFresh (Food stamps), CalWORKS (welfare), children’s programs, community licensing, disability programs
Department of Health Care Services
Medi-Cal, public health statistics, American Indian health, health care stats, women’s health, etc. includes reports.
Department of Mental Health
Reports and statistics on mental health, mental illness, Medi-Cal trends, Mental Health Services Act, etc.
California Department of Public Health
Statistics and data on family health, infant health, vital statistics, adolescent sexual health, etc.
Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
Statewide and county statistics on health care services, hospices, long-term care, hospitalization, etc.
RAND California
User-generated statistics for California from the RAND Corporation. “Health and socioeconomic statistics” section includes statistics on AIDS, child abuse, substance abuse, health care, food stamps, welfare, SSI and OASDI, and more.
Child welfare dynamic report system
Collaboration of California Department of Social Services and UC Berkeley. Presents detailed, dynamically-generated statistics on child welfare cases, outcomes, services, and more.
Other California statistics
UC Berkeley library page with additional links to general California statistical sources on economics, demographics, social indicators, county profiles, and more.
The following websites provide data and statistics related to social welfare. Look for a "search tips" link on each site for the best practice in finding data with the website's search features. Many websites also include reports based on data offered on the site.
Aging
Administration on Aging
Statistics compiled by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. Includes profiles of older Americans, census data, minority aging, indicators of well-being, and access to the Aging Integrated Database (AGID).
AgeSource / AgeStats Worldwide
Information about aging issues around the world by the American Association of Retired Persons. AgeStats Worldwide provides comparative statistical data and includes projections to 2050. AgeSource offers international resources that include clearinghouses, libraries, databases, major reports, web metasites, and more.
AgingStats.gov
Produced by the Federal Inter-agency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Gateway to statistics on aging, Medicare, housing, Social Security, veterans’ affairs, census, etc.
Child Welfare
Administration for Children and Families
From the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Statistics cover adoption and foster care; child abuse; child welfare; community services block grants; Head Start; TANF and welfare reform; refugee resettlement, and more. Also includes resources on policy, legislation, research, and publications addressing child and family welfare issues.
ChildStats.gov
Statistics and analyses from the federal interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. Includes data on demographics, economics, health care, physical environment, education, behavior and health of children in the US.
Child Trends
Child Trends is a nonprofit, non-partisan research center offering research and statistics on child poverty, child welfare, education, parenting, and a number of other issues related to children and families. For statistics, click the DataBank link or click an individual issues tab. See also the Child Trends Databank for trends and research on 100 key indicators of child and youth well-being.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Produced by the Children’s Bureau, Administation for Children and Families. Rich website with statistics and research on many key child welfare issues, including child and family well-being, child abuse and neglect, foster care and adoption, and child welfare outcomes. Also provides links to policies, law, reports and analyses on child welfare issues.
Kids Count
Produced by Annie E. Casey Foundation. Data Center allows dynamically-generated statistics by state or across states. Includes publications and other resources.
Additional links to statistical resources on children and education are at the statistics page of the Education-Psychology Library.
Mental health
Mental Disorders in America
Mental health data from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. Covers types of disorders, populations, use of mental health services and treatment, cost, and more.
Public Assistance
Green Book: Background Material and Data on Major Programs
Produced by the US House Committee on Ways and Means. Contains statistics, historical, and legislative analyses on federal assistance programs such as OASDI, SSI, TANF, child welfare, supplemental nutrition, and Medicare.
Food and Nutrition Service
Data and statistics on USDA nutrition assistance programs, including child nutrition programs; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps); Women, Infants and Children, and more. Website also includes links to policies, regulations, and legislation on food security.
Social Security Administration Statistics
Program statistics and data files on programs covered by the Social Security Administation (Disability, SSI, OASI, Medicare, etc.). Includes statistics on socioeconomic characteristics, demographics, geographic information, and more for workers covered under Social Security and Medicare.
Public Health
Health, United States
Annual report from the Centers for Disease Control on national health trends. Includes data on demographic populations, disability, child and adolescent health, education, health expenditures, older populations, poverty, preventive care, and more.
National Center for Health Statistics
Produced by a division of the Centers for Disease Control. Statistics on diseases and conditions, health care and insurance, injuries, vital statistics, drug use, smoking, etc. Includes links to research publications and data archives.
Office of Minority Health Data & Statistics
Data and statistics page of the Office of Minority Health, US Dept. of Health and Human Services. Includes statistical profiles of African-Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Latinos, and others. Also has links to other resources on issues related to minority health.
Additional links to statistical resources on public health may be found at the statistics page of the Public Health Library.
Social work
Statistics on social work education
Statistics about social work education programs in the United States. Compiled by the Council on Social Work Education
Substance abuse
Substance abuse and mental health statistics
Produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services. Contains statistics on alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use, mental health, treatment, prevention, attitudes, violence, etc.
Statistical datasets
A number of sites offer datasets that may be downloaded and manipulated using standard statistical applications such as SPSS, SAS or STATA.
Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research Consortium of 325 institutions working together to acquire and preserve social science data in 130 countries. Includes survey data, census records, election returns, economic data, and legislative records.
National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging Located within ICPSR, funded by the National Institute on Aging. Offers data relevant to gerontological research.
Social Science Data Archives - North America Directory for datasets in the social sciences.
Social Science Electronic Data Library Datasets on families, aging, adolescent pregnancy, child welfare, drug abuse, and more.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) Public use data files for substance abuse and mental health research.
UCDATA UC Berkeley's principal archive of social science data and statistics. Presents statistical datasets covering many social science areas, plus reports and statistical analyses.
Javascript required to chat
You can access UCB Library resources from off campus or via your laptop or other mobile device using one of two simple methods. (NOTE: Using EndNote? Use VPN, not the Proxy Server)
Proxy Server
After you make a one-time change in your web browser settings, the proxy server will ask you to log in with a CalNet ID or Library PIN when you click on the link to a licensed resource. See the setup instructions, FAQ, and Troubleshooting pages to configure your browser.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
After you install and run the VPN "client" software on your computer, you can log in with a CalNet ID to establish a secure connection with the campus network.
Click on the image below to see a larger interactive version of the campus library map.
You can also view/download a PDF map of library locations. For library contact information and building addresses, visit our directory.
Evidence Based Practice, to quote Professor Gambrill, is "a new educational and practice paradigm for closing the gaps between research and practice to maximize opportunities to help clients and avoid harm.”
Do you need funding for you research, your dissertation or thesis? Check out our page of funding resources for graduate students in the social sciences.
The Social Welfare Library has print copies of dissertations, theses, and group research projects produced in the School of Social Welfare since its establishment in 1944 through 2010. Theses were submitted for masters degrees beginning in 1946. From 1948 until the early 1970s, group research projects – by groups of students under the supervision of a faculty member – were an alternative to individual masters theses. Beginning in 1960, dissertations were submitted for the DSW in social welfare, and after 1988 for the PhD.
Beginning in 2010, all dissertations at UC Berkeley were produced in electronic format only and are available through the library's online databases.
If you want to include group research projects or masters' theses in your search, you must use OskiCat, Melvyl, or WorldCat Dissertations. Other dissertation databases index only dissertations in social work at Berkeley and do not include theses or group projects.
If an article is a few years old, but relevant to your topic, it can be very helpful to see who has cited it. There are several different ways to do this, and the results will overlap -- no single method is comprehensive.
ISI Web of Science contains the Social Science Citation Index which allows you to do a "Cited Reference" search. This shows other articles (from a prestigious list of peer reviewed journals) which have cited the target article, and it also shows the references for the the original article... both forward and backward citation.
Google Scholar also provides forward citations for some articles. It has a broader range of documents included (not just peer reviewed journals, but reports, pre-prints, etc.) and doesn't eliminate self citation or de-duplicate the results.
Cited Reference links are sometimes provided for articles indexed indatabases such as Social Services Abstracts, ERIC, EconLit, PsycInfo, etc.
PsycTESTS from APA -- primarily unpublished tests, most (but not all) records include the actual test instrument. Also provides information about psychological tests, measures, scales, surveys, and other assessments including descriptive information about the test and its development and administration. This can be a bit tricky to use, here's a quick guide on how to use it with Screenshots on searching PsycTESTS via SlideShare.
eBooks and books with full-text scales:
Online searchable sites with full-text scales:
Find Dissertations by searching Dissertations and Theses (Dissertation Abstracts) Full Text, which indexes graduate dissertations from over 1,000 North American, and selected European, graduate schools and universities from 1861 to the present. Dissertations published since 1980 include brief abstracts written by the authors and some feature 24-page excerpts. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and some full text coverage for older graduate works.Also see Find Dissertations and Theses for other specialized sources.
Dissertations completed at UC Berkeley can be found in OskiCat, using the feature allowing you to limit to dissertations/theses.Older dissertations not available full text may be obtained through Interlibrary Loan or using the "Request" option in Melvyl.
Sites with test information:
Online indexes to find tests and measures in print:
Combine your topic search with as many assessment keywords as possible to locate a test on a specific topic (be sure to truncate or use both singular and plural forms):
Example: diabetes AND (assessment OR interview OR inventory OR measur* OR questionnaire OR rating OR scale OR survey OR test OR tool)
Thanks to NCSU Library for this query suggestion!
Authors often want to submit their articles to the most prestigous and/or highest impact factor journals. Journal Impact Factor from ISI is a measure of the frequency with which the "average article" in a journal has been cited in a given period of time. ISI's Journal Citation Reports can create a list of the most highly cited journals from a highly selective group of journal titles.
This method is not without controversy as some research has found that there is no statistical correlation between the impact factor of a journal and the actual citation rate of its articles, and that journals that publish many reviews tend to have higher impact factors (since reviews are frequently cited).
EigenFactor and its Article Influence score, is another way to measure impact. It also includes cost factors, and takes into account the different citation patterns in the social sciences vs. the sciences.
PLOS (Public Library of Science) is developing article level metrics, so that each article will be assessed on its own merits, not just on that of the journal as a whole. And research shows that open access to an article increases its citation.
As the author of a work you are the copyright holder unless and until you transfer the copyright to someone else in a signed agreement.
Copyright is a bundle of rights, not just one right. You do not have to surrender all your copyrights when you publish, though some publishers may ask you to do so. Transfer of copyrights can lead to problems, for example, you may not be able to make copies of your own work to share with your students or colleagues without permission. Transfer of copyrights to the publisher also confers enormous market power on the publisher, as the exclusive owner of the rights to your work.
By retaining your copyright, or by transferring your copyright but retaining some rights, you can control the dissemination of your research. By removing access barriers (including cost) you allow more readers to access your scholarship. UC recommends that you can retain at least some of your rights:
* from The Case for Scholars' Management of Their Copyright (PDF) endorsed by the UC Academic Council, April 2006
"Open access holds the promise of moving knowledge from the closed cloisters of privileged, well-endowed university campuses to ... dedicated professionals and interested amateurs, to concerned journalists and policymakers."¹
Social Good:
Berkeley scholars want their publications to be read -- by other researchers in their field, by academics, independent scholars, and policy makers. They freely contribute their time as authors, editors and peer reviewers; the university in turn buys back the content that they have given away.
There is a growing gap between what scholarly journals cost, and what libraries (including major research universities) can pay. As libraries are forced to cancel journals, researchers worldwide lose access to the articles with research that they need... and that the researcher/authors provided for free.
Open Access is a much needed alternative to the for-profit publishing model.
Good for you:
Open Access doesn't just help those without access, many studies have shown that it also increases citation to your article. More people read it, and more of them cite it.
¹Willinsky, J. (2006). The access principle : The case for open access to research and scholarship. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Berkeley Research Impact Initiative (BRII) supports faculty members, post-docs, and graduate students who want to make their journal articles free to all readers immediately upon publication. BRII subsidizes, in various degrees, fees charged to authors who select open access or paid access publication.
Directory of Online Journals (DOAJ) includes thousands of open access journals, including hundreds in education. If you are willing to work with one of these journals, you won't need to negotiate in order to retain your copyright.
SHERPA/RoMEO Lets you search a journal or publisher, and find the (default) degree of open access:
