A Social Work Research Guide

"...randomized evaluations to test and improve the effectiveness of programs and policies aimed at reducing poverty...Agriculture, Education, Environment and Energy, Finance, Health, Labor Markets, and Political Economy and Governance." Evidence Based sections for Evaluations and for Policy Lessons. https://www.povertyactionlab.org/

From the EBSS Social Work Committee. Has general resources (Ref, Organizations, Databases), Statistics, Data Sets, Open Access, Tests & Measures, Policy, Selecting in Social Work, and Evidence Synthesis and Advanced Reviews. https://acrl.libguides.com/social_work_toolkit/home

Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work. https://agesw.org/

https://aaswsw.org/

"ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and in several Canadian provinces." https://www.aswb.org/

Enforcement reports from the Dept. of Justice. https://www.ada.gov/statrpt.htm

https://www.ada.gov/

Research guide on anti-oppression covers the fundamentals. https://simmons.libguides.com/anti-oppression

Formerly called: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Federal funding available to groups, individuals, and local governments for federal programs. https://sam.gov/content/assistance-listings

Formerly called: American Association of State Social Work Boards. "ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and in several Canadian provinces." https://www.aswb.org/

Help you find benefits you may be eligible to receive and direct you to the agency to apply. Has some state and many federal benefits. https://www.benefits.gov/

From the Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center. Although geared to health, many of the suggestions are good for a variety of situations. https://www.refugeehealthta.org/access-to-care/language-access/best-practices-communicating-through-an-interpreter/index.html

Database of systematic reviews in business, crime, disability, education, international development, knowledge translation, methods, nutrition, social welfare. https://www.campbellcollaboration.org/better-evidence

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.careeronestop.org/

Produced by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Includes cases on public policy and government. Abstracts are free of charge. https://case.hks.harvard.edu/

Now called Assistance Listings. "...Federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs..."
https://sam.gov/content/assistance-listings

"...database of the literature of philanthropy. It incorporates the unique contents of the Foundation Center's five libraries..." https://catalog.candid.org/

The research and the resources tabs may be helpful. https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/

"...innovations in public policy that enable individuals, families, and communities to formulate and achieve life goals, and contribute to the economy and society..." Asset building, civic service, productive aging, thriving communities. https://csd.wustl.edu/

Publications list from the Center for Social Development, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis. Many of the publications are evidence based. The publications may be searched by using the search box on the left side of the screen. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/csd/

Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Provides statistical information, reports, publications, links to service agencies, etc. https://www.childwelfare.gov/

Choose a topic and then scroll down to the publications. https://www.clasp.org/

Developed by Christopher D. Green
"... is an effort to make the full texts of a large number of historically significant public domain documents from the scholarly literature of psychology and allied disciplines available..." https://psychclassics.yorku.ca/

"Administration of federal funds for housing, community and economic development programs that strengthen the City of St. Louis and its neighborhoods." https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/cda/

"...independent, nonpartisan 501(c)4 organization that recognized the importance of the Congressional Social Work Caucus and sought to complement its mission and work...CRISP envisions an increased awareness among federal policymakers and the public of the benefits of social work..." https://www.crispinc.org/

Council on Accreditation (COA) is an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. Standards for private, public, child& youth development organizations. https://www.social-current.org/impact-areas/coa-accreditation/standards/

"The Council on Social Work Education is (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association representing more than 3,000 individual members as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education." https://www.cswe.org/

See the Associations, Policy, and Social boxes on the subpage, "Freely Searchable Databases by Subject for Alumni." https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=46890&p=301116

List of all accredited social work degree programs. https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/directory?

https://disability.mo.gov/resource_search/

U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability

Forum for local governments in the bi-state St. Louis region to work together to solve problems that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Community planning: environmental & sustainability planning, monitoring water & air quality, community engagement, local government services, regional hazard mitigation.
Transportation: transportation improvement program (TIP), roadways & streets, freight, metrolink, bike & pedestrian, safety, infrastructure. Regional security: build effective capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from hazards when they impact the St. Louis region. (natural, terrorism, industrial accidents). Research Center has data, GIS, and strategic assessments. Library (advanced search) has reports, presentations, maps, meeting documents, etc. https://www.ewgateway.org/

Formerly called: NREPP National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. Database of interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders. https://www.samhsa.gov/ebp-resource-center

Off-campus access is restricted to current WUSTL students/faculty/staff.

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Macro Social Work Practice; Curricular Guide for Licensing and Regulation; Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice; Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Military Social Work; Curricular Guide for Economic Well-Being Practice; Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Gero Social Work Practice. https://cswe.org/Education-Resources/2015-Curricular-Guides

Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Coordinating (EPPI) Centre is part of the Social Science Research Unit at the Institute of Education, University of London. Offers resources related to health, education, and welfare. https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/

From the Research section of NASW. Links to many EBP resources. https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Research-Data/Social-Work-Policy-Research/Evidence-Based-Practice

Provides the definition of evidence-based practice along with guidance in formulating the question and advice on searching appropriate databases. Produced by Leonard Gibbs, Eamon Armstrong, Donna Raleigh, and Josette Jones. Based on Evidence-Based Practice for the Helping Professions by L. Gibbs (2003).
http://www.evidence.brookscole.com/index.html

https://www.census.gov/topics/families/families-and-households.html

Consumer financial literacy education & resources. Complaint reporting. Federal government bureau. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Great resources on financial literacy. Can limit by age group, format, or topic. https://www.stlouisfed.org/education

Consumer financial literacy education and resources. Based in the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury. https://www.mymoney.gov/

Main web page for the social work program at Washington University in St. Louis. https://brownschool.wustl.edu/Pages/default.aspx

Updates to selected chapters of the Green Book posted on the House committee's website. 1996-current. https://greenbook-waysandmeans.house.gov/

Background Material and Data on Programs within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means. 1996 - 2004. https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/green-book?path=/GPO/Background%20Material%20and%20Data%20on%20the%20Programs%20within%20the%20Jurisdiction%20of%20the%20Committee%20on%20Ways%20and%20Means%20%2528Green%20Book%2529

https://www.gadephd.org/

Provides "information about nonprofits and the work they do." This material is provided by the organizations and public files. The basic version is free. WUSTL subscribes to the premier version. Off-campus access to the premier version is restricted to current WUSTL students/faculty/staff.

Helps people being harassed and provides bystander intervention resources.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/

By Amy Symens Smith, Charles Holmberg, and Marcella Jones-Puthoff, Issued September 2012. Census counts for people at emergency and transitional shelters, soup kitchens, regularly scheduled mobile food vans, and targeted non-sheltered outdoor locations.
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2012/dec/c2010sr-02.html

HUD publications in the category of Homelessness. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/taxonomy/term/65

Facts, policy. https://endhomelessness.org/

Facts, directories, publications. https://nationalhomeless.org/

https://www.samhsa.gov/homelessness-programs-resources

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/services/topic.cfm?id=48&name=homelessness

https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/homelessness/index.html

https://www.usich.gov/

https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/human-trafficking

Information and links to statistics. https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/

International Association of Schools of Social Work. See the School Members tab. https://www.iassw-aiets.org/our-members

Includes systematic reviews and meta-analyses, plus coverage of some gray literature in the field. "To help social service professionals...awareness of news regarding the profession and emerging scholarship." https://ifp.nyu.edu/

IRP is a center for interdisciplinary research into the causes and consequences of poverty and social inequality in the United States. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan. https://www.irp.wisc.edu/

https://iwpr.org/

Full-text. "...social policy research created by nonprofit organizations..." https://www.issuelab.org/

Lists social work journals and their author submission guidelines along with their journal impact factors for up to three years. Compiled by Patrick Leung and Monit Cheung of the University of Houston. https://uh.edu/socialwork/academics/cwep/title-iv-e/Journals-Impact-Factor/journalsimpactfactorshindex2021_7-21-20211.pdf

"...covers all aspects of work and sustainable livelihoods and the work-related aspects of economic and social development, human rights and technological change. Much of the collection focuses on developing and transition countries..." https://labordoc.ilo.org/discovery/search?vid=41ILO_INST:41ILO_V2

"The Learning Exchange is an online digital library developed by IRISS (the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services). We have indexed thousands of learning resources specifically for social services education and training. These include information sheets, official publications, interactive learning resources, video clips, case studies, podcasts and radio broadcasts."
https://lx.iriss.org.uk/

Brief list through 2017. https://ucsd.libguides.com/lgbtdocs/home

Literacy and illiteracy related to children and adults. Includes facts and research. https://lincs.ed.gov/

"USDA’s Local Food Directories are the gateway to locate local food retail and wholesale market outlets." https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/local-regional/food-directories-listings

Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) information. Information related to real estate redlining in many cities. https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=5/39.1/-94.58

Full text. Disability, early childhood, education, family support, health, international, labor, nutrition. https://www.mathematica.org/evidence/publications#sort=%40mprcomputedcontentdate%20descending

"...interactive system that allows the user to create and download tables, based on selected variables from the following data files." Behavioral, Health, Population, TANF, Crime. https://healthapps.dhss.mo.gov/MoPhims/MOPHIMSHome

https://www.socialworkers.org/

This is the most current Code of Ethics. It was approved by the 1996 NASW Delegate Assembly and revised by the 2008 NASW Delegate Assembly. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics

https://naswmo.socialworkers.org/

"Since 1976, NCRP has used research and advocacy to urge the philanthropic community to provide nonprofit organizations with essential resources and opportunities to effectively serve disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations and communities." https://www.ncrp.org/

Great resource for information, data, and links. https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/

https://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/

"... is a free, online learning environment for use by any stakeholder... involved in active implementation and scaling up of programs and innovations. The site goal is to increase the knowledge and improve the performance of persons engaged in actively implementing any program or practice." https://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/

"The NPP Database offers state data on socio-economic needs and federal expenditures, and allows you to create customized tables, graphs and reports. The database is free of charge, although after your first visit you will be asked to register." https://www.nationalpriorities.org/

https://www.samhsa.gov/ebp-resource-center

"NATLEX, the database of national labour, social security and related human rights legislation maintained by the ILO's International Labour Standards Department." Covers 196+ countries. https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.home?p_lang=en

"... allows you to view a state or the entire country mapped by ADI. This will show areas of relatively high disadvantage as well as areas of moderate to less disadvantage. Neighborhoods may be ranked relative to the full nation or relative to other neighborhoods within just that one state. You may also use the Mapping function to select a state, then enter an address to view the ADI ranking for the Census block group that contains that address.." https://www.neighborhoodatlas.medicine.wisc.edu/

https://socialworkmanager.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/HSMC-Guidebook-December-2018.pdf

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr

U.S. Department of Labor. Find occupations based on standardized and occupation-specific descriptors, skills used, or code/classification. https://www.onetonline.org/

https://opensocialwork.org/education/textbooks/

Listing of seminal materials from all areas of social work selected by scholars and experts in their disciplines. The bibliography is regularly updated and linked to material owned by WUSTL. Off-campus access is restricted to current WUSTL students/faculty/staff.

"...provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world...The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press...Project for Excellence in Journalism...Pew Internet & American Life Project...The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life...Pew Hispanic Center...Pew Global Attitudes Project...Social & Demographic Trends..." https://www.pewresearch.org/

"Our goal is to help you make sense of humanitarian crises worldwide..." https://reliefweb.int/

https://brownschool.wustl.edu/faculty-research/#centers

Free LGBTQ awareness and ally training workshops.

https://www.schwabfound.org/

"... improves the lives of people of all ages by co-producing, sharing, and supporting the use of the best available knowledge and evidence about what works in social care and social work." https://www.scie.org.uk/

https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=46890&p=301069

Composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences. Has thousands of full-text papers. https://www.ssrn.com/

https://bitbucket.icaap.org/dict.pl

By the International Social Security Association (ISSA) in partnership with the U.S. Social Security Administration. https://ww1.issa.int/country-profiles

Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU Libraries. History of social work and social welfare. https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/

https://www.naswfoundation.org/Our-Work/Social-Work-Policy-Institute

"... receive weekly email updates about funding opportunities, calls for papers, conference deadlines, and newly published research." https://www.bu.edu/swrnet/

"The Society for Social Work and Research was founded in 1994 as a free-standing organization dedicated to the advancement of social work research." https://secure.sswr.org/

Builds shared data infrastructure in order to improve lives. Projects: St. Louis Regional Data Exchange (regional open data repository); All Things STL (data visualization platform organizing health & community indicators); STL Vacancy Portal (12 city datasets on vacant property in St. Louis); Community Information Exchange (entry system connecting client data, health, social service providers). https://stldata.org

https://coanet.org/standards/

A current source for state child welfare laws. Covers all 50 states. A product of Child Welfare Information Gateway. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/

https://disability.mo.gov/

Department of Psychiatry. University of Colorado. https://stateofthestates.org/

For statistics, see the Social box on the statistics subpage. https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=46890&p=301062#s-lg-box-890035

Office of The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. https://aspe.hhs.gov/report/studies-welfare-populations-data-collection-and-research-issues

Bolder Advocacy is an initiative of the Alliance for Justice. "Our goal is to demystify and decode advocacy by equipping organizations with knowledge and tools. We help organizations fully understand the rules and become assertive in their right to pursue their policy goals." https://bolderadvocacy.org/resource-library/tools-for-effective-advocacy/

Transportation databases. https://www.dot.state.mn.us/library/trans-databases.html

Digital collections and also a meta search (Google platform). https://mostate.libguides.com/modotlibrary/home

United States Department of Transportation. Search publications and statistics. Also, datasets. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/

The dropdown arrow in the search box provides two collections: Transportation Library Collection, Transportation Articles Database. https://search.library.northwestern.edu/primo-explore/search?vid=TRANNEW&lang=en_US&sortby=rank

From the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. https://trid.trb.org/

Library databases. See also the Research & library's Search. https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/about-wisdot/research/lib/resources.aspx

https://www.un.org/en/

United Way resources for Missouri. Has a "Find Help" database. https://www.211helps.org/

"...gathers data, conducts research, evaluates programs...and educates Americans on social and economic issues — to foster sound public policy and effective government." https://www.urban.org/

Key stats, graphs, maps on economic and social policy. https://www.urban.org/data-viz

"USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal employment opportunities across the United States and around the world." https://www.usajobs.gov/

https://cncs.data.socrata.com/Volunteering-and-Civic-Engagement/Volunteering-and-Civic-Life-in-America/spx3-tt2b

"A detailed database of AFDC/TANF rules in effect for all 50 states and the District of Columbia by state..." https://wrd.urban.org/wrd/Query/query.cfm