University of Southern Maine

Introduction | Reference Sources | Finding Articles | Internet Resources | Citation Styles

Pat Prieto Reference and Instructional Services Librarian 780-5662 email me

In order to find books, journal titles, videos, government documents and other materials held in the University of Maine System you will need to consult URSUS, the online catalog. Because journal article citations are not individually included in URSUS, you will need to use an index to find this information (see Finding Articles below).

If you do not know the exact subject heading describing the topic you need, try doing a keyword search using other word/s related to that topic and then click on the subject heading links found within the relevant records to find additional, useful resources.

DICTIONARIES AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Subject encyclopedias provide a solid overview of your topic, often including history, current state, policy issues and relevant theories, while specialized dictionaries provide definitions of terms or phrases unique to the field.

Dictionary of Gerontology
Por Reference HQ1061.H338 1988

Dictionary of Social Welfare
Por Reference HV12.T54 1982

Encyclopedia of Aging
Por Reference HQ1061.E53 2001

Encyclopedia of Disability and Rehabilitation
Por/Gor Reference HV1568.E53 1995

Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior
Por Reference HV5804.E53 2001

Encyclopedia of Homelessness
Por Reference HV4493.E53 2004

Encyclopedia of measurement and statistics
POR Reference HA29 .S2363 2007

Encyclopedia of social measurement
POR Reference H62 .E53 2005

Encyclopedia of Social Work (and supplements)
Por/Gor Reference HV35.S6

Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
Por Reference HQ 772.G27 1998

Gay Histories and Cultures
Por Reference HQ75.13.G37 2000

Lesbian Histories and Cultures
Por Reference HQ75.5.L4395 2000

Social Work Dictionary
Por Reference HV12.B37 1999

STATISTICS
Statistical sources help support and quantify your arguments.

Social Work Almanac
Por Reference HV90.G53

Statistical Record of Older Americans
Por Reference HQ1064.U5S697 1994

Statistical Handbook on the American Family
Por Reference HQ536.S727 1999

Kids Count Data Book
Por/Gor Reference HQ792.U5K53 or online

Maine Kids Count
Por Reference HQ792.U5M2

Trends in the Well-Being of America's Children
Por Reference HQ792.U5T7

Statistical Record of Children
Por Reference HQ792.U6S73 1994

Statistical Handbook on Adolescents in America
Por Reference HQ796.S8237 1996

Statistical Handbook on the Social Safety Net
Por Reference HV51.P33 2004

OTHER

Mental Measurements Yearbook (online)

Mental measurements yearbook
POR Reference Z 5814 .P8 B932

Social Work Abstracts Plus
Primary index for locating articles in the field of social work

Social Services Abstracts
Focuses on social work, human services, social welfare, social policy, human development and related areas

Academic Search Premier
This is a multi-subject index, covering the social sciences, humanities and sciences.

ASSIA: Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts
ASSIA is an indexing and abstracting tool covering health, social services, psychology, sociology, economics, politics, race relations and education. Updated monthly. Dates of Coverage: 1987 - current.

Ageline
Produced by AARP’s Research Information Center, Ageline indexes and abstracts aging-related research from psychology, sociology, social work, economics, public policy, and the health sciences.

Child Abuse, Child Welfare and Adoption Database
Provides citations and abstracts of more than 32000 books, journal articles, government reports, conference papers, state annual reports, curricula, and unpublished papers.

Criminal Justice Abstracts
Primary index for the field of criminal justice.

ERIC - Education
Primary index for the field of education. Useful for topics relating to school social work, as well as issues that may present themselves in a school setting.

PILOTS
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the PILOTS (Published International Literature On Traumatic Stress) database indexes the literature of PTSD and other mental health conditions resulting from traumatic events.

PsycINFO
Primary index to material in psychology, psychiatry and related fields.

Sociological Abstracts
Primary index for the field of sociology.

Women's Studies International
Indexes journal articles, books, book chapters, and dissertations in women's studies, including material from the fields of economics, education, public policy, and sociology. Coverage from 1972 to the present.

Don't know how to find that great article you've just identified ?  1. Click on the Article Linker button to see if the article is available electronically from USM, or search URSUS for the title of the journal, magazine or newspaper (not the article title)   2. Does USM have the title? Does it have the correct year?   3. If not, request the book or article from another university through inter-library loan. 4. Confused? Call the Reference Desk (780-4272).
For more on Article Linker, click to watch the Tutorial.

Since there is no authority control for the Internet, it is important to evaluate sources critically. For helpful criteria, consult our Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources.

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being
Published by the Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, this report presents 38 key indicators in the areas of family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.

Maine Department of Human Services
An excellent place to start research on state regulatory policies for some social work-related topics. Under the tab labeled Programs, you will find policy manuals for Food Stamps, TANF and Medical Assistance along with other useful information.

National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
The the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has created this database of interventions "to help people, agencies, and organizations implement programs and practices in their communities".

The Association of Social Work Boards
The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) provides "information on the legal regulation of social work" throughout the U.S. and Canada, including state level information.

USM School of Social Work
The School of Social Work's website offers program descriptions, a faculty/staff directory, student handbooks, and more.

The sources listed here provide assistance in following correct citation methods and avoiding plagiarism. In addition, USM has a site license for Endnote, a personal reference database program. The program enables users to maintain a database of references, download references from other databases, link to references in word-processed document, and generate a bibliography in the correct style . See Endnote Help for further information.

Writing Handbooks

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
(Por. Ref. BF76.7 .P83 2001)
(Gor. Ref. BF76.7 .P83 2001)

St. Martin's Handbook
(Por. Ref. PE1112 .L86 1989)
(Lew Ref. PE1112. L86 1989)
Contains sections on the writing process, sentence construction, punctuation, doing research, and academic writing.

A Writer's Reference, 3rd Edition
(Gor. Ref. PE1408 .H2778 1995)
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation.

Online! A Reference Guide Using Internet Resources

Created by: Pat Prieto
Created on: 08.29.2005
Last Updated: 01.02.2008