Research & Subject Guides: Social Welfare: Databases

Social Work Reference Center Database (searches multiple databases at once) ***NOTE: The Social Work Reference Center is being discontinued by EBSCO in October 2025.

Social Work Reference Center
Created by a multi-specialty editorial team, Social Work Reference Center is a turnkey information resource for social workers and mental health professionals. It covers a wide array of topics such as adolescent health, aging, end-of-life care, clinical social work and diversity. Content is organized in a way that makes it easy for users to get answers to questions quickly and easily.

Social Sciences Databases

Social Work Abstracts
1977-present. Contains more than 45,000 records, from social work and other related journals on topics such as homelessness, AIDS, child and family welfare, aging, substance abuse, legislation, and community organization.

Social Sciences Full Text
An EBSCO database. 1972- present. Search citations and abstracts from 750 periodicals with 510 peer reviewed publications.

SocINDEX with Full Text
An EBSCO database. Sociology research encompassing all sub-disciplines and closely related areas of study. Contains fulltext for 428 "core" journals from 1908-present, and 163 "priority" journals. Abstracts for more than 845 "core" journals as far back as 1895.

Multidisciplinary Databases

Academic Search Complete
Date coverage varies, back to 1887. Scholarly, multi-disciplinary database. Covers over 6100 fulltext journals, 5100 peer reviewed journals, and indexing for over 10,000 journals. Non-journal publications are also indexed.
Web of Science
(Note: does not currently support Internet Explorer 9.) Includes SCIENCE CITATION INDEX EXPANDED (1900 - present ), SOCIAL SCIENCES CITATION INDEX EXPANDED (1956 - present), and ARTS & HUMANITIES CITATION INDEX (1975 - present). All subjects are covered. Indexes articles from almost 10,000 journals as well as the citations in the articles indexed. Recent years include abstracts.

Mental Health Databases

PsycINFO
An EBSCO database. Citations and abstracts to articles from over 2,000 journals, as well as books, dissertations, and reports on psychology and related disciplines.
PsycARTICLES
An EBSCO database. Covers general psychology and specialized basic, applied, clinical, and theoretical research in psychology.
Psychiatry Online
The Psychiatry online database features five journals on the field of psychiatry. It also contains the DSM Library, online assessment measures, access to online textbooks, and other cases and topics relative to the field of psychiatry.
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection
A comprehensive database covering information concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational & experimental methods.

Biomedical Databases

CINAHL Plus with Full Text
An EBSCO database. Covers the nursing and allied health literature, providing fulltext for more than 620 journals.
PubMed
Search biomedical literature from 1950- present. Includes MEDLINE and other resources. Includes links to full-text articles when available.
MEDLINE (Ovid)
1950-present. MEDLINE is premier bibliographic database that contains references to journal articles in the life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine. At this site, users can linkout directly from the bibliographic citations of search results to the library's online collection for full-text articles.
Embase
Embase is a crucial resource for discovering biomedical evidence within published, peer-reviewed literature, in-press publications and conference abstracts. An essential database for systematic reviews.

Health Systems Evidence
A continuously updated repository of syntheses of research evidence about governance, financial and delivery arrangements within health systems, and about implementation strategies that can support change in health systems. Health Systems Evidence is an initiative of the McMaster Health Forum.

Cochrane Library
1999-present. This collection of databases contains high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. Cochrane reviews represent the highest level of evidence on which to base clinical treatment decisions.

Special Topics Databases

Civil Right and Social Justice
Containing hearings and committee prints, legislative histories on the landmark legislations, CRS and GAO reports, briefs from major Supreme Court cases, and publications from the Commission on Civil Rights, this database allows users to educate themselves on the ways our civil rights have been strengthened and expanded over time, as well as how these legal protections can go further still.

Education Source
An EBSCO database. 1929-present. A compilation of previous education databases, specifically Education Index Retrospective (1929-1983), Education Abstracts, Full Text, and Research Complete. Full text supplied for more than 1700 journals, 200 extra full-text journals and 550+ books.
Ethnic NewsWatch
A ProQuest database. 1990-present. Full text articles from newspapers and periodicals published by ethnic, minority, and native presses in the United States. In English and Spanish.
GenderWatch
A ProQuest database. 1970-present. Full text covers perspectives on the women's movement, men's studies, the transgendered community, and the changes in gender roles over the years. Sources include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and government reports

Opposing Viewpoints
A Gale database. Date coverage varies, mostly current. Fulltext. Presents information on complex contemporary topics in a pro- and con- format.
LGBTQ+ Source
An EBSCO database. Index to the world's literature regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender issues.

Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000
Full text primary sources. Women's reform activities in the U.S. from colonial times to the present. Includes books, pamphlets, images, documents, scholarly essays, commentaries, and bibliographies.

Gun Regulation and Legislation in America
HeinOnline's Gun Regulation and Legislation in America brings together essential periodicals, compiled legislative histories, CRS reports, Congressional hearings, United States Supreme Court briefs, monographs and other related materials on the difficult and controversial topic of regulating firearms in the United States.
U.S. Government Documents
The primary source for free, online, published, official and authenticated government information. Includes Congressional bills, budget, documents, prints, and reports, hearings, the Congressional Record, the Constitution, the Federal Register, the United States Code, Presidential Documents, Public and Private Laws, United States Code and Statutes at Large.
PAIS Index
A ProQuest database. Citations to articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents and other material in the area of public affairs. Subjects include business, government, international relations, environment, health, social sciences, law, political science, education, and statistics.

PTSDpubs
PTSDpubs, formerly known as PILOTS, is a freely available, bibliographic database providing access to the worldwide literature on PTSD and other mental health consequences of traumatic events.

Gale OneFile: Criminal Justice
Whether studying to become a lawyer or law enforcement officer, paralegal, or for a career in Homeland Security, this collection rises to the challenge. Users will have access to 150 journals.

Social Care Online
The UK’s largest database of information and research on all aspects of social care and social work
Social Systems Evidence
Social Systems Evidence is the world’s most comprehensive, continuously updated repository of syntheses of research evidence about the programs, services and products available in a broad range of government sectors and program areas. Funding for the development and maintenance of Social Systems Evidence (and for the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal’s content on social aspects of aging that it supports) is provided by McMaster University

Dissertations & Theses Global
Fulltext and citations. Contains 1.2 million full-text dissertations, including most dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works. Includes 2.7 million citations to dissertation and theses from around the world from 1861 to the present day.

Social Welfare

Health Sciences Librarian

Social Work Reference Center Database (searches multiple databases at once) ***NOTE: The Social Work Reference Center is being discontinued by EBSCO in October 2025.

Social Sciences Databases

Multidisciplinary Databases

Mental Health Databases

Biomedical Databases

Special Topics Databases

More Databases

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