Language Matters
The language used to describe experiences, systems, and conditions have evolved over time in the field of social work. While conducting your research, think of synonyms and variations of words or terms you may be using. Some tools that may be useful to you are:
Staying Online
Needing support staying online during your semester?
- Boston University has a laptop loan program if you need assistance staying connected with technology throughout your coursework. Learn more here.
- The Boston Public Library also has a 3-week laptop lending program. Learn more here. Anyone can get a free Boston Public Library card with proof of Massachusetts address.
New Books Available To You!
About This Guide and the Social Work Librarian
This guide is to support you as your navigate BU Libraries and conduct research in the field of social work.
BU has a dedicated Social Work Librarian. Lucy is available for one-on-one support both through email or appointments. You can click the calendar below or email LFlamm@BU.edu.
For students, Lucy can support with questions and topics including:
- How would I find resources related to my topic? This could be big ideas or specialized concepts.
- How do I find specialized information and evidence related to my topic?
- How do I consider authority and bias for my resources?
- How do I manage my notes, sources, and citations to stay organized?
New Database Spotlight
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Refugees, Migration, and Borders: Blends content from grassroots organizers, NGO reports, personal blogs, podcasts, and social media to reveal the human dimensions of migration and displacement. It spans Cold War-era relocations, postcolonial movements, and current-day migration crises.
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LGBTQ+ Social Justice and Culture: From the 1980s to the present, the project documents queer and trans experiences through protest ephemera, digital storytelling, community media, and underground publications. It includes voices from countries where queer expressions are often silenced or criminalized.
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Indigenous Peoples Social Justice and Culture: Showcases Indigenous voices and resistance movements worldwide, with content in native languages and grassroots formats. It includes materials from Māori artists in New Zealand, Sami activists in Scandinavia, groups in Russia and South America, and more.
Introduction to Library Resources
The video below provides an overview of library offerings for the School of Social Work. A separate video for new and returning faculty and instructors is also available.
How Do I...
Content and tutorials are available to provide instructional information. Here are some tutorials available:
Accessing Course Materials
- Course Reserves: access your online course materials for classes
- Searching the BU Library: refining keywords, physically searching for materials, and accessing our results
Searching for Materials
- Planning Your Library Search: creating mind maps, planning our keywords, and thinking about what type of results we want
- Searching the BU Library: refining keywords, physically searching for materials, and accessing our results
- Advanced Search Strategies: using advanced search and Boolean search strategies
- Finding Frequently Cited Sources: using Web of Science to find frequently cited sources or important background sources
- Evaluating Your Results: reflective questions for student reflection on materials
- Databases for Social Work Research: using databases to find specialized results
Methods and Approaches
- Social Work Policy Analysis: reflective questions to think about policy and impact
- Literature Reviews: how to write a literature review
- Scoping Reviews: crafting a scoping review
- Systematic Reviews: creating a systematic review
- Open Access for Social Work Research: open access materials for your research topics
- Tests and Measures: access tests and measures to integrate into your research (example: Geriatric Depression Scale)
- APA Citations: Creating APA style citations and best practices for formatting
