Research Guides: Introduction to Social Work Research: SSW 4396: Find Scholarly Articles

What you need to know about article databases

A library article database is a library subscription that allows you to search within a group of journals for articles on a particular topic. Databases may contain citation-abstract records only, full-text articles, or some combination of the two.

ProQuest provides the library with several large collections, such as ProQuest Central and ProQuest Social Science Premium, which include the smaller more focused collections, such as Sociological Abstracts (which includes Sociology and Social Services Abstracts), Public Health database, and individual database (US Newstream for newspapers). Likewise, EBSCOhost provides the large-multidisciplinary database Academic Search Complete that includes more focused subject-based databases, such as APA PyscInfo (psychology), ERIC (education, and CINAHL (Nursing). Within these two search platforms, you can select one or more, among all the databases, or make your own collection of databases tailored to your information needs.

The benefits of using library database include having a controlled vocabulary (indexing or subject terms), advanced searching, browsing, and filtering results features, as well as saving search history and results.

Select the appropriate methodology, subject, or review filter. Add "review OR meta" in the title for a systematic review. Add "bibliography" to your search term to find bibliographies on a subject. Result for the terms "homeless* bibliography" in Library Search : Homelessness : An Annotated Bibliography
To search smarter and save time, try the Ten Finding Tips.

Some database contents, such as MEDLINE (health outcome related) and ERIC (education) can be searched for free using their government search sites, or through the provider or publisher platforms (ProQuest and EBSCOhost), where TU AccessNet login is required.

On the government sites, only free to access or Open Access articles may be available. For ERIC, MEDLINE, and other free to search government databases, going through the links provided by the library will allow you to access full-text from our library collections.
Many of the databases listed on this page index social and behavioral science journals. Use the Find Full Text links to get the full text.

Depending on your topic, other research guides may have an even more comprehensive list of relevant indexes and databases. See the Related Guides box on the main page of this guide for links to some that may be useful for social research.

Search across multiple databases or disciplines

ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection This link opens in a new window
Search the Social Science Premium Collection to do a combined search of all ProQuest social science databases. Disciplines covered include politics, public policy, sociology, social work, anthropology, criminology, linguistics, library science, and education. Searching here is convenient and saves time, though you do lose the advanced filtering capability of some of the individual databases.
Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Academic Search Complete provides full text scholarly publications and full text journals for academic areas of study. Via (EBSCOhost)
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Web of Science indexes core journal articles, conference proceedings, data sets, and other resources in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. It also includes access to EndNote Online.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Note: Follow these instructions to link Google Scholar with Temple's resources.
Google Scholar provides search for scholarly literature. It covers disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.

Library Search (Articles)
Find articles via Temple University's Library Search, which searches through nearly all databases listed on this guide. Use the Peer-reviewed filter to limit to peer-reviewed journal articles.

Individual databases

Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts contains journals from various countries focusing on health, social services, psychology, sociology, economics, politics, race relations and education.
APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window
PsycINFO contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books and technical reports, as well as citations to dissertations, all in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines. In EBSCO, click "Choose Databases" and add PsycARTICLES, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection to your selection to search several psychology databases at once.
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Sociological Abstracts provides coverage of the world's literature on sociology and applied aspects of sociology. Social Services Abstracts is included in this database.
Social Services Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Social Services Abstracts provides bibliographic coverage of current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed comprises more than 30 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) is the largest component of PubMed and consists primarily of journal citations; articles indexed with MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) and curated with funding, genetic, chemical and other metadata.
ERIC [via U.S. Department of Education] This link opens in a new window
ERIC [via U.S. Department of Education] is a Web-based digital library of free education-related sources and consists primarily of electronic bibliographic records describing journal and non-journal literature. The collection also includes full-texts of articles and other electronic resources such as audio and video materials.

Databases with a Methodology Filter

Several library databases have a way to filter search results for empirical methodologies. Try the techniques in bold in the following databases, in combination with other search terms for the topic you are researching.

It is also useful to search for the controlled vocabulary in the thesaurus or subject headings of the databases and use those terms and variants in searching. Look up a research method or search using terms like empirical, qualitative, quantitative, evaluation, correlation, intervention, or observation or browse by available categories. The Cochrane Library also has suggested Search strategies to identify observational studies in MEDLINE and Embase that can be used for other sources as well.

For databases and search engines without a methodology filter, such as Web of Science and Google Scholar, try (1) copying and pasting one or more of the types of studies listed for the Sociological Abstracts database or enter "study" to be broad with your search terms; and (2) include the operator AND (e.g. ("domestic violence" OR "intimate partner violence") AND study).

APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window
APA PsycInfo [via EBSCOhost] contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books and technical reports, as well as citations to dissertations, all in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines, such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology, business and law. Filter on the search form or from the results page: (1) On the search form, select the methodology at the lower right of the filter check boxes; OR (2) On the results page, within the refine results area, click Methodology and then select Empirical Study to limit to empirical research articles or a specific type (e.g. qualitative study).View Using the Methodology Limiter in APA PsycInfo video.
Another option is to include, with other search terms, the thesaurus term Empirical Methods (login to view) to search scientific methodology based on experimentation, systematic observation, or measurement. View or download definitions of the fields and different Methodology field values. EBSCOhost search tips for APA PsycInfo

Left image: Methodology filter on the search form Right image: Methodology filter within Refine Results

CINAHL This link opens in a new window
CINAHL Provides indexing for nursing and health journals. The database contains records dating back to 1982. In addition, the database offers access to health care books, nursing dissertations, and selected conference proceedings. Search for the CINAHL subject headings: Clinical Trials, Empirical Research, Experimental Studies, Nonexperimental Studies, Qualitative Studies, Quantitative Studies, or Quasi-Experimental Studies to limit to empirical research.
CINAHL Abstracting and Indexing Database
Nurses, allied health professionals, researchers, nurse educators and students depend on the CINAHL Database to research their subject areas from this authoritative index of nursing and allied health journals. CINAHL indexes the top nursing and allied health literature available including nursing journals and publications from the National League for Nursing and the American Nurses Association. CINAHL also includes rigorous curation and indexing of open access (OA) journals, which has resulted in a growing collection of 1,446 active global OA journals.  Once validated and certified for inclusion, these OA journals are treated with high-quality subject indexing and sophisticated, precise/accurate full-text linking.
Subject Headings
CINAHL Subject Headings help users effectively search and retrieve information and follow the structure of the Medical Subject headings (MeSH) used by the National Library of Medicine. These Subject Headings help researchers find new concepts, including COVID-19, social distancing and vaping as well as local terminology.
Content Includes
3,814 active indexed and abstracted journals
3,461 active peer-reviewed indexed and abstracted journals
1,312 journals with searchable cited references
ERIC [via ProQuest] This link opens in a new window
ERIC [via ProQuest, or via EBSCOhost] provides access to education-related literature. ERIC provides coverage of journal articles, conferences, meetings, government documents, theses, dissertations, reports, audiovisual media, bibliographies, directories, books and monographs. In the Advanced Search, filter for Document Type= Reports: Research to limit to empirical research.
If using ERIC.ed.gov, under Publication Type, select "Reports-Research." Additional identifier filters for contents that specify it are available under "Assessments and Surveys." How to use identifier video
PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed comprises more than 30 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. On search results pages, Select a type under Article Type (e.g. Clinical Trial) or click Additional Filters and select Article Type for more options. Use "Study Characteristics"[Publication Type] for all types of studies or check the study types of interest, such as "Evaluation Study" or Observational Study, to limit to empirical research. Description of Publication (article) Type.
Another approach is to search for a Medical Subject Heading (MesH) and include it with other MeSH terms or keywords. For example, include "Empirical Research"[mesh] to search for "study, based on direct observation, use of statistical records, interviews, or experimental methods, of actual practices or the actual impact of practices or policies."
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Sociological Abstracts provides coverage of the world's literature on sociology and applied aspects of sociology. In the Advanced Search, search for Subject Headings such as: Action Research, Archival Research, Case Studies, Content Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Empirical Methods, Ethnography, Experiments, Fieldwork, Grounded Theory, Interviews, Longitudinal Studies, Models, Observation, Qualitative Methods, Quantitative Methods, Research, Surveys, Empirical Research, Qualitative Research, Questionnaires, Research, Surveys, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Studies, Statistical Surveys, Telephone Surveys, Use Studies, to limit to empirical research. This approach may also work with for the ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection, which includes the Sociological Abstracts.

Embase This link opens in a new window
EMBASE contains references to journal articles in biomedicine. The references consist of authors, title, journal data, abstract and keywords. EMBASE contains European literature, and coverage in the field of drug research, pharmacology and pharmaceutics. The database can be searched back to 1974.

Embase also has MEDLINE records.
In the results filters, look at Study types, and check the ones you want, such as controlled study, case report, retrospective study, cohort analysis, cross sectional study, systematic review, comparative study, prospective study, interview, longitudinal study, randomized controlled trial, observational study, meta analysis, qualitative research, semi structured interview, pilot study. Read also about General Study Types Hedges

Ten Finding Tips

In addition to Library Search and talking with Subject Librarians, use the library research guides (or LibGuides) and databases and resources listed on this page to search and identify journal articles, books, book chapters and other publications in Social Work and related fields.

Use all relevant terms or keywords and, if available, the database controlled vocabulary or indexing and cataloging terms ( thesaurus, subject headings, descriptors) in advanced search. Subject dictionaries, thesauri, and Credo Reference can help identify concepts and words for searching. These guides maybe useful:

Social Work topics keywords prepared by a Washington University librarian.
Examples: Abuse/Domestic Violence; Addiction; Ages; Barriers; Diversity; Homeless; Housing;; Police Violence; Poverty; Social Determinants of Health;
Topics in APA PsycInfo of Relevance to Social Work
APAPsycInfo uses the APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. APA Publishing Training video.
PubMed has Automatic Term Mapping, matching user terms to the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Topic-Specific PubMed Queries provide useful MeSH and keywords for select topics, including healthcare disparities, and population health, electronic health records.
Web of Science has "Social Work" as a subject category and micro topics such as Homeless and Intimate Partner Violence. Browse and search meso and micro subjects/ Download the 2024 schema. Download the Micro-topics updates Learn more about topics schema
Subject Headings for Social Work or search the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
External library guide to subject headings with links to the PDF of LCSH by letter.
Science.gov Topic Pages (Science.gov searches over 60 databases and over 2,200 scientific websites)
Social Determinants of Health, Health Disparities, and Health Equity guide

Search one concept at a time and then combine them using "AND" or "OR". Most databases automatically add "AND" between terms so AND may not be needed.

Parentheses can be used to specify the search order for operators in a search string. If not, for example, in ProQuest and Web of Science, the order is PRE, NEAR, AND, OR, NOT.
Watch Build Better Searches in Web of Science (5 min), to know how to use truncation, operators, parentheses (to set order for operators) and proximity. These functions are similar for other databases.
Be aware that Google operators work differently than those in library databases.

Use database fields and filters, such as Date, Peer-Reviewed, Source Type, and Methodology to focus and narrow your search.
Check documentation to see which fields are mandatory or required to appear in every record. In APA PsycINFO, for example, the only required fields in every record are title, abstract, author, keywords, publication date, publication type, release date, unique identifier. PubMed check tags appearing in nearly all indexed records include human, animal, male, female, pregnancy, age. These tags are ignored if not mentioned in the article.
Geographic location: For library catalogs, use location field and the geographic subject headings. For APA PsycINFO search in geographic location field. For ERIC, there are location, laws, polices and programs and assessment and surveys identifiers.
Use the How to apply methodology filters and Find Empirical and Evidence-Base Articles guides.
Use database guides, tutorials, search tips, tools, and help to efficiently search, filter, save/download, cite and more.

Main database platform guides: ProQuest, EBSCOhost, CINAHL(EBSCO), Embase, Web of Science, Web of science Help documentation, Web of Science AI enabled topic and keywords search, Gale, ERIC, GovInfo,
PubMed, PubMed publication types; How PubMed Works; Searching when MeSH changes
- The EBSCOhost libguide covers the upcoming new platform. For the existing platform, view the 4 minute video, but note that the default shown is the basic search, whereas the default at Temple is the advanced search.
  Advanced Searching on EBSCOhost.
- APA PsycInfo Beginner Search video tutorial; APA PsycInfo Advanced Search
JSTOR Text Analyzer uses the text of your document to suggest more articles.
For Temple Libraries tutorials and upcoming workshops: Enter the database name or other search term in Library Search and look at results under Library Website.
Use library research guides for courses and subjects to identify relevant databases and resources.
Google Search Tips: List of Operators and Google Search help
This library guide from McGill University has operators and searching tips for many databases
https://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/knowledge-syntheses/search-tips

Follow linkages, such as subject, keyword, author, title or series, organization links and links to Similar Titles, Citations or Cited By, References, and More Like This.

Use tools like Google Scholar and Web of Science Cited Reference Search
Learn more with our Chasing Citation guide and Citation Chasing Video Tutorial

Register/Create account and login to save your search history and create alerts.
Select the Find Full Text links to get the entire source for non-full text indexing databases.
Link Google Scholar to Temple libraries to get full text within our collections.
To save time, search the entire ProQuest Social Sciences Premium collection

Some database specific advanced filtering capability and thesaurus terms may not be available.
For the broadest ProQuest platform wide search, use ProQuest Academic One , which includes ProQuest Central (nearly all disciplines/subjects and different media types)

Use Browzine to browse and read scholarly articles in Social Work journals.
To create an account with the Browzine App, select Temple University and login with your TU AccesNet ID.
Target Core Journals in Social Work and search all relevant databases.