Social Work Databases
Key Social Work Databases
Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO) (https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx)
Sociology Source Ultimate provides access to full-text sociology journals, including the highest number of peer-reviewed journals among all sociology research databases.
CINAHL (EBSCO) (https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx)
It is a comprehensive full-text database for allied health and nursing research. It offers full-text access to a substantial portion of the most frequently cited journals in the CINAHL index, surpassing other databases.
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) (https://doaj.org/)
DOAJ is an extensive index of diverse open access journals from around the world, driven by a growing community, and is committed to ensuring quality content is freely available online for everyone.
SAGE Open (https://journals.sagepub.com/home/sgo)
SAGE Open is an open access publication from Sage. It publishes peer-reviewed, original research and review articles in an open access format. Articles may span the full spectrum of the social and behavioural sciences and the humanities.
Sage Health Sciences (https://journals.sagepub.com/home/sgo)
This database includes journal titles published by Sage and participating societies. Covering such subjects as public health, clinical medicine, nursing, psychology, biomedical sciences, social work, sociology, aging and gerontology.
Sage Research Methods (https://methods.sagepub.com/)
Sage Research Methods is a comprehensive online resource for research methods, particularly within the social and behavioral sciences. It provides access to a vast collection of books, journal articles, and reference materials related to research methodologies, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Australian Public Affairs Full Text (APAFT)
Explore diverse perspectives on Australia’s political, economic and social affairs with Informit’s Australian Public Affairs Full Text (APAFT) Collection.
Families & Society Collection (link)
Families and Societies Collection contains evidence-based information and resources spanning child development, parenting and family dynamics.
Health Collection (link)
Supporting the professional practice of evidence-based treatment, this collection features comprehensive coverage of key disciplines across all aspects relevant to nursing, general, specialist and allied health.
Humanities & Social Sciences Collection (link)
Features unique and specialised content sourced from Australian and international publishers. Expand your knowledge as you access the latest academic, authoritative and most trustworthy information specific to your search.
Indigenous Collection (link)
Offering broad scope for critical international engagement and debate surrounding Indigenous culture, health, human geography and other important aspects, this inter-disciplinary platform gives definitive voice to Indigenous communities in Australia, New Zealand and beyond.
Other Relevant Databases
Sage Video (https://sk.sagepub.com/video)
An expansive educational video library that immerses users in the social sciences through real-world scenarios with top experts.
MEDLINE Ultimate (https://search.ebscohost.com)
MEDLINE Ultimate is the largest full-text companion to the MEDLINE index, designed for medical professionals and researchers. However, it can provide social workers with access to high-quality research on mental health, public health, and social determinants of health, all central to social work practice.
PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/]
PubMed can be helpful for health-related social work. PubMed covers a vast range of peer-reviewed journals in medicine, nursing, psychology, psychiatry, public health, and behavioural sciences. These areas strongly overlap with social work practice (e.g., mental health, substance use, family violence, disability, aged care, health policy). Many interventions in social work (motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, chronic illness management, child protection in health settings) are evaluated in health journals indexed in PubMed.
Ovid [https://ovidsp.dc2.ovid.com/ovid-new-b/ovidweb.cgi]
The JBI EBP Database is very useful for social work where practice intersects with health, wellbeing, and care, and it can valuable for systematic reviews, evidence synthesis, and practice guidelines. However, it should be supplemented by social science/social work–focused databases for areas outside health and care contexts.
Cochrane Library [https://www.cochranelibrary.com/]
Collection of Cochrane databases containing high-quality reviews of research into human health to help people make informed choices about health.
Other Search Engines
Google Scholar [https://scholar.google.com.au/]
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly resources, including journal articles, conference papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts, and technical reports. However, not all content is freely available in full text, as access often depends on subscriptions or institutional login.
Social Work eBooks
Bland, R., Drake, G., & Drayton, J. (2021)
Social work practice in mental health: an introduction(Third edition.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Click to viewTajan, N. (2021)
Mental Health and Social Withdrawal in Contemporary Japan: Beyond the Hikikomori Spectrum(1st ed.). Kyoto University.
Click to viewMcAuliffe, D., Boddy, J., & Chenoweth, L. (2023)
The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice.(7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Click to viewMendes, P. (2003)
Australia’s welfare wars: the players, the politics and the ideologies. UNSW Press.
Click to viewMendes, P. (2022).
Australia’s Welfare Wars: The Players, the Politics and the Ideologies. NewSouth Books.
Click to viewKoprowska, J. (2022)
Communication & Interpersonal Skills in Social Work. Learning Matters.
Click to viewKumar, V. K., & Tahmaseb-McConatha, J. (2023).
Life Satisfaction and Psychological and Physical Well-Being. MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Click to viewPayne, M. (2021).
Modern social work theory(Fifth edition.). Red Globe Press an imprint of Macmillan Education.
Click to viewNipperess, S. (2022)
Critical multicultural practice in social work: new perspectives and practices. Allen & Unwin.
Click to viewAdams, R., Dominelli, L., & Payne, M. (Eds.). (2009).
Critical practice in social work(Second edition.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Click to viewHealy, K. (2022).
Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Click to viewGötz, N., Brewis, G., & Werther, S. (2020).
Humanitarianism in the Modern World: The Moral Economy of Famine Relief. Cambridge University Press.
Click to viewWalby, S., & Shire, K. A. (2024).
Trafficking Chains: Modern Slavery in Society. Bristol University Press.
Click to viewHaapala, P., Harjula, M., Kokko, H., Harjula, M., Kokko, H., & Haapala, P. (2023).
Experiencing Society and the Lived Welfare State(1st ed.). Springer Nature.
Click to viewDudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker, R. (Eds.) (2014).
Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. (2nd Edition ed.) Commonwealth of Australia.
Click to viewSmith, J. D. (2016).
Australia’s rural, remote and indigenous health (3rd edition.). Elsevier.
Click to viewMcGlade, H. (2012).
Our Greatest Challenge: Aboriginal Children and Human Rights: Aboriginal Children and Human Rights. Aboriginal Studies Press.
Click to viewMaylea, C. (2020).
Social work and the law: a guide for ethical practice. Macmillan International Higher Education?; Red Globe Press.
Click to viewHolden, L., Holden, L., & Holden, L. (2023).
Cultural Expertise, Law, and Rights: A Comprehensive Guide (1st ed., Vol. 1). Routledge.
Click to viewJim Ife, K. S. (2022).
Human Rights and Social Work: Towards Rights-Based Practice. Cambridge University Press.
Click to viewIfe, J. (2009).
Human Rights from Below: Achieving Rights through Community Development(1st ed., pp. vii–vii). Cambridge University Press.
Click to viewBickman, L., & Rog, D. J. (2009).
The SAGE handbook of applied social research methods. SAGE Publications, Inc.,
Click to viewFairclough, N. (2022).
Analyzing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. Routledge.
Click to viewRagin, C. C. (2023).
Analytic Induction for Social Research / (1st ed.). University of California Press,.
Click to viewLoseke, D. R. (2021).
Narrative As Topic and Method in Social Research. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Click to viewBoyles, J. (Ed.). (2022).
Groupwork with refugees and survivors of human rights abuses?: the power of togetherness. Taylor & Francis.
Click to viewSigelman, C. K., De George, L., Cunial, K., Rider, E. A., Kholer, M., & Ballam, N. (2022).
Life span human development(Fourth Australian&New Zealand edition.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Click to viewHarms, L. (2021).Understanding human development 3e ebook?(3rd ed.).
Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand.
Click to viewJohn Stones, M., Baker, J., John Stones, M., & Baker, J. (2020).
Modeling Human Potential Across the Lifespan. Frontiers Media SA.
Click to viewPoeggeler, B. (2023).
Tryptophan in Nutrition and Health. MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Click to viewBaker, J., & John Stones, M. (2020).
Modeling Human Potential Across the Lifespan. Frontiers Media SA.
Click to viewMohajeri, M. H., & Mohajeri, M. H. (2022).
Nutrition for Brain Development. MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Click to viewAdams, R., Dominelli, L., & Payne, M. (Eds.). (2009).
Critical practice in social work(Second edition.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Click to viewWilliams, C., Nipperess, S., & Williams, C. (2019).
CRITICAL MULTICULTURAL PRACTICE in SOCIAL WORK: New perspectives and practices (1st edition). Routledge.
Click to viewDrolet, J. L., Charles, G., McConnell, S. M., Bogo, M., Charles, G., Bogo, M., Drolet, J. L., & McConnell, S. (2022).
Transforming Social Work Field Education: New Insights from Practice Research and Scholarship (1st ed.). University of Calgary Press.
Click to viewMcDonald, C. (2011).
Professional practice in human service organisations?: a practical guide for human service workers. Allen & Unwin.
Click to viewFalch-Eriksen, A. (2018).
Human Rights in Child Protection: Implications for Professional Practice and Policy (Asgeir. Falch-Eriksen & Elisabeth. Backe-Hansen, Eds.; 1st ed. 2018.). Springer Nature.
Click to viewMcAuliffe, D., Boddy, J., & Chenoweth, L. (2023).
The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice. (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Click to viewBland, R., Drake, G., & Drayton, J. (2021).
Social work practice in mental health: an introduction?(Third edition.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Click to viewWilliams, C., Nipperess, S., & Williams, C. (2019).
CRITICAL MULTICULTURAL PRACTICE in SOCIAL WORK: New perspectives and practices (1st edition). Routledge.
Click to viewyter, S., & Susan Hayter. (2011).
The role of collective bargaining in the global economy: Negotiating for social justice (1st ed., pp. x–x). Elgar.
Click to viewHeinz, M., Keane, E., & Mc Daid, R. (Eds.). (2023).
Diversifying the teaching profession: dimensions, dilemmas, and directions for the future. Routledge.
Click to viewIfe, J. (2022).
Community Development in an Uncertain World: Vision, Analysis and Practice. Cambridge University Press.
Click to viewBland, R., Drake, G., & Drayton, J. (2021)
Social work practice in mental health: an introduction(Third edition.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Click to viewBattersby, P., & Roy, R. K. (2017).
International development: a global perspective on theory and practice (First edition.). Sage.
Click to viewMcAuliffe, D., Boddy, J., & Chenoweth, L. (2023).
The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice. (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Click to viewBland, R., Drake, G., & Drayton, J. (2021).
Social work practice in mental health: an introduction (Third edition.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Click to viewA.Adams, R., Dominelli, L., & Payne, M. (Eds.). (2009).
Critical practice in social work (Second edition.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Click to viewYork, R. O. O. (2019).
Social Work Research Methods: Learning by Doing (1st ed.). SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
Click to viewFarmer, A. Y. Y., & Farmer, G. L. L. (2020).
Research Methods for Social Work: A Problem-Based Approach (1st ed.). SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
Click to viewSloan, L., & Quan-Haase, A. (2017).
The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Research Methods (1st ed.). SAGE Publications, Limited.
Click to viewrace, K., & CohenMiller, A. (2024).
How to embed social justice into mixed methods research. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Click to viewEd Carson, L. K. (2022).
Australian Social Policy and the Human Services. Cambridge University Press.
Click to viewMcAuliffe, D., Boddy, J., & Chenoweth, L. (2023).
The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice. (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Click to viewAlexander, R. (2018).
Family Violence in Australia: The Legal Response. Federation Press.
Click to viewStychin, C. F. (Ed.). (2023).
Law, Humanities and the COVID Crisis. University of London Press.
Click to viewWebsdale, N. (2024).
Fatal Family Violence and the Dementias: Gray Mist Killings (1st ed.). Routledge.
Click to viewMcGlade, H. (2012).
Our Greatest Challenge: Aboriginal Children and Human Rights: Aboriginal Children and Human Rights. Aboriginal Studies Press.
Click to viewMcGlade, H. (2012).
Our Greatest Challenge: Aboriginal Children and Human Rights: Aboriginal Children and Human Rights. Aboriginal Studies Press.
Click to viewWelchman, L., Hossain, S., Hossain, S., & Welchman, L. (2005).
Honour: Crimes, paradigms and violence against women (1st ed., pp. xiv–xiv). Zed Books.
Click to viewAhmed, F., & Krayem, G. (2021).
Understanding Sharia Processes: Women’s Experiences of Family Disputes. Bloomsbury Academic.
Click to viewDening, T., Gordon, A., & Devi, R. (2022).
Enhancing the Quality of Care in Long-Term Care Settings. MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Click to viewLin, V. (2014).
Public health practice in Australia: the organised effort(Second edition.). Allen & Unwin.
Click to viewSocial Work Journals
Online academic journals provide social workers with extensive access to peer-reviewed research literature. They are a valuable tool for staying informed about new developments, best practices, and emerging issues in social work and allied fields. This list is provided for your reference. Not all journals are accessible through the IHM library, but it will give you an overview of the literature published in specific fields of social work.
Children, Youth & Families
- American Journal of Family Therapy – The American Journal of Family Therapy | Taylor & Francis Online
- American Journal of Sexuality Education – Learn about American Journal of Sexuality Education
- Attachment & Human Development – Attachment & Human Development | Taylor & Francis Online
- Child Abuse & Neglect – Child Abuse & Neglect | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
- Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal – Home | Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
- Child & Family Behavior Therapy – Child & Family Behavior Therapy | Taylor & Francis Online
- Child and Youth Care Forum: Journal of Research and Practice in Children’s Services – Home | Child & Youth Care Forum
- Child & Youth Services – Home | Child & Youth Care Forum
- Child Maltreatment – Journal of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children – Child Maltreatment: Journal of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children | JAMA | JAMA Network
- Child Psychiatry and Human Development – Home | Child Psychiatry & Human Development
- Child and Youth Services – Child & Youth Services | Taylor & Francis Online
- Child Welfare – Child Welfare Journal – CWLA
- Contemporary Family Therapy – Home | Contemporary Family Therapy
- Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services – Families in society : the journal of contemporary human services: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
- Family Process – Family Process Journal – Family Process Institute
- Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies – Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science | National Council on Family Relations
- Journal of Child and Adolescent Group Therapy – Volumes and issues | Journal of Child and Adolescent Group Therapy
- Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse – Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Use | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma – Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry – Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry – Wiley Online Library
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse – Journal of Child Sexual Abuse | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Children and Poverty – Journal of Children and Poverty | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Divorce & Remarriage – Journal of Divorce and Remarriage
- Journal of Family Issues – Home | Journal of Family and Economic Issues
- Journal of Family Psychology – Journal of Family Psychology (Journal) | SpringerLink
- Journal of Family Psychotherapy – Journal of Family Therapy | SpringerLink
- Journal of Family Social Work – Journal of Family Social Work – IF 0.86 – JCR Q4 – SOCIAL WORK · 研飞ivySCI
- Journal of Family Violence – Home | Journal of Family Violence
- Journal of Feminist Family Therapy – Journal of Feminist Family Therapy | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Marriage & the Family – Journal of Marriage and Family | National Council on Family Relations
- Journal of Pediatric Psychology – Journal of Pediatric Psychology – Society of Pediatric Psychology
- Journal of Public Child Welfare – Journal of Public Child Welfare | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy – Exploring the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy
- Journal of Sexual Aggression – Journal of Sexual Aggression – Search
- Journal of Youth and Adolescence – Home | Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Journal of Youth Studies – Journal of Youth Studies | Taylor & Francis Online –
- Marriage & Family Review – Marriage & Family Review | Taylor & Francis Online
- Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: Journal of Developmental Psychology – Merrill-Palmer Quarterly
- Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics – Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics | Taylor & Francis Online
- Residential Treatment for Children and Youth – Residential Treatment for Children and Youth
- Social Work Forum – Journal of Social Work Education and Practice
Social Work in Education
- American Journal of Sexuality Education – American Journal of Sexuality Education | Taylor & Francis Online
- Arete – Areté – International Journal of Philosophy, Human & Social Sciences
- British Journal of Social Work – Advance articles | The British Journal of Social Work | Oxford Academic
- Children & Schools: A Journal of Social Work Practice – CHILDREN & SCHOOLS A JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE – 1532-8759 | Information Matrix for the Analysis of Journals
- Journal of Applied School Psychology – Journal of Applied School Psychology | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work – Publications | CSWE
- Journal of Lesbian Studies – Journal of Lesbian Studies | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Teaching and Learning – IJTLHE: International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
- Journal of Social Work Education – Social Work Education | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Teaching in Social Work – Journal of Teaching in Social Work | Taylor & Francis Online
- The New Social Worker: The Magazine for Social Work Professional Development Students and Recent Graduates –
- School Social Work Journal – School and Social Work – Recent articles and discoveries | SpringerLink
- Social Work Education: The International Journal – Social Work Education | Taylor & Francis Online
Aging, Gerontology & Elder Care
- Activities, adaptation, & aging – Activities, Adaptation & Aging | Taylor & Francis Online
- Aging and Mental Health – Aging & Mental Health | Taylor & Francis Online
- American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias – American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias® – All Issues
- Clinical Gerontologist – Clinical Gerontologist | Taylor & Francis Online
- Dementia: International Journal of Social Research & Practice – Dementia: Sage Journals
- Gerontologist
- International Journal of Aging and Human Development – The International Journal of Aging and Human Development – Volume 101, Number 3
- Journal of Aging & Social Policy – Journal of Aging & Social Policy | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Aging Studies – Journal of Aging Studies | All Journal Issues | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
- Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect – Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work – Journal of Gerontological Social Work | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly – Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Women and Aging – Journal of Women & Aging: Vol 37, No 4 (Current issue)
- Omega: Journal of Death and Dying – OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying: Sage Journals
- Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics – Physical & Occupational Therapy In Geriatrics | Taylor & Francis Online
- Psychology and Aging – Psychology and aging: Psychologists make a significant contribution
Social Work Administration & Policy Journals
- Administration in Social Work –
- Advances in Social Work – Advances in social work (ISSN: 1527-8565)
- The Clinical Supervisor – The Clinical Supervisor | Taylor & Francis Online
- Evaluation and Program Planning – Evaluation and Program Planning | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
- Journal of Policy Analysis and Management – Journal of Policy Analysis and Management – Wiley Online Library
- Journal of Social Service Research – Journal of Social Service Research | Taylor & Francis Online
- Journal of Technology in Human Services – Journal of Technology in Human Services | Taylor & Francis Online
- Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly – Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly: Sage Journals
- Social Work in Public Health – Social Work in Public Health | Taylor & Francis Online
Referencing, Writing Help and Academic Integrity
The IHM Library provides tools like EndNote and Grammarly, as well as guidance on referencing and academic integrity, to enhance students’ academic experience and compliance with scholarly standards.
APA Style and Grammar Guidelines
The style and grammar guidelines pages present information about APA Style as described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Excelsior OWL Citation Style Guides
The Excelsior OWL (“Online Writing Lab”) is a comprehensive online resource offering detailed guidance on academic writing formats and citation practices. It includes instructional videos, interactive checklists, and visual examples across major documentation styles such as APA, MLA, and Chicago, covering everything from in-text citations to final reference lists.
TEQSA: Artificial intelligence (advice for students)
This page informs students about the generative AI (such as ChatGPT) and academic integrity standards.
Studiosity is an ethically designed, AI‑enhanced study support platform that provides students, via their institution, with real-time, formative feedback on writing, assignments, and academic questions, backed by human oversight and academic integrity safeguards. It also offers peer mentoring, retention-focused analytics, and seamless integration with institutional support systems to enhance student success and engagement.
Disclaimer: available through IHM log in only
Library Team
Librarian: Dr. Alex Pannicottu Oommen
For an individual consultation, please contact Dr Alex: alex@ihm.edu.au or via Teams