The Library has many reference materials, which are helpful when you are starting your research as they give background information in a concise, authoritative, intuitive way.
There are general encyclopedias that contain all kinds of information as well as subject encyclopedias, which focus on one particular subject such as religion, nursing, education, or management. For example, there is The Encyclopedia of Gambling in America and The Dictionary of Social Work Terms. These reference books can help you select a topic and also narrow your topic down so you can focus on one aspect of it.
There are two ways to access reference materials. The first is by coming to the Library and using the ones here in print. These books cannot be checked out, but you can photocopy their pages. The second way is by looking at those we have available online.
Below are some of our online subject encyclopedias which might be of interest for your research in Social Work. As you link to these titles, you might be prompted for the login and password you received from the Library.
American Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia
DSM Library
Encyclopedia of African American Society
Encyclopedia of Aging
Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Encyclopedia of Applied Developmental Science
Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Encyclopedia of Black Studies
Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media
Encyclopedia of Community
Encyclopedia of Disability
Encyclopedia of Homelessness
Encyclopedia of Health and Behavior
Encyclopedia of Human Development
Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice
Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology
Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment
Encyclopedia of Religious and Spiritual Development
Encyclopedia of School Psychology
Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America
Encyclopedia of Social Work
Encyclopedia of Sociology
Encyclopedia of World Poverty
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
Britannica Online Academic Edition - excellent general encylopedia
Gale Virtual Reference Library - a collection of electronic encyclopedias on a variety of subjects
Sage Reference Collection - a collection of electronic encyclopedias by Sage Publishing
The following list of encyclopedias is just some of what is available in the CSS Library's Reference Collection located on the first floor of the Library:
Search the CSS Library's reference collection for your topic by using Reference Universe.
This database will direct you to articles within the encyclopedias and other reference sources in the print collection at CSS, as well our online reference collections.