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Sociology & Social Work Research Guide: Articles and Databases

A research guide for Point Loma Nazarene University students. How-to guide to access print, database articles and quality Internet resources.

Recommended Databases

Ryan Library databases are subscriptions provided to the PLNU community for online access to journal and magazine articles and/or citations. NOTE: EBSCO databases maybe search simultaneously using the Articles search box on the Library's homepage. Recommended databases for SSWFS students include:

ABI/INFORM Collection - covers some international topics (a ProQuest database).

Academic Search Premier  - large interdisciplinary database, with much full-text content (an EBSCO database).

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) - A comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs, including policy.

CQ Researcher Plus Archive - comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news.

Historical Statistics of the United States - quantitative facts of American history. 

JSTOR - JSTOR (Journal STORage) is a large, interdisciplinary full-text database. (From the homepage select "Advanced Search."  Enter your terms in the Advanced Search boxes.  Then scroll down to select Journal Filter.  Take special note of : Criminology & Criminal Law, Law, Social Work, and Sociology.)  

MEDLINE - full-text access to over 1,450 scholarly journals on medicine and related fields

Nexis Uni - note this database's legal section (formerly called Lexis Nexis).

Nursing & Allied Health -  full-text journals (a ProQuest database).

OmniFile Full Text Mega - multi-disciplinary database, with much full-text content (an EBSCO database).

PsycARTICLES - nearly 80 full text scholarly journals in psychology and related fields (an EBSCO database).

Social Sciences Full Text - standard resource, with full-text content of over 200 journals (an EBSCO database).

Women and Social Movements in the United States - covers the time period from 1600 - 2000.

Requesting Materials from Other Libraries

Use this option when requesting items that are not available at Ryan Library:

      InterLibrary Loan

  • Articles, books, and other materials can be requested from InterLibrary Loan.

***Ebooks are rarely available via InterLibrary Loan***      (Licensing restrictions limit the sharing of digital resources.)

  • Ebook chapters may be more readily obtained than the entire book. Keep this in mind when placing requests and be specific about chapters/page numbers when possible.
  • Books requested via InterLibrary Loan take a minimum of 7-10 business days to receive.
  • Loan periods and renewal availability vary depending on the participating libraries.
  • Overdue fines will apply.

Click Here for ILL Request Form

Please select either ARTICLE or BOOK when placing your request.

Scholarly vs. Popular Articles

What is the difference? This video explains it well:

Google Scholar

Google Scholar Search

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