PennWest University Libraries: Social Work &amp; Sociology: Open Access Resources

Open Access Articles, etc.

"Open Access refers to journals and scholarly information available digitally for free on the Internet with no licensing or copyright restrictions. There are various levels of open access available. Some journal articles are available free to anyone at the time of publication. Publishers may have the option to restrict access to some journal articles for a [limited period of time]." (ACRL, Social Work Liaison's Toolkit: Open Access)

Journals & Guides

Contemporary Rural Social Work CRSW is the only US journal devoted to rural social work practice and education for this practice. This is an Open Access journal.
Open Access Social Work Resources Free and open access scholarly resources for social work practitioners. From Simmons University Library.
Social Work Liaison's Toolkit: Open Access Provides links to: "Open Access Directories and Indexes" and "Open Access Social Work Journals." From the Social Work Committee, Education and Behavioral Sciences Section, Assoc. of College & Research Libraries.

National & State Resources

Congressional Budget Office Nonpartisan, independent analysis of budgetary and economic issues relevant to Congressional actions.
Congressional Research Service Reports CRS serves Congress by providing research, analysis, and information. Their reports offer useful policy information.
GAO: U.S. Government Accountability Office GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency--commonly called the investigative arm of Congress, or the congressional watchdog--that monitors how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.
GovTrack.us GovTrack.us tracks the United States Congress. You can track federal legislation, and get information about representatives and senators in Congress. Includes statistical analyses, bill summaries, and other tools to put information in context.
National Governors Association: Publications Access comprehensive reports, toolkits and white papers from the NGA Center for Best Practices.
U.S. Conference of Mayors: Reports Access a variety of reports from the USCM, the official non-partisan organization of cities with a population of 30,000 or larger.

Search Tools

Google Scholar This link opens in a new window Use this link to show PennWest full text in your Google Scholar results.

Social Work Commons Search for Social Work articles in the Digital Commons Network. The DCN offers free, full-text scholarly articles, book chapters, dissertations, and other original scholarly work from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide.

Rural Resources

Rural Health Information Hub "Your first stop for rural health information." RHIH is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy as a national clearinghouse on rural health issues. You can browse by state or topic, view rural data visualizations, or find other resources in the library.
Rural Policy Research Institute: Library RUPRI "provides unbiased analysis and information on the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural America." The library provides resources organized into 25 categories, including both textual and audiovisual formats. (From the Univ. of Iowa)

Other Resources

Justice in Aging: Resource Library Access resources from the Justice in Aging organization. This national organization "uses the power of law to fight senior poverty by securing access to affordable health care, economic security, and the courts for older adults with limited resources."
NASW: National Association of Social Workers The primary professional social work organization, and a great source for social work information.
NASW: Evidence-Based Practice Definitions and links to resources regarding evidenced-based practices in social work. From the National Association of Social Workers.
NASW Pioneers Biography Index Discover how well-known and lesser-known social workers have had an impact on the profession and social policy from the local to the federal and global levels.
Northern Appalachian Studies Guide A research guide providing resources for understanding Northern Appalachian culture, issues, and challenges.