LibGuides: Social Work: Reference

Citing Sources

MU Libraries Citing Sources
Quick guides and links to citation resources

Citing sources is a required part of any research project. If you fail to cite or cite properly, consequences can be severe. MU Libraries have prepared some quick guides to the most common citation styles and have identified resources that assist in preparing citations.

Reference Sources

When you start to plan research it is always a good idea to begin with reference sources. This will give you a broad overview of a topic and may help you to either narrow broad topics or broaden narrow topics. In the past, we've encouraged students to use encyclopedias. Today many encyclopedias and other reference sources are availabe in online format.

Google Scholar

Using Google Scholar will lead you to academic sources.

Online Reference Sources

These online databases are recommended because they can provide basic and background information. Content is drawn from credible sources.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
CQ Researcher is often the first source that librarians recommend when researchers are seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. Founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, CQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Now offering more than 800 highly regarded reference titles from over 80 publishers, Credo Reference covers every major subject and also provides Topic Pages as a starting point for researchers.
Gale eBooks (GVRL) This link opens in a new window
Gale eBooks (formerly known as Gale Virtual Reference Library) is a collection of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources with coverage in major subject areas.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new window
The Oxford English Dictionary is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.
Points of View Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Points of View Reference Center (Ebsco) is an interface intended for public, academic, and high school libraries. Points of View is designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debating, developing arguments, writing position papers, and developing critical thinking skills. Each Points of View Essay includes a series of questions and additional material to generate further thought. Also included are thousands of supporting articles from the world’s top political and societal publications. The Points of View Debate Blog is a forum for students to express and exchange their unique views on topics in the news.
Social Science Database This link opens in a new window
Social Science Database offers indexing and full text for hundreds of academic journals, providing extensive coverage across a wide range of social science disciplines including anthropology, communication, criminology, economics, education, political science, psychology, social work, and sociology.
Sociology Database This link opens in a new window
Sociology Database covers the international literature of sociology and social work, including relevant titles from related fields such as social policy, social care, social services, social anthropology, gender studies, gerontology, social psychology and population studies. It includes hundreds of full-text scholarly journals, as well as dissertations and other sources. Coverage: 1985 - current
Statista This link opens in a new window
Statista is a statistical database that draws more that 1 million statistics from over 18,000 sources. Dossiers, reports, and infographics are included. Categorized into 21 market sectors, Statista.com provides companies, business customers, research institutions, and the academic community with direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.