Library Instructor: Vicky
Leather, 697-2576
Course Instructor:
Lucilla Nash
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Assignment: Students will write a 5-page paper on a
specific aspect of human service practice, such as the following:
| Group therapy Domestic violence Divorce Family violence Juvenile delinquency Medicaid Medical social work Medicare Mental health treatment |
Physical or mental disabilities Protective services for children or the elderly Public welfare School social work Services to the poor Single parenthood Substance abuse counseling Teen pregnancy Vocational rehabilitation |
Four+ professional resources are required, cited in MLA format. Students will learn to distinguish between popular magazines and professional journals. The paper will be due at mid-term.
Since human service professionals have to make decisions or develop plans, you could approach this project as if you had to make a decision or a plan. See the article "Decision making in social work practice." by Enola K. Proctor, Social Work Research, Mar2002, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p3
|
"Social workers' decisions determine efficiencies, effectiveness, and even fates. Services are delivered or denied. Children stay in foster care or return to once-abusive parents. Couples choose counseling or divorce. Social workers' decisions are increasingly subject to scrutiny for purposes of payment authorization or quality assurance. Although decision making is a routine component of practice, it has been rarely addressed in social work research. Social work would benefit from concerted research on practice decision." |
Questions that require a decision or plan include the following:
The Human Services Research Guide is an excellent place to begin your research!
Start your research by using the Library Catalog. Books will give you background and an overview of the subject.
Continue your research by finding articles in professional journals.
How Can I Recognize Professional Journals?
| Ask these questions. | POPULAR MAGAZINE | PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL |
| What does the cover look like? | Glossy, often color pictures | Often bland, with few colors |
| Who is the targeted audience? | General public | Professionals in the field |
| What kind of articles are included? | General interest. Current events. | Research reports or professional concerns |
| Are there advertisements? | Yes, often in color | Usually few or none |
| Who writes the articles? | Journalists or reporters | Scholars, researchers, or practitioners |
| Are the authors names listed? | Sometimes not ("unsigned articles") | Yes ("signed articles") |
| Who selects the articles? | Editor or editorial board | Experts in the field ("peer-reviewed") |
| Is there a bibliography for each article? | Usually not | Yes |
| Where is the publication sold? | Newsstand, subscription | Subscription |
| Who publishes it? | Corporation | Professional association or scholarly publisher |
How Can I Find Articles in Professional Journals?
EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier: Searching for articles in professional human services journals
General OneFile: Two ways to search for articles in professional human services journals are Subject Guide Search and Keyword Search.
Created by: Vicky Leather
Last Updated: January 29, 2008