Social Work
Discover the best information, whether you’re a new Social Work student starting your first assignment, or delving into a research project.
Library essentials
Reading Lists
These are set up by your tutors to guide you to good quality, relevant and useful materials to help you with your studies. They are a great starting point before doing your own research.
Library Search
Did you know? The citation tool in Library Search can help you create references! Learn how to make the most of Library Search through our short, interactive guide: Use Library Search to find academic information for your assessments.
Subject specific resources
Key resources for social work students
Databases
Databases are searchable collections of good quality, academic material, particularly journal articles. They can be small subject specific or large collections covering a wide range of subject areas. Most databases provide access to full-text items.
| Provides access to hundreds of academic journals covering criminology, psychology, sociology, and much more. | |
| Provides access to an extensive collection of expert and research journal articles across nursing, midwifery and allied health topics and subjects. | |
| Provides social work practice and legal information and learning tools in an accessible format. | |
| An online toolkit of resources which will help you develop the knowledge, core skills and confidence to succeed on your course and placements. | |
| Contains the resources needed to investigate both crucial global trends in mass incarceration, and the detailed prison infrastructure of specific countries. | |
| Contains a range of research databases covering the full range of academic subjects. | |
| Provides access to millions of quality, peer-reviewed articles covering a wide range of topics in the sciences and humanities. |
Industry Websites
Industry websites provide information, resources, and updates related to a specific sector or type of business. They can be valuable resources for staying informed about industry trends, accessing research materials, and discovering more about organisations and industry professionals.
| Produces useful and useable guidance for the NHS and wider health and care system. | |
| The UK’s largest professional membership organisation for social work. | |
| A specialist body dedicated to helping social workers in England. | |
| Professional organisation that collaborates with a wide range of partners and people with lived experience to improve social care. |
Video
Videos offer a dynamic way to absorb information. They often present complex ideas in an easily digestible format.
| Sage Video: Social Work Collection | A collection of videos showcasing social work skills, practices, populations, challenges, and research. |
| Academic Video Online | A substantial collection of videos for a wide range of subject areas including, business, counselling, film, health, history, music, and more. |
| Kanopy | Provides access to a large, curated catalogue of over 30,000 educational documentaries and classic films from leading producers. |
Newspapers
Newspapers are a valuable source of information. They provide insight into what interests and concerns people both now and in the past.
The Library gives students and researchers access to wide-range of Newspapers.
| Provides access to the full-text of more than 2,300 major world newspapers. | |
| A database of local, regional, UK national and highly prominent international newspapers, with archives back to the 1980s. |
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning offers more than 9,000 professionally produced online courses covering a wide range of technical, creative and professional skills.
Always use our institutional link to log in – you will need your University email address and password. The first time that you log in, you will be taken through a setup process to discover courses tailored to your interests.
Discover more in our video: Using LinkedIn Learning at Salford.
Print Books
You can borrow print books from the Library. Below is a map of where to find social work-related books. The location details below are a guide, it is best to search Library Search for exact location of items:
| Classmark | Subject Area |
| 361.3 | Social work |
Inclusive Collections
Expand your research with diverse voices and perspectives using our Inclusive Collections initiative. Explore school-based collections to find high-quality, inclusive resources.
Develop your skills
Finding information skills
Developing information skills saves time and gives you stronger sources for your assessments. Finding information covers everything you need to learn how to search for resources effectively.
Further support
The Skills website has eLearning to help you achieve your study goals. We cover:
- academic writing support
- referencing guidance
- help with presentation skills
- using generative AI
- time management and much more
You can also attend our academic skills workshops. Contact the Academic Skills Team to ask a question or request a one-to-one appointment.