RESEARCH IN SOCIAL CARE: GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCHERS

2   REVIEW THE LITERATURE

It is essential that existing sources of evidence are considered carefully before undertaking new research.  It is a waste of time and resources to carry out research which duplicates other work or re-invents the wheel.

Setting the research agenda - Where do I start?

• Discuss how to start with your research adviser or supervisor
• Work out a search strategy and decide on your plan of action
• Start reading and searching the internet
• Consult the National Research Register for Social Care: all social care research carried out in the UK should be registered with this database
• Consult Social Care Online which is the UK ’s most extensive database of social care information
• Look at Safari, the Open University Guide to the information world
• The University of Plymouth has a guide to reviewing the literature
• Research in Practice has a guide to searching the literature on research on children and services for children
• Skills for Care has a useful glossary if you get stuck with the acronyms

Libraries

Libraries are key sources of information and help.  Access to a good library will be crucial, so try to ensure that you have access to an academic library.  Some social services departments have their own libraries and may be able to get books and journals for you and give you access to online sources of information.

• Social Care Online has a guide to libraries  and social care journals
• The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) produces a variety of publications and research briefings 
• Higher Education Research Opportunities (HERO) has lists of libraries and sources of funding

General indexes to the social science literature

You may need passwords for the following. 

• Ageinfo is an information service about old age and ageing provided by the Centre for Policy on Ageing (CPA)
• Childdata gives you access to databases produced by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB)
• IBSS is an international bibliography of the social sciences based at the London School of Economics
• King’s Fund has a library and information service which covers both health and social care 
• PsychINFO is a major bibliographic database for psychology
• Scopus indexes 14,000 journals from the natural and social sciences subject areas
• The Social Policy Digest reports recent policy developments and research reports from many areas of welfare

Systematic reviews

These provide rigorous reviews of the existing literature on particular topics.  You may find it useful to consult an existing review or you may be planning to carry one out yourself.

• The Social Care Institute for Excellence has a guide on the Conduct of Systematic Research Reviews for SCIE Knowledge Reviews
• The NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York has produced a guide on systematic reviews