Social Policy

Topical resources on education, children, poverty, food security, criminal justice, and other social policy issues in Public Administration.

See the Guide to US Public Policy for a step-by-step guide to legislative history and policy resources.

Starting Your Research

These subject encyclopedias provide issue overviews and cite other materials which might be useful for your research.

• Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy Knight Reference JK9 .E526 2008
• Encyclopedia of Governance Online (UO only)
• The Praeger Handbook of Special Education Knight Reference LC3957 .P73 2007
• Gender and Education: An Encyclopedia Knight Reference LC213 .G425 2007
• Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration Online (UO only) or Knight Reference LB2805 .E527 2006
• Encyclopedia of Homelessness Online (UO only) or Knight Reference HV4493 .E53 2004
• Encyclopedia of Prisons & Correctional Facilities Online (UO only)

Finding articles

Articles in journals, newspapers, and magazines are indexed in databases, so you can search by keyword or author.

• Search multiple databases on Family and Human Services


• PAIS - Public Affairs Information Service provides references to journal articles, books and book chapters, conference proceedings, government documents, and statistical directories. 1972-present.
• SocAbstracts - Sociological Abstracts provides athe latest research in sociology and related disciplines. Citations for articles, conference papers, books, and dissertations, 1963-present
• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts - includes public policy/administration; 1975-present.
• Academic Search Premier - Over 3,500 full text peer reviewed social sciences, humanities, general science, education and multi-cultural journals. Full text 1965-present.
• ERIC - Journals, reports, and working papers in education
• Agricola - includes research on food security and rural development

• National Criminal Justice Reference Service This database covers criminal justice, juvenile justice, and substance abuse, but it only contains abstracts.  When you find a useful citation, search UO for the full text.

Finding Theses and Terminal Projects, Books, and Movies

• Social Policy
• Education and state -- United States
• School improvement programs
• Child Welfare
• Early childhood education
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Poverty
• Rural development
• Community development
• Unemployment
• Hunger
• Nutrition policy
• Homelessness
• Criminal Justice
• Jails
• Prisons

• PPPM Theses written by masters students in the Dept. of Planning, Public Policy and Management are in the UO Library's catalog.
• PPPM Terminal Projects are indexed in a separate database.  You can find the projects in the Knight Library's Document Center.
• Books, movies, and more Refine these results by adding search terms to the box at the top, or by clicking on the descriptions in the left column.

Statistics

Librarians in the Knight Library's Document Center can assist with hard-to-locate data.

• Data.gov - Download datasets on topics including Education, Health and Nutrition, and Social Insurance and Human Services
• FedStats - statistics collected by the US federal government; browsable by topic or place
• UO Data Services Lab

• Digest of Education Statistics. US Department of Education annual report since 1962; covers kindergarten through graduate school
• Data on bullying, victimization, and illegal activities at school from the US Department of Justice

• Poverty in the US - data from the Census Bureau; includes definitions and local and historical data
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress since 2007
  • Datasets includes American Housing Survey, income limits for subsidies, and more
• Food security data and reports from the US Department of Agriculture

• Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics. US Department of Justice statistics compiled by SUNY Albany; covers public opinion and all stages of the justice system from crime reporting to parole; distinguishes categories of offenses (including domestic violence, workplace crime, and more) and perpetrators (juveniles, etc.)
• Uniform Crime Reports. Annual local law enforcement data compiled by the FBI, with special reports on hate crimes.
• More sources for statistics and datasets

Government and Web Resources

• MDRC - Rigorous think tank research on education, employment, and poverty abatement

• Government Accountability Office Reports - Check Social Services and/or Agriculture and Food to browse
• American Policy Directory - Search interest groups
• The Condition of Education. US Department of Education annual narrative report since 2000
• HUD User U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development's policy development and research site
• Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration on Homelessness
• Poverty guidelines and research from the US Department of Health and Human Services
• US Conference of Mayors reports
  • Hunger and Homelessness Survey, December 2009
  • Childhood Anti-Hunger Programs, November 2009

• Oregon school district reports - budgets, student achievement, and more
• Association of Oregon Community Development Organizations
• Association of Oregon Housing Authorities
• Oregon Policy Directory - Search state interest groups
• Search Oregon city/county websites:

For further assistance, contact Tom Stave in the Document Center, at tstave@uoregon.edu.