The image shows that researching a social policy issue includes utilizing resources in subject and organizational areas like: law, government agencies, data & statistics, research articles, policy & advocacy groups, media and public opinion. Image created by Kimberly Pendell. Sociology & Social Work Librarian, Portland State University.
Getting a good overview of your social issue will give you context, develop the questions you want to answer, and help you develop the language you use to conduct your research. Some good places to start include:
Handbook on Society and Social Policy by
This comprehensive Handbook provides a unique examination of the key issues and challenges facing society and social policy in the twenty-first century. Featuring both wide-ranging coverage of major issues and detailed analysis of social policies in different countries, the Handbook explores key concepts, policy areas and institutions, considering welfare and social policy in the context of wider socio-economic and cultural divisions. In addition to examining specific policy areas, contributors engage with the social divisions and complex infrastructures that underpin them on both local and global scales. Chapters also discuss significant challenges to contemporary social policy, including the threats to human and societal wellbeing posed by austerity, migration and the climate crisis, as well as the opportunities these present to reshape policy conceptually, ideologically and practically in the future in response to these issues. Scholars and students in social policy, sociology and political science looking for a comprehensive overview of the field of social policy will find this Handbook an invaluable resource. It will also prove useful to researchers and practitioners seeking in-depth analyses of particular countries or policy areas covered. Contributors include:E. Adamson, H. Bochel, D. Byrne, M. Calnan, B. Cantillon, H. Dean, C. Deeming, A. Dinham, F. Dukelow, B. Ebbinghaus, D. Edmiston, N. Ellison, K. Farnsworth, D. Finn, J.L. Garritzmann, M. Griffiths, P. Hall, K. Hamblin, T. Haux, A.J. He, E. Hogg, G. Huang, B. Hvinden, G.-J. Hwang, J. Javornik, R. Jawad, J. Jenson, H. Johannson, A. Kaasch, M. Kitzmann, M. Koch, K. Kuitto, S. Kuivalainen, Z. Li, E.V. Lomelí, N. Meer, N. Morel, K. Nakray, C. Needham, T. Newburn, L. Panico, T. Papadopoulos, N. Pleace, T. Reeskens, E. Righard, A. Roumpakis, M.A. Schoyen, C.B. Solano, M. Spång, A. Vlachantoni, Y. Yang