HARRIS LIBRARY

The following Pathfinder is intended to step you through the basic library research process for identifying resources relating to the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Concentration.

Consult the Steps to Research and Writing a Paper for more detailed information.

References to book and journal titles and their call numbers and locations are specific to items owned by the MSASS Harris Library and Case Western Reserve University libraries (although in most cases the resources can be found in other academic and public libraries). The websites that are included at the end of the Pathfinder are intended as a starting point for research on the Internet and are not meant to be inclusive.

1. Start by locating resources that provide an overview of your topic.

This will help you define terms in that discipline and provide background information in your subject area. Encyclopedias , handbooks and subject specific dictionaries offer good places to start.

Some titles specifically related to alcohol and substance abuse are:

Abbott, A. A. (Ed.). (2000). Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs: Challenging myths, assessing theories, individualizing interventions. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

Blum, K. (1984). Handbook of abusable drugs. New York, NY: Gardner Press.

Carson-DeWitt, R. (Ed.). (2001). Encyclopedia of drugs, alcohol, and addictive behavior (2nd ed., Vols. 1-4). New York: Macmillan Reference.

Frances, R. J., Miller, S. I., & Mack, A. H. (Eds.). (2005). Clinical textbook of addictive disorders (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Glantz, M. D., & Hartel, C. R. (Eds.). (1999). Drug abuse: Origins & interventions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Hester, R. K., & Miller, W. R. (Eds.). (2003). Handbook of alcoholism treatment approaches: Effective alternatives (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Lowinson, J. H. (Ed.). (1997). Substance abuse: A comprehensive textbook (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.

Miller, R. L. (2002). The encyclopedia of addictive drugs. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Ott, P. J., Tarter, R. E., & Ammerman, R. T. (Eds.). (1999). Sourcebook on substance abuse: Etiology, epidemiology, assessment, and treatment. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Prevention primer: An encyclopedia of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention terms. (1994). Rockville MD: Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Smith, D. E., & Seymour, R. B. (2001). Clinician's guide to substance abuse. New York: McGraw-Hill, Medical Publications Division.

Thombs, D. L. (1999). Introduction to addictive behaviors (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

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2. Search the online catalog for additional books that will give you the history, context, definitions and theories.

Define the terms that you want to use when you are doing a search for materials. If you do a subject search in the online catalog, the system limits you to using predefined Library of Congress Subject Headings. Click here for more information on doing a subject search.

Some subject headings for alcohol and substance abuse (in alphabetical order):

     Alcohol
     Alcoholics
     Alcoholism
     Cocaine
     Drug Abuse
     Drug Abuse Counseling
     Heroin
     Marijuana
     Substance Abuse

Doing a keyword search will give you many more titles than a subject search and may help you focus the results. When you do a keyword search the system looks in the title, subject and table of contents fields. Click here for more information on doing a keyword search.

To do effective keyword searching, you will need to think of concepts and terms related to your topic. Consulting a thesaurus will help you find synonyms for concepts. Click here for a list of thesauri owned by the Harris Library.

The following thesaurus provides alcohol and substance abuse-related terms and concepts:

   National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (U.S.). (2000). The alcohol and other drug thesaurus: A guide to concepts and terminology in substance abuse and addiction (3rd ed., Vols. 1-4). Rockville, MD: NIAAA Research Library/CSR, Inc.
   Note: This thesaurus is also available electronically .

In addition to the subject headings above, here are some general terms (in alphabetical order) to use when searching for information on alcohol and substance abuse. When you narrow your search you will make an additional list specific to your topic.

NOTE: Using a system's truncating symbol (in this example, the asterisk "*") at the end of the root word will provide you with records using variations of that word.

     Addiction (addict*)
     Alcohol (alcohol*)
     Chemical dependency
     Chemically dependent
     Street drugs
     Substance abuse
     also use specific names of drugs: cocaine, crack, heroin, marijuana, etc.

Search the Library Catalog for: KEYWORD SUBJECT

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3. Find some general articles on your topic.

After you have located books on your topic, you will want to look for general journal articles in your subject area. Case and OhioLINK offer several general databases. These include: Expanded Academic ASAP, Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, Periodical Abstracts, SIRS Researcher, and Social Sciences Index. These databases provide a mix of popular magazine articles and scholarly research articles. You can get to these databases by choosing the Research Databases option in the Library Catalog.   Note: Access is limited to authorized users.

TIP: When you search in general databases, you will sometimes retrieve citations to book reviews related to your topic. These book reviews may be helpful in leading you to book titles and/or authors in your area of interest.

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4. Search subject specific databases for more scholarly journal articles.

Once you have assembled general journal articles on your topic, you can begin focusing on scholarly research articles. Citations, abstracts and, sometimes, the full-text of journal articles are found in a variety of databases available through Case Western Reserve University and OhioLINK to authorized users.

Case and OhioLINK databases are available by clicking on Research Databases in the Library Catalog.

The World Wide Web also makes available a range of databases. Some of these require a subscription fee to be paid; others are free. Click here to view a list of selected databases available on the Web that are related to social work and the social sciences.

Literature on alcohol and substance abuse is found in many disciplines. Some of the databases that will have articles on this topic include:

AGELINE is available electronically through the Case Research Databases list and as afree database on the Web. It provides bibliographic coverage on aging in a social, psychological, health related and economic context and is published by the American Association of Retired Persons. It has selected coverage from 1966-1977, and inclusive coverage from 1978 to the present. [Last updated: January 18, 2002. Last updated November 7, 2005.]

CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health) is available electronically through the OhioLINK Research Databases and the Case Research Databases. It indexes literature relating to nursing, education, behavioral sciences, social services, and health care. Most of the entries included the reference list for the cited article. Coverage is from 1982 forward. This index corresponds to the printed publication Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health. [Last reviewed: November 7, 2005. Last updated November 8, 2005.]

Education Abstracts is available electronically through the OhioLINK Research Databases. The database covers a wide range of contemporary education issues, including government funding, community partnerships, multicultural education and counseling. The database cites articles in over 470 English-language periodicals, monographs, and yearbooks. The full-text of some articles is available. Coverage is from 1983 through present.   [Last updated May 10, 2002.]

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) is available electronically through the OhioLINK Research Databases and as a free database on the Web. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, it indexes over 750 professional journals, as well as the Resources in Education File which contains documents from a wide variety of organizations. Coverage is from 1966 forward..   [Last updated August 22, 2005.]

Family & Society Studies Worldwide (1970-present) is available electronically through the Case Research Databases. It is a core resource on family and gender related topics. It covers over 800,000 records drawn from journals, books, conference and working papers government reports, and websites in the social science disciplines. Citations from the Inventory of Marriage & Family Literature and the Australian Family & Society Abstracts are included. [Listed November 7, 2005. Last updated November 11, 2005]

MEDLINE / Medline Advanced / PubMed is available electronically through the OhioLINK Research Databases (MEDLINE) and as a free database on the Web through the National Library of Medicine or through the National Library of Medicine's PubMed . MEDLINE contains over 13 million records from 1966 forward. PubMed also contains citations pre-1966 and additional information not included in MEDLINE. The subject areas covered include medicine, nursing, and the health care system. This index corresponds to the printed publication Index Medicus. (Listed November 7, 2005. Last updated November 11, 2005.)

PsycINFO is available electronically through the OhioLINK Research Databases. The database indexes the world's literature in psychology and related disciplines. It covers over 1900 journals as well as books, and individual book chapters. The coverage is from 1967 forward. This index corresponds to the printed publication Psychological Abstracts . PsycINFO Historical is a different database that covers similar information between the years 1887-1966. [Listed  November 7, 2005. Last updated November 11, 2005.]

Sociological Abstracts is a database available electronically through the OhioLINK Research Databases. It indexes 2600 journals in sociology and related disciplines from over 55 countries. It also contains citations to many relevant dissertations and conference proceedings. Sociological Abstracts is an excellent source for information related to general community practice issues. The coverage is from 1963 through June 2005. This index corresponds to the formerly printed publication Sociological Abstracts. OhioLINK stopped subscribing to updates from this database effective June 2005, as a result nothing after that date will be present in the database. Check SocINDEX for current information. [Listed November 7, 2005. Last updated November 11, 2005]

CAUTION: The setup will vary for different databases. In many databases if you type in a phrase the system will look for the exact phrase. It does not add an " and" between words. So if you type "urban poverty homeless" you will get zero results because it will look for those words in that exact order. It is often clearer to enter one term at a time and combine the end results.

TIP: Look in the descriptor field and/or use the online thesaurus to lead you to additional terms.

NOTE: Online databases are distributed nationally and are not specific to Case Western Reserve University. The University will not own all the journals that are cited in the databases. Click here for information on finding journal titles in the online catalog.

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5. Browse current issues of journals that contain literature on your topic.

Click here for a list of journals to which the MSASS Harris Library subscribes.

Journals that are most likely to contain information on the topic of alcohol and substance abuse include:

Addictive Behaviors   online at: OhioLINK.  E-Journal Portal.  (Public Catalog)

Alcohol Health & Research World   online at: NIAAA.  E-Journal Portal. (Public catalog) [Title changed to: Alcohol Research & Health]

Alcohol Research & Health   online at: NIAAA.  E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)

Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly   online at: Haworth.   E-Journal Portal. (Public catalog) 

Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly   online at: Haworth.  (Public catalog)

American Journal on Addictions   online at: Informaworld, EBSCOhost, EBSCOhost Research Databases.  E-Journal Portal. (Public catalog)

Child Abuse & Neglect   online at: OhioLINK.   E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)

Contemporary Drug Problems   online at: Proquest.   E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)

Drug and Alcohol Dependence    online at: OhioLINK. E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)

Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse   online at: Haworth.   E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)

Journal of Dual Diagnosis   online at: Haworth.    E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)  

Journal of Drug Issues   online at:  E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)

Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions   online at: Haworth.   E-Journal Portal. (Public catalog)

Journal of Studies on Alcohol  online at:  EBSCOhost Research Databases.  (Public catalog)  [Title changed to: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (JSAD), 2007-]

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs    (Public catalog) [Formerly: Journal of Studies on Alcohol]

Journal of Substance Abuse   online at: OhioLINK, EBSCOhost Research Databases.   E-Journal Portal. (Public catalog) [Ceased]

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment   online at: OhioLINK, EBSCOhost.   EBSCOhost Research Databases.  E-Journal Portal.  (Public catalog)

Additional journals that cover general topics in sociology and social studies are available in the Electronic Journal Center and the E-Journal Portal.

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6. Do a Web search on the Internet for additional information.

Information located through the Internet can provide supplemental material to scholarly research articles. Material retrieved from websites should always be evaluated for currency, authorship, bias and accuracy.

Following are selected websites that might be helpful when looking for information on alcohol and substance abuse:

Addiction Search
This is an excellent Web site that includes information for health consumers, health educators, and students. Topics covered include weekly news features, treatment, prevention, social issues, and statistics. The site also has a section on addiction in specific Populations. [Listed May 18, 2001. Last updated July 17, 2003.] (ADDSe)

Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
The Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network is a nationwide resource for addiction-related information funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). "ATTC vision is to unify science, education and services to transform the lives of individuals and families affected by alcohol and other drug addiction." Resources on this site include: Licensing & Certification Requirements for all U.S. States; SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator; full text cutting-edge research articles taken from the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research; and much more. [Listed November 11, 2003.] (ATTC)

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
The ASAM website includes information on alcoholism and other addictions targeted at both the physician and the consumer. Practice guidelines and public policies are also included. A search engine is provided allowing the user to do keyword searching for topics within the website. [Listed May 18, 2001.] (ASAM)

College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD)
This is a professional organization of scientists whose research is devoted to a better understanding of drug abuse and addictions. CPDD's mission is to help policy-makers and the public understand what is and is not known about drug abuse. [Listed April 1, 2001.] (CPDD)

Healthy People 2010: Volume 26
This website links the user to the Substance Abuse section (volume 26) of the publication, Healthy People 2010. The publication is a "statement of national health objectives designed to identify the most significant preventable threats to health and to establish national goals to reduce these threats.  Volume 26 includes substance abuse statistics, statistical tables from the National Survey and Drug Abuse, and much more. [Listed December 27, 2002. Last updated July 21, 2003.] (HeaP2010v26)

Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention
This is an U. S. Department of Education established Center, which provides nationwide support for campus alcohol and other drug prevention efforts. The Center works with colleges and universities throughout the country to develop strategies for changing campus culture and promote healthy lifestyles. [Listed April 1, 2001.] (HEC)

National Association for Children of Alcoholics
This nonprofit organization seeks to act as a resource for children of alcoholics to help them break out of their isolation and silence. [Listed April 1, 2001. Last updated December 31, 2002.] (NACOA)

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
A service of SAMHSA, and now called PREVLINE, this government organization provides information and services related to substance abuse issues including alcohol abuse, illicit drug use, and misuse of prescription drugs. The site provides access to databases that provide citations and abstracts on drug-related topics. The Quick Facts... pull down menu connects to a variety of fact sheets and publications. [Listed April 1, 2001. Last updated July 21, 2003.] (NCADI)

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD)
A national voluntary health organization founded in 1944 that advocates prevention, intervention, research and treatment on alcoholism and drug dependency. [Listed April 1, 2001.] (NCADD)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
A government-sponsored site that provides links to Other Resources, Frequently Asked Questions about alcohol abuse and Publications (including the full text of the quarterly bulletin Alcohol Alert and the tables of contents for Alcohol Research & Health). Provides access to Databases including ETOH which provides 100,000 records on alcohol abuse. [Listed April 1, 2001.] (NIAAA)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
The work of NIDA is focused on research related to the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. Its website serves to disseminate that research to a wider audience than just the scientific community. The site provides summary information on drugs of abuse, links to other organizations doing alcohol-related research, and access to selected NIDA publications. The site also includes a section on science-based drug abuse education for students and teachers. [Listed April 1, 2001.] (NIDA)

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to eliminating birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy and improving the quality of life for those individuals and families affected.  NOFAS applies a multicultural approach in its prevention and healing strategies. [Listed April 1, 2001. Last updated November 3, 2004.] (NOFAS)

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
The principal purpose of ONDCP is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the Nation's drug control program, the goals of which are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence; and drug-related health consequences. [Listed April 1, 2001. Last updated December 19, 2007.] (ONDCP)

Prescription Drug Abuse
Information from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).  This site provides trends, facts and statistics relating to the abuse of prescription drugs.  It also outlines procedures for the proper disposal of prescription medications.  [Listed December 19, 2007.] (PDA/ONDCP)

Prevention Online (PREVLINE)
This has been incorporated into the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services & SAMSHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug Information.   Provides access to publications, information on drugs, issues, statistics and searchable databases from the various drop-down menus. [Listed April 1, 2001. Last updated January 21, 2003.] (PREVLINE)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
This comprehensive federal government site provides a good overview of government programs that are addressing mental health concerns, as well as substance abuse issues. The site includes direct links to The Center for Mental Health Services, The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The website includes access to statistics, reports and managed care initiatives. It can be searched by keyword. A one-stop resource that provides health care information prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services for substance abuse and mental illnesses.  [Listed April 1, 2001. Last updated December 19, 2007.] (SAMHSA)

Treatment Improvement Exchange
This site is sponsored by the Division of State and Community Assistance of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to provide for the exchange of information exchange between CSAT staff and State and local alcohol and substance abuse agencies. The site provides guidelines for substance abuse treatment, as well as legislative and statistical information. Special Topics include dual disorders, health care reform, CHIP, opioid addiction and more. There is also a direct link to the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator. [Listed May 18, 2001.] (TreImpEx)

Web of Addictions
Developed by two individuals interested in disseminating factual information about abused drugs to teachers and students.  Includes a large number of fact sheets and links to net resources related to addictions. [Listed April 1, 2001.] (WOA)

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7. Evaluate the information you have collected from books and articles.

Consult the bibliographies of the books and articles you have selected. This will lead you to additional references and authors to investigate. Make notes of the gaps in your literature so that you can use this information when you do additional searches. Click here for more information on evaluating the information you have collected.