Subject Guides - Family Studies

Family Studies

Welcome to the Family Studies Subject Guide

The StMU Library is here to support you with your academic research needs. These subject guides are curated to provide you with the information you need to get started in your course.

Credible. Reliable. Curated.

This guide is an excellent starting point for research, but please contact us if you can't find what you are looking for. We're happy to assist you by email, phone a virtual meeting or, if you're near the Library, stop by for a visit.

KEEP INFORMED

Stay on top of the latest research from your favourite journals and databases with email alerts.

FIND EVIDENCE

Books, journals, and databases help you locate background information, peer-reviewed articles and reference resources.

USING GOOGLE

The web is a goldmine if you know where to look. We've done the mining for you to compile online resources that will make your work easier.

Below are some suggested databases for Family Studies.

Databases

Databases allow you to search collections of journals, articles, books, topic reviews, evidence-based summaries and drug information. StMU databases include Core Databases which are curated collections focusing on a specific subject area and Multidisciplinary Databases which provide broad subject coverage in all areas of undergraduate study.

Core Databases

APA PsychArticles (EBSCO)

APA PsycArticles®, from the American Psychological Association (APA), is a definitive source of full text, peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific articles in psychology.

Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940 (Gale)

The Archives of Sexuality and Gender program provides a robust and significant collection of primary sources for the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. With material dating back to the sixteenth century, researchers and scholars can examine how sexual norms have changed over time, health and hygiene, the development of sex education, the rise of sexology, changing gender roles, social movements and activism, erotica, and many other interesting topical areas.
 

Family & Society Studies Worldwide (EBSCO)

This bibliographic database provides the most comprehensive coverage of research, policy and practice literature in the fields of family science, human ecology, human development and social welfare.

Oxford Bibliographies Online: Sociology

Oxford Bibliographies provides faculty and students alike with a seamless pathway to the most accurate and reliable resources for a variety of academic topics. Written and reviewed by academic experts, every article in our database is an authoritative guide to the current scholarship, containing original commentary and annotations.

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCO)

Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection is an essential full-text database for psychologists, counsellors, researchers and students. It provides hundreds of full-text psychology journals, including many indexed in APA PsycInfo. It offers particularly strong coverage in child and adolescent psychology and counselling
 

Psychology Database (ProQuest)

The Psychology Database is ProQuest’s highly accessible full-text resource for students, teachers, and researchers. The database encompasses a wide range of topics from leading psychological and psychosomatic publications. In addition to clinical and social psychology, it also provides coverage of related disciplines including genetics, psychology of business and economics, communication, criminology, addiction, neurology, social welfare, and more.

SocINDEX (EBSCO)

SocINDEX with Full Text is the world’s most comprehensive and highest quality sociology research database. The database features more than 2.1 million records with subject headings from a 20,000+ term sociological thesaurus designed by subject experts and expert lexicographers.

Multidisciplinary Databases

EBSCOhost Academic Search Elite

Covering all major academic disciplines, Academic Search Elite is a rich resource spanning a broad stretch of academic subjects with thousands of full-text journals and abstracted and indexed journals.

Project Muse Premium Collection

The Premium Collection is MUSE’s foremost collection of high quality, peer reviewed, interdisciplinary journals in the humanities and social sciences.

Library Databases vs the Internet

There is nothing wrong with using the internet. You can find very helpful resources on the web but you should know where and when is the right time to use the internet versus a Library database.

LIBRARY DATABASES
  • Free access is provided to all StMU faculty, staff and students through subscriptions.
  • Credible, reliable and evidence-based information which is most often peer-reviewed.
  • Databases use subject headings and filters to organize their content, allowing for precise searching.
  • Save your results to easily cite and organize your research.
THE INTERNET
  • The internet provides access to vast amounts of information, much of which can be misleading and irrelevant.
  • It is not always clear who authored the information you are reading. Hint: Focus on reputable sources like government and non-profit organizations or authorities in your field like professional associations and subject experts whose credentials and institutional affiliations are clearly stated and easily verifiable.
  • Predatory journals can be very tricky to identify and are not reputable. For tips on how to assess whether or not a journal is scholarly and peer reviewed check out our tutorial on evaluating information.
  • Some information is free but not all. If you are asked to pay for an article, don't. Fill out an ILL Request and we will get it for you for FREE.
NEED HELP

Don't hesitate to ask We're happy to assist you in person, by phone, or by MS Teams.

OFFSITE ACCESS

Anytime, anywhere StMU students, staff, and faculty have access to all of the online resources offsite. Simply enter your credentials.

Having problems with offsite access? Make sure you're selecting OpenAthens when given an option. Check out our guide on OpenAthens External Authentication for detailed support.

Journals

The StMU Library provides access to hundreds of scholarly journals to keep you up to date with the latest evidence, research, and discussion in your field. If we don't have access to the article you're looking for, fill out an ILL Request and we'll bring in a copy for free. Below you will find links to core, full-text Education journals as well as information about assessing articles found on the web.

eJOURNALS

Immediate online access
Browse the A-Z listing of all journals available to the StMU community.

NOT A STUDENT?

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Full-text access is available on campus.

STAY CURRENT

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The catalogue is designed with busy researchers in mind. Save searches and receive notifications when new resources become available.

Core Journals

Family Relations

A premier, applied journal of family studies, Family Relations is mandatory reading for all professionals who work with families, including: family practitioners, educators, marriage and family therapists, researchers, and social policy specialists. The journal’s content emphasizes family research with implications for intervention, education, and public policy.

Gender & Society

Articles appearing in Gender & Society analyze gender and gendered processes in interactions, organizations, societies, and global and transnational spaces. The journal primarily publishes empirical articles, which are both theoretically engaged and methodologically rigorous, including qualitative, quantitative, and comparative-historical methodologies.

Journal of child and family studies

Journal of Child and Family Studies (JCFS) is an international, peer-reviewed forum for topical issues pertaining to the behavioural health and well-being of children, adolescents, and their families. Interdisciplinary and ecological in approach, the journal focuses on individual, family, and community contexts that influence child, youth, and family well-being and translates research results into practical applications for providers, program implementers, and policymakers. Original papers address applied and translational research, program evaluation, service delivery, and policy matters that affect child, youth, and family well-being. Topic areas include but are not limited to: enhancing child, youth/young adult, parent, caregiver, and/or family functioning; prevention and intervention related to social, emotional, or behavioral functioning in children, youth, and families; cumulative effects of risk and protective factors on behavioral health, development, and well-being; the effects both of exposure to adverse childhood events and assets/protective factors; child abuse and neglect, housing instability and homelessness, and related ecological factors influencing child and family outcomes.

Journal of family psychology

The Journal of Family Psychology® (JFP) is the premier family research journal. Family psychology is a complex field, as it includes systems perspectives on the multiple influences on relationships, developmental perspectives on how relationships are formed and sustained over time, cultural perspectives on how society and traditions affect relationships, the intersection of individual differences and social relationships, and practice components in how to affect real and meaningful changes in couple, parent, and family relationships.

Journal of family theory & review

Journal of Family Theory & Review, a journal of the National Council on Family Relations, publishes publishes original contributions in all areas of family theory, including advances in theory development, critical analyses and reviews of existing theory, new applications of theory, new interpretations of conceptual positions or concepts once thought to be distinct, essays in the conduct of theory construction, and analyses of the interface of theory and method. In addition, we are equally committed to publishing integrative reviews of existing research as well as critical book and media reviews. Unlike many neighbouring disciplines we have paired publishing integrative reviews with new developments in theory because they are so intimately tied together in the generation and interpretation of knowledge about families.

Journal of marriage and family

The Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), published by the National Council on Family Relations, has been the leading research journal in the family field for more than 75 years and is consistently the most highly cited journal in Family Science. JMF features original research and theory using the variety of methods reflective of the full range of social sciences, including quantitative, qualitative, and multi-method designs; research interpretation; integrative review; reports on methodological and statistical advances; and critical discussion concerning all aspects of marriage, other forms of close relationships, and families. The journal also publishes brief reports.

Personal relationships

Personal Relationships is an international, interdisciplinary journal that promotes scholarship in the field of personal relationships using a wide variety of methodologies and throughout a broad range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, communication studies, anthropology, family studies, child development, social work, and gerontology.

Using Journals Through the Catalogue vs. Journals Found on the Internet

There is nothing wrong with using journal articles you've found on the internet, there's plenty of high quality information out there. But, there are a few things you should know about Academic, Open Access, and Predatory journals before you start.

SCHOLARLY, ACADEMIC, AND PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS
  • Scholarly, academic, and peer-reviewed journals contain articles written by and for faculty, researchers, and scholars in a particular field.
  • These resources are typically published by academic organizations, utilize specialist or scholarly language, and adhere to strict standards of referencing throughout.
  • Not all scholarly and academic journals are peer-reviewed.
  • To see if a print journal is peer-reviewed, check the 'publication information' at the front of the journal.
  • For electronic journals, information regarding the peer-review process can usually be found on the 'About the Journal' or 'Notes for Authors' page of the journal's website.
  • Peer reviewed articles are identified in the Library catalogue.
  • Streamline your search process by limiting searches to limit results to include only peer-reviewed journals and articles.
JOURNALS & ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET
  • The internet provides access to vast amounts of information, much of which can be misleading, irrelevant, or fails to meet the standards of academic rigour.
  • It is not always clear who authored the information you are reading. Before using articles found on the web. be sure to verify the credentials and institutional affiliation of the author.
  • Focus on Open Access journals published by reputable sources such as academic institutions and professional organizations.
  • Predatory journals can be very tricky to identify and are not reputable. For tips on how to assess whether or not a journal is scholarly and peer reviewed check our tutorial on evaluating information sources
  • Some information is free but not all. If you are asked to pay for an article, don't. Fill out an ILL Request and we will get it for you for FREE.

Books

Libraries are filled with books! Many prefer holding a hard copy book instead of an electronic version. Don't worry, we have both available depending on what you like best.

Books are ideal information sources to consult when looking for a comprehensive overview of your topic. Don't see what you are looking for? Ask us about InterLibrary Loans to find a book from another library.

Books

Physical Collections

  • HQ1-2044 The Family. Marriage. Women
  • HQ503-1064 The family. Marriage. Home
  • HQ755.7-759.92 Parents. Parenthood
  • HQ760-767.7 Family size
  • HQ767.8-792.2 Children. Child development
  • HQ793-799.2 Youth. Adolescents. Teenagers

Keywords

Children

Communication in families

Courtship

Divorce

Dual Career

Domestic relations

Families

Family and politics

Family and state

Family and work

Family life

Family matters

Family policy

Family size

Family violence

Gay couples

Grandparents

Interpersonal relations

Kinship

Marriage

Married people

Married women

Parent and child

Parents

Patriarchy

Same sex marriage

Sex role

Single parent families

Spouses

Stepfamilies

Work and family

Subjects

Family – History

Family – Research

Family – Social aspects

Marriage – Case studies

Older people – family relationships

Libraries are filled with books! Many prefer holding a hard copy book instead of an electronic version. Don't worry, we have both available depending on what you like best.

Books are ideal information sources to consult when looking for a comprehensive overview of your topic. Don't see what you are looking for? Ask us about InterLibrary Loans to find a book from another library.

eBOOKS

Click and read Immediate access anytime, anywhere.

PRINT BOOKS

Available to all Place a Request in the catalogue for quick pickup or visit the library to browse the stacks. .

OTHER LIBRARIES

You can borrow from them too Search and Request books from our SAIL partners (U of C, AU, and BVC) from within the STMU catalogue.

Web Resources

The internet has a wealth of information. Explore grey literature, Open Education Resources and digital repositories to discover information about your subject from all over the world. Below you will find a curated list of web resources.

Below you will find a curated list of web resources.

Online resources

The Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs

Families Canada is the national association of Family Support Centres. With a network of 500+ member agencies and thousands of frontline family service workers across Canada, we are committed to providing leadership and support in the campaign for Canada’s children.

Canadian Socio-economic Information Management System

CANSIM (the Canadian Socio-economic Information Management System) is Statistics Canada’s socioeconomic database. Containing millions of datasets on labour, health, income, trade, education, manufacturing, investment, it lets users track trends in virtually every aspect of Canadian life.

Families and Work Institute

Families and Work Institute is a nonprofit centre dedicated to providing research for living in today’s changing workplace, changing family and changing community

Women and Gender Equality Canada

Women and Gender Equality Canada works to advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression through the inclusion of people of all genders, including women, in Canada’s economic, social, and political life.

GREY LITERATURE

It's not always black and whiteGrey literature falls into a 'grey area' of materials produced outside traditional publishing channels. Learn more about grey literature in the Research Tips tab.

NEVER PAY

Request and you shall receive If you have located an article online that the StMU Library does not have access to through our databases and journals, submit an ILL request and we'll locate a copy at no charge.

Databases

Databases allow you to search collections of journals, articles, books, topic reviews, evidence-based summaries and drug information. StMU databases include Core Databases which are curated collections focusing on a specific subject area and Multidisciplinary Databases which provide broad subject coverage in all areas of undergraduate study.

Library Databases vs the Internet

There is nothing wrong with using the internet. You can find very helpful resources on the web but you should know where and when is the right time to use the internet versus a Library database.

LIBRARY DATABASES
  • Free access is provided to all StMU faculty, staff and students through subscriptions.
  • Credible, reliable and evidence-based information which is most often peer-reviewed.
  • Databases use subject headings and filters to organize their content, allowing for precise searching.
  • Save your results to easily cite and organize your research.
THE INTERNET
  • The internet provides access to vast amounts of information, much of which can be misleading and irrelevant.
  • It is not always clear who authored the information you are reading. Hint: Focus on reputable sources like government and non-profit organizations or authorities in your field like professional associations and subject experts whose credentials and institutional affiliations are clearly stated and easily verifiable.
  • Predatory journals can be very tricky to identify and are not reputable. For tips on how to assess whether or not a journal is scholarly and peer reviewed check out our tutorial on evaluating information.
  • Some information is free but not all. If you are asked to pay for an article, don't. Fill out an ILL Request and we will get it for you for FREE.
NEED HELP

Don't hesitate to ask We're happy to assist you in person, by phone, or by MS Teams.

OFFSITE ACCESS

Anytime, anywhere StMU students, staff, and faculty have access to all of the online resources offsite. Simply enter your credentials.

Having problems with offsite access? Make sure you're selecting OpenAthens when given an option. Check out our guide on OpenAthens External Authentication for detailed support.