Research Materials: SOWK 3350/4350

Mon - Thurs 8:00am to 10:00pm

Friday 8:00am to Noon

Saturday Closed

Sunday 2:00pm to 10:00pm

All students are invited to sign up for a research consultation with a reference librarian.  We recommend this particularly for students working on major research projects.  Call or come by the reference desk for more information.

Please note - I'll be out of the office from October 1st until October 22nd.  If you need help during that time, one of the other librarians will be glad to assist you.  You may, however, have to wait a day or two until someone can meet with you.

1. Introduction – A Senator or Representative introduces a piece of legislation
2. Committee – A committee or subcommittee investigates, hears testimony, etc
3. Vote – If the committee sends the bill to the House or Senate, it goes on the Calendar and is voted on.
4. Referral – Once a bill has passed, it is sent to the other House of Congress where it goes through the same process.
5. Conference Committee – This committee is made up by members of both Houses of Congress. It is their job to reconcile any differences between the House version and the Senate version of the bill.
6. Final approval – After any differences are reconciled, the “enrolled” bill is signed by the Vice President and the Speaker of the House.
7. Presidental Consideration – The President has 10 days to either sign the bill into law or veto it.
8. Overriding a Veto – If the President vetos a bill, it can still become law by two-thirds majority vote of both the House and the Senate

Here's a video I made about the legislative process!

Find out more – http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/lawmaking/index.html

These are online versions of the documents we discussed in class.  You will need to use these to research your policy/law, how it was implemented, and how it is regulated.

Library Electronic Resources – all electronic resources may be accessed in the library by clicking on the “Library Homepage” icon or from outside the library by going to our webpage at http://library.nsula.edu.  If you're logging in from off campus, you will use the same user name/password you use to access Moodle or your student email.

Here are some tips that will help you make the best use of the databases...

First, use the Thesaurus to find the best terms for your search.  For example, if you do a search using the term "PTSD", you will find a lot of articles, but if you use the proper term "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder", you will find many more.  Click on Thesaurus at the top left of the search screen and give it a try!

Once you've executed your search, use the subjects on the menu on the left of the results screen to add terms that will make your results more specific to your topic.

If you have questions about this process, please don't hesitate to call the reference desk at 318 357-4574 or 888 540-9657 and a librarian will walk you though it.  You can also email reference at nsula dot edu for assistance.