Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies

You will at some point be carrying out research on your chosen topic.  The Library has many books and online resources covering the area of  research method and the different methods used.

You will be choosing an appropriate research method as part of this process.  The research method is the tool used to conduct the research.  Traditionally the method was either quantitative (positivist) or qualitative (interpretivist).

In recent years, however, multiple new methodologies have emerged and many have developed into accepted practice, e.g. mixed methods and arts-based research (practice as research).

Explore options with Sage Research Methods

• Read overviews on different methods 
• Find definitions
• Watch studies come to life
• Hear from the experts
• Practice data analysis

Research is first published in academic journals, which are also known as periodicals or serials.  They consist of volumes, parts, issues, numbers etc., to help you locate and identify a particular article.​ Journals are made up of articles, also known as papers, and other material such as editorial and book reviews in each part or issue. They are often dedicated to a particular subject area, so they are useful for researching your topic. Aim to choose peer-reviewed journals where possible.  These are journals where articles are written by an academic and submitted to a journal in their subject area.  Experts also in this subject area will scrutinise the paper and will only accept it for publication  if it fits the strict criteria specified.

Journals can also be found in Bibliographic databases which are subject-specific search engines related to an area of study or profession. They index journals, articles, guidance and other documents, such as conference proceedings. The main databases available at UWS can be found on our A-Z database list along with a brief description of subject content.

Remember we don't have access to every journal ever published and that we may not have an entire run from the first volume. We may have gaps in our subscription coverage and for items we do not have in stock you can request them through an Interlibrary loan form.

The first place to search for resources is One Search.

• OneSearch

  OneSearch is UWS's in-house database. It functions as both a traditional library catalogue and platform to search a wide range of databases to find full-text journal articles. It covers all subject areas.

UWS subscribes to many databases where you can continue your search for resources.

Below are some of the main databases used for your subject area. Hover over the the database title for more detail.

To see our full list of A-Z databases follow https://uws-uk.libguides.com/az.php

Listed below are just some of the journals we have for Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies related areas. Journals contain research articles which you can use in your studies. You can find articles through Subject databases (see the Specialist Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies databases box on this page) or directly within individual journal titles.

Access individual journal titles through One Search by typing the journal title (not the article) into the search box at the top of the screen, using the ‘local search' option. If you have several results, you can filter the results by going to the filters at the side of the screen and choose 'Material Type' then choose to see only 'journals' from your results. Alternatively, you can use the 'Journals Search' menu at the top of the One Search screen and search for journals by subject or enter the title of the journal you require.

Once in the journal, you can browse to a particular year/ volume/ issue, or you can usually search within that journal to find other related material by using your topic keywords to identify other possible articles in your area.

Here are some suggestions.

• Addiction 

• Alcohol and Drug Addiction

• British Journal of Addiction 

• Drug and Alcohol Dependence 

• Drug and Alcohol Review 

• European Addiction Research 

• International Journal of Drug Policy 

• International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 

• Journal of Drug Issues 

• Journal of Sociology 

• Substance Abuse

Looking for books?

Search Library Hub Discover to explore the collections of many university and research libraries in the UK and further afield.

You can then request access to relevant titles through our Inter Library Loans service. 

Looking for international theses?

The Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations lists collections of a country's collated theses. Search the whole site or first select an individual collection.

Our Library Skills Online programme is a set of live, informal chats about libraries, finding information and other helpful resources - visit the link below to find out what's on and sign up.

Open Access

Many scholarly articles are now published on an Open Access basis, i.e. free access for all from the point of publication (or agreed time limit).

Some databases, e.g. Emerald Insight, offer a specific filter option to restrict search results to open access items only.

There are bibliographic services available to help you find open access items. 

Don't despair if the items you need are not published on an open access basis - other access options are available ...

Students on nursing, social work and related courses can register with the NHS Scotland's Knowledge Network to access additional book and e-resources.

• The Knowledge Network

  The Knowledge Network (incorporating SSKS (Social Services Knowledge Scotland)) is the national knowledge management platform for health and social care in Scotland. It is developed and maintained by the Knowledge Services group at NHS Education for Scotland. The Knowledge Network library search offers a single interface to search NHSScotland’s national collection of electronic resources (e-journals, articles and e-books) provided by NHS Education for Scotland, along with all the local NHSScotland library collections (primarily print books). 

To register with the Knowledge Network/ SSKS, see the section 'Registering with the Knowledge Network/ SSKS' below for more details.

A national agreement - SCONUL Access - is in place to enable access for students to the holdings of other academic and research institutions.  Please see their website to register and for details of scheme members.

• SCONUL Access

  SCONUL Access is a scheme which allows many university library users to study spaces or books and journals at other libraries which belong to the scheme. Some library users may be able to borrow print books from other libraries too.

Anyone with a postal address in Scotland can join the National Library of Scotland to visit the Edinburgh reading rooms or access the online collections of one of the major research libraries in Europe.

• National Library of Scotland

  A reference and digitised collection of over 24 million items - books, manuscripts, maps, music (print and recordings), photographs, posters, postcards, newspapers, magazines, electronic journals and CD-ROMS - on multiple subjects.

Are you on placement with, or employed by, the NHS, social services or a related agency in Scotland?

If so, you can register for an NHS Open Athens account and and access a wider range of journal articles, books and other NHS Library services:

Students on placement:

1. Use the registration link below.  You will be asked for your university email address during the registration process.
2. Wait for your separate username and password to be confirmed by email. Note: this may take 2-3 days.
3. Login and search the collection as relevant.

NHS and local authority staff

Sign-in to OpenAthens to access library services, including Library Search and SSKS Library Search, along with e-journals, databases and evidence summaries, using your NHS Scotland or local authority email address and password.   

Accessibility Statement

This work in this guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.