Home
Introduction
This guide is designed to pull together sources that are useful for writing papers in the class Future of the Family: Adoption, Reproduction and Child Welfare. The paper topics for this class are often very interdisciplinary in nature. You might want to start with a book for background reading and to contextualize your topic. This section highlights some books in our collection on a variety of topics, but you could also search Hollis. For articles, you might want to start with some general interdisciplinary sources listed to left (e.g. Google Scholar) but then move to databases more specific to your discipline, such as the ones listed on this tab.
General Interdisciplinary Sources-Getting Started
-
Hollis+Search for articles (selected) and books together. Log in with your Harvard PIN number for better results. See Hollis+ quick tips and search tips.
-
HOLLIS Catalog - LMS03good for known items and subject browsing
Finding Books
-
Hollis+ (select Hollis)Good for keyword searching for table of contents.
-
HOLLIS Catalog - LMS03good for subject and known item searching
Library Tools
Subject Guide
Getting Help
Don't Waste Time. Ask Us!
Ask Us! Submit a question or search the knowledge base.
Call: Reference Desk, 617-495-8516
Text: Ask a Librarian, 617-702-2728
Email: research@law.harvard.edu
Chat: Chat with Us
Meet: Consult a Librarian
Classes: View Training Calendar or Request an Insta-Class
Visit Us: Library and Reference Hours
Family & Children's Law Casebooks, Treatises & Other Books
Casebooks and legal education texts
-
Children and the Law by Call Number: Reserve KF479.A935 2014ISBN: 9780314287670Publication Date: 2014-05-05 -
Child, Family, and State by Call Number: Law School KF479 .M543 2014 (also on Reserve)ISBN: 9781454840848Publication Date: 2014-02-06 -
-
-
-
The Law of Domestic Relations in the United States by Call Number: Law School KF 504 .C55 1988ISBN: 9780314234247This hornbook has not been updated in a long time, but it remains a classic. Particularly good for historical background. -
Family Law in a Nutshell by Call Number: Law School KF505.Z9 K7 2007x (and Harvard Depository)ISBN: 0314183671 -
Children and the Law in a Nutshell by Call Number: Law School KF479 .R36x 2008 (and Harvard Depository)ISBN: 9780314184511 -
-
Family Law (Essentials) by ISBN: 0735582963 -
Family law in the world community : cases, materials, and problems in comparative and international family law by Call Number: ILS K670 .B58 2009ISBN: 9781594605604 -
-
Adoption Law in a Nutshell by Call Number: KF545 .K38 2012 (and Harvard Depository)ISBN: 9780314190307Publication Date: 2012-08-21 -
Family Law by Call Number: Reserve KF540 .D889 2012ISBN: 9781454813668Publication Date: 2012-07-11Family Law emphasizes the issues and skills most relevant to domestic relations practice. The text employs a novel and dramatic organization with three substantive units that compare the legal treatment of the parent-child relationship vs. adult in
Searching for books generally
-
Hollis+Hollis Classic might be better for subject and known item searches.
-
Harvard Borrow Directto search for items beyond Harvard that may be directly borrowed
-
WorldCatto look for items beyond Harvard and Borrow Direct that might be requested through interlibrary loan
-
HOLLIS Catalog - LMS03good for known items and subject browsing
Treatises
The following are treatises on broad topics with fairly regular updates and general treatment of the topics. It is also worthwhile to check for state-specific treatises on these topics where treatment can vary by statement.
-
Family and Succession LawReference K670 .F35x (part of International Encylopaedia of Laws)
Other books
The following books are some recent books on more narrow topics. Make sure you check the Hollis record before going to the shelf in case it has been checked out.
-
Child protection in America : past, present, and future by Call Number: HV741 .M928 2006ISBN: 9780195169355 -
Common Law Marriage: A Legal Institution for Cohabitation by Call Number: KF516 .L56 2008ISBN: 0195366816Also online -
The APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment by Call Number: Widener Harvard Depository HV6626.5 .A83 2011ISBN: 1412966817on order at other Harvard libraries -
-
Baby markets : money and the new politics of creating families by Call Number: KF545 .B33 2010ISBN: 9780521735100 -
Family, Law, and Community: Supporting the Covenant by Call Number: KF505.Z9 B755 2010ISBN: 0226074994 -
Red families v. blue families : legal polarization and the creation of culture / by Call Number: KF505 .C34 2010ISBN: 0195372174 -
Advocating for nonresident fathers in child welfare court cases by Call Number: KF547 .A935 2009ISBN: 160442589X
-
Taking responsibility, law and the changing family by Call Number: KD772 .T35 2011ISBN: 9781409402022Publication Date: 2011 -
Social Policy for Children and Families by Call Number: Harvard Depository HV741 .S623 2011ISBN: 9781412981392Publication Date: 2010 -
Scandalous Politics by Call Number: Harvard Depository HV741 .G35 2010ISBN: 9781589017078Publication Date: 2010-11-15 -
Youth Leaving Foster Care by Call Number: Harvard Depository HV881 .S66 2011ISBN: 9780195375596Publication Date: 2011-03-08 -
Marriage and Divorce in a Multi-Cultural Context by Call Number: K675 .M367 2012ISBN: 9780521194754Publication Date: 2011 -
A Troubled Marriage: Domestic Violence and the Legal System by Call Number: KF9322 .G65 2012ISBN: 9780814732229Publication Date: 2011 -
The Place of Religion in Family Law by Call Number: K670.A6 P58 2011ISBN: 9781780680156Publication Date: 2011-09-05To what extent does family law accommodate, deny, support, or reflect the existence of religion and religious belief in a range of jurisdictions throughout various family and social situations? This collection of comparative essays brings together reflections on a range of religions, including Islam, Judaism, and Roman Catholicism. With insights from various European jurisdictions - such as Malta, Sweden, Turkey, and the UK - it seeks to discover the place which religion has or might have within family law. (Series: European Family Law - Vol. 30) -
Broken links, enduring ties : American adoption across race, class, and nation by Call Number: Widener WID-LC HV875.55 .S44 2013ISBN: 9780804786058Publication Date: 2013-10-02 -
Reproductive Donation by Call Number: Countway Medicine WQ 208 R425 2012ISBN: 9781107007772Publication Date: 2012-07-05 -
Marital agreements and private autonomy in comparative perspective by Call Number: ON ORDERISBN: 9781849460125Publication Date: 2011 -
Intimate associations : the law and culture of American families by Call Number: Law School KF505 .D54 2013ISBN: 9780472117307Publication Date: 2013-11-18 -
-
Decolonizing Indigenous Child Welfare by Call Number: Law School K3248.C55 L53 2014ISBN: 9780415705691Publication Date: 2014-02-20 -
Children's Rights under and the Law by Call Number: KF479 .D385 2011ISBN: 9780199795482Publication Date: 2011-04-15 -
Intercountry Adoption by Call Number: WID-LC HV875.5 .I547 2011ISBN: 9781409410546Publication Date: 2012-07-16Containing 25 chapters covering the following five areas: policy and regulations; sending country perspectives; outcomes for intercountry adoptees; debate between a proponent and an abolitionist; and pragmatists' guides for improving intercountry adoption practices, this book will be essential reading for social work practitioners and academics involved with intercountry adoption. -
-
What Is Parenthood? by Call Number: KF540 .W43 2013x and onlineISBN: 9780814729151Publication Date: 2013-01-14 -
The Politics of Adoption by Call Number: Law SchoolHV875 .O38 2015 and onlineISBN: 9401797765Publication Date: 2015-05-19 -
Evidence-Informed Assessment and Practice in Child Welfare by Call Number: onlineISBN: 9783319120454Publication Date: 2015-01-28 -
Myers on evidence of interpersonal violence : child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, rape, stalking, and elder abuseCall Number: Law School KF8935 .M94 2016xISBN: 1454869011 -
Children's Rights under and the Law by Call Number: onlineISBN: 9780199795482Publication Date: 2011-04-15
-
Intercountry Adoption by Call Number: WID-LC HV875.5 .I547 2011ISBN: 9781409410546Publication Date: 2012-07-16
-
The Intercountry Adoption Debate by Call Number: Harvard Depository HV875.5ISBN: 144387129XPublication Date: 2015-02-01
Sample LC subject heading searches in Hollis, databases
Legal Research
Finding legal articles
Other HLSL reseach guides
US-50 State Surveys
-
Family Law in the Fifty States (ABA Section of Family Law)Laws related to divorce and custody.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child/CEDAW
International and Foreign Law
Depending on your topic, you might want to check out regional studies and regional news databases. See research guides or Find Databases and E-Resources and Helpful HLSL E-Resources.
-
Reynolds and Flores Foreign Law GuideIncludes references to code citations, sources for primary law, etc..
-
Helpful HLSL E-ResourcesWe own several foreign law databases. Some are listed here. You may also check Hollis and ask a librarian.
Subject Specific Research Sources
Tools for finding additional databases
-
Find a DatabaseSearch engine at top of page or browse topics.
-
Harvard E-ResourcesLook by subject. If you are looking at countries outside the US, you might want to consider databases categorized under Regional Studies.
Bioethics
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
-
NCJRSa federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide. The NCJRS Abstracts Database contains summaries of the more than 185,000 criminal justice publications housed in the NCJRS Library collection. Most documents published by NCJRS sponsoring agencies since 1995 are available in full-text online. A link is included with the abstract when the full-text is available. Use the NCJRS Thesaurus Term Search to search
-
Criminal Justice Abstracts (Harvard Key Login)Provides coverage of U.S. and international criminal justice literature including scholarly journals, books, dissertations, governmental and non-governmental studies and reports, unpublished papers, magazines, newsletters and other materials in criminal justice and criminology, as well as criminal law and procedure, corrections and prisons, police and policing, criminal investigation, forensic sciences and investigation, history of crime, substance abuse anand addiction, and probation and parole
EDUCATION
-
ERICERIC provides access to approximately 900 journals and 13,000 reports and government publications about education published since 1966. ERIC includes references to research reports, curriculum guides, conference papers and program descriptions.
-
Education AbstractsSubject coverage includes adult education, comparative education, continuing education, educational technology, elementary and secondary education, higher education, school administration, special education, teacher education, teacher evaluation and vocational education. Articles indexed from 1983, with abstracts from 1994.
GENDER STUDIES
-
Women's Studies International (Harvard Login)Provides access to articles drawn from a variety of essential women's studies databases which range in coverage from classic works and core studies to the latest scholarship in feminist research.
LAW
-
LegalTracProvides information on the contents of nearly 1000 legal periodicals, including academic law journals, bar association publications, and legal newspapers. It also provides citations to law-related articles from business and general interest titles. LegalTrac covers English-language publications from the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the U.K. Abstracts and full text are available for a small number of articles.
PHILOSOPHY/ETHICS
PSYCHOLOGY
-
PsycINFOProduced by the American Psychological Association, provides access to the professional and academic literature in psychology and related disciplines, including psychiatry, education, linguistics and neuroscience from 1872 to the present. PsycINFO covers over 1,800 journals in more than 24 languages, as well as books, book chapters, dissertations and reports.
-
PsycARTICLESProvides access to articles in full-text for more than 50 journals published by the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association.
PUBLIC HEALTH/MEDICINE
-
PubMed with full textMEDLINE indexes the international literature on biomedicine, including the allied health fields and the biological and physical sciences, humanities, and information science as they relate to medicine and health care from 1966 to the present. MEDLINE covers more than 3,600 journals published world-wide, as well as selected monographs of congresses and symposia.
good for Bioethics too
PUBLIC POLICY
-
PolicyFile (Harvard Login)Covers reports, white papers and other policy documents produced by think tanks, policy organizations and university research institutes from 1990 to the present. PolicyFile selectively indexes research from hundreds of institutions like RAND, the IMF and the Brookings Institution. Links to the full-text of items are provided when available.
-
Left Index OnlineProvides access to the diversity of literature on the political left from 1982 to the present. Topics covered include politics, economics, the labor movement, ecology and environment, women's studies, race and ethnicity, social and cultural theory, sociology, art and aesthetics, philosophy, history, education, law, gender studies and globalization.
-
PAIS International (Harvard Login)Indexes the public and social policy literature of public administration, political science, economics, finance, international relations, law, and health care. Provides information on publications in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. The database is comprised of abstracts of thousands of journal articles, books, directories, conference proceedings, government documents and statistical yearbooks.
MISCELLANEOUS/SOCIAL SCIENCES GENERALLY
-
Dissertation Abstracts - SEE: Dissertations and Theses Full Text (ProQuest)Provides access to dissertations and masters' theses from most North American colleges and universities as well as some in Europe. Provides full-text for most dissertations from 1990 to the present.
SOCIAL SERVICES
BUSINESS/INDUSTRY
-
Business Source Complete Description of this database.
Tips on Searching
Any Human Resources?
Sometimes the best way, or fastest way, to an answer is by calling or emailing someone to ask a question, rather than searching for hours on the web or in databases. Think of individuals or organizations who might be interested and/or knowledgeable about your topic. If you need help finding either, contact the reference desk at 617-495-4516.
Keyword Searches Not Working?
If so, think of limiting factors such as:
- Geographical Units (i.e. Country Names, Regional Parts of the World, i.e. Latin America)
- Time Periods (i.e. 19th century, 20th century)
- History
Is Searching the Abstract an Option?
Some databases, although not all, have a field called the Abstract or Summary, which is generally about 1-2 paragraphs, describing the contents of the article. If you have a hard time determining the subject terms that are best for you paper, and keyword searching just returns way too many results, try looking to see if the database includes an Abstract field. Oftentimes, these abstracts are provided by the author. If you start to find your search terms popping up in abstracts, then you really might be on the same wavelength as the author.
Finding People and Organizations
Google Search
Add "site:.org" to search. ("site:.edu" for educational institutions)
Custom Search Engines
-
Hurisearchfor human rights
Encyclopedia of Associations/Associations Unlimited
Leadership Directories
Gale Directory Library
Statistics and Data
Databases for Statistical Information
Think about country/jurisdiction and who might keep or be interested in such statistics. News searching may also be useful in identifying statistics.
Additional research guides
-
Harvard Research Guides by SubjectSelect Statistics and Data.
Selected statistical websites and databases
-
UNDataUNdata provides access to major UN statistical databases and those of several international organizations.
General statistical resources
Polling/Public Opinion
News sources are also useful for identifying polling data.
-
Roper Center for Public Opinion (Harvard Login)Access to aggregate and raw public opinion data. Data collection is focused on United States public opinion but also includes growing collections of (micro-level) European, Latin American (Latin American Databank) and Japanese (JPOLL) polls. The data archive (micro-level data) is searchable by keyword, date, and survey organization.
News
Newspaper and news collections
Specific aggregated news sources
-
World Newspaper Archivedigital collection of historical newspapers from the 19th to early 20th century
Specific newspapers
Keeping Current
ALERTING SERVICES IN DATABASES
Many of our online databases have alerting features so you can save a search and be alerted for future results.
NEWS
BLOGS AND WEBSITES
SSRN alerts
SSRN is an open resource that is great for finding papers (particularly working papers), but the library also subcribes to many fee-based journals that serve as a great current awareness tool. You must regisgter for an SSRN account and affiliate yourself with Harvard. (Ask a librarian for assistance.)
BNA NEWSLETTERS
New Books
-
Recent Acquisitions in the Harvard Law School LibraryYou can sign up for alerts by subject (children and the law, family law, etc..)
-
RSS alerts from HollisThe Hollis catalog also allows you to create RSS alerts of new books that satisfy your search terms.
-
Worldcat search RSS updatesGet RSS updates of your searches in Worldcat.
INGENTACONNECT
-
ingenta.com (Ingenta)A database of the tables of contents of more than 28,000 multi-disciplinary journals, allows you to create a profile in which you can run a keyword search and have alerts of new articles included e-mailed to you.
WESTCLIP AND LEXIS ALERTS
Use LexisNexis and Westlaw alerts to create customized email updates which run automatic updates of searches on a schedule you select. You can choose for the results to be automatically emailed or you can choose to be notified of new results when you sign on.
Getting Help
Chat with us
Getting Help
DON'T WASTE TIME. ASK.
HLS students are entitled to receive special research instruction.
Chat by entering your question in the CHAT box on the left.
Note: There is not always a librarian to answer your question, but you will receive help within 24 hours if you leave an email address.
Email Michelle Pearse at mpearse@law.harvard.edu. You can also request an appointment for a one-on-one research consultation in general via this form.
Visit the reference desk on the 4th floor of the library.
Call the reference desk at 617-495-4516.