Information sources on child welfare archives: how to identify, locate, and use them for research

The location and identification of archival sources for research in child welfare is complicated because of their diversity and lack of uniformity, but various access points are available. These include social welfare histories, documentary histories, annotated bibliographies, directories of archives, journal articles, oral histories, social agencies, abstracts, indexes, reference guides, and electronic services. The advice of colleagues and librarians can also be sought in identifying and selecting archival sources for the purpose of research.