Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Social Work

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Letter from the editor

Published in partnership with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW Press)

Oxford University Press has partnered with the NASW on the Encyclopedia of Social Work, a continuously updated online collaboration building off the classic reference work.

OUP and NASW Press proudly present The Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work

Edited by Darlyne Bailey and Terry Mizrahi, the Encyclopedia includes nearly 200 articles written by 334 authors and peer-reviewed by 13 Associate Editors.

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Anti-Carceral Social Work

"There is a growing movement within social work known as anti-carceral social work, an adjunct term to abolitionist social work. Drawing from anti-carceral feminism, anti-carceral social work critiques carceral approaches..." – By Bethany Murray

Twelve-Step Programs

"Twelve-Step programs, encompassing both peer-led fellowships and professional interventions, originated from Alcoholics Anonymous and are rooted in the spiritual principles outlined in the Twelve Steps..." – By Audrey Hang Hai, and James Ryan

What's New to the OREs

 In March 2025, 34 new articles and 2 revised, spread across 14 subjects, have been published on the Oxford Research Encyclopedias platform.

ORE Food Studies is Now Available via Subscription and Perpetual Access

On October 23, after a successful free period during development, the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Food Studies has been made available via subscription and perpetual access to libraries and institutions worldwide.

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Why the Oxford Research Encyclopedia?

With today’s overabundance of information, and misinformation, students and researchers alike can be overwhelmed in identifying what’s trustworthy, what’s up-to-date, and what’s accurate..

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Recently Published

Browse recently published articles by month, including summaries and previews of forthcoming full-text articles.