The FatherLit Database is a compilation of citations, annotations, and abstracts for over 8,500 basic and policy research publications on fathers, families, and child welfare. The works cited include empirical, conceptual, and clinical research, varied in analytical depth and intended for diverse audiences. The Database is divided into seven libraries, each representing a topical area, or Core Learning, in the field. The Core Learning Libraries may be regarded as stand-alone pieces or as volumes that form the Database.

The relevance of the Core Learnings to the research base was determined through NCOFF's examination of the existing literature and was validated through focus groups with practitioners, policymakers, and researchers from across the United States. The Database is intended to respond to a need in the field for a coherent, comprehensive source of research about father involvement and its implications for child well-being and family development.

The Database is updated regularly. Each entry in the Database provides three pieces of information: (1) an APA-based citation for locating each article or report; (2) a two-to-three sentence annotation of the article; and (3) a lengthy abstract. Both the abstracts and the annotations are written by NCOFF staff and represent a view of research with an eye toward policy and practice implications.