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Political Science 4801 - Information Resources  

Rosanna M. O'Neil ,  Political Science Subject Librarian
Maag Library, Collections Services
330-941-3557

Overview

Maag Library provides access to books, articles, and other resources for political science research in a variety of formats. The resources and tips on this page will help you locate the information you need. If you need additional assistance, contact me or Ask a Librarian.

Last updated: September 20, 2007


 
Finding Books

Where to check for books (Library catalogs)

  • MaagNet [Maag Library's online catalog]
    • Look here for books, government documents, and other materials owned by Maag Library. Search by subject, keyword, author or title. If you have difficulty locating the correct subject heading, it may help to consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a set of large red books located behind the Reference Desk in the Reference Room or you can also use the electronic version.

    • For search tips and information see Tips for Searching MaagNet.

    • Copy or print publication information (author, title, place, publisher, date--found in the catalog record or on the title page of the book itself) for your "Works Cited" page.

    • Note the item's call number and location (for example Reference Collection, General Collection). Check the building guide for location of collections and services. For additional assistance see Reading Call Numbers and Material Location and Availability.

    • Use the following sections of the Library of Congress Classification Outline to browse the shelves for books and periodicals.
      • D — History (other than America)
      • E-F — History of America (including Latin America)
      • G — Geography
      • H — Social Sciences
      • J — Political Science
      • K — Law
 
  • OhioLINK Central Catalog [combined catalogs of OhioLINK member libraries]
    • Look here for books not available at Maag, but owned by other Ohio colleges and universities.

    • You may request items online from other OhioLINK Institutions. It takes 3-5 working days (M-F) for books requested through the OhioLINK Central Catalog to arrive.  Check your circulation record to see the status [Item Requested, In Transit, OhioLINK Rec'd] of your request. Once the book is here, pick it up and check it out at the Circulation Desk.  See OhioLINK Borrowing Services for more information.

    • For search help see Tips for OhioLINK Users.

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Where to Check for Research Articles and How to Cite Them
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Databases

Listed below are a few databases in which you may find information relating to political science, law, and other resources in your area of interest. Others are listed on the OhioLINK Databases Page by name, type, or subject (see Political Science, Law and Legislation, Public Policy, etc.).

If you are not on campus, you must login to authenticate (select your institution, enter your name and library barcode). You may authenticate from the OhioLINK Home page (http://www.ohiolink.edu/) or the OhioLINK Databases Page (http://www.ohiolink.edu/resources.cgi) then select a database by subject, by name or by type.

For additional assistance see: Off-Campus Access; OhioLINK Remote Authentication—Frequently Asked Questions; or Ask a Librarian.
Databases for Political Science
America: History and Life
Includes citations and abstracts to articles on the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present from over 2,000 journals in the humanities and social sciences.

Academic Search Premier (Ebsco)   Off-campus access
A multidisciplinary database that indexes over 4300 periodicals and contains full text for over 3400 scholarly publications.

Historical Abstracts
Index and abstracts to articles covering world history from 1450 to present (excluding U.S. and Canada). Includes or has links to full text.

International Political Science Abstracts   Off-campus access
Index and abstracts to journal articles in political science, international relations, law, and public administration / policy. Includes or has links to full text.

JSTOR   Off-campus access
Supplies full text articles from the very first volume to the last 3-5 years for approximately 240 titles in the Arts & Sciences.

Lexis-Nexis Academic   Off-campus access
News from U.S. and World sources. Legal Research section includes articles from law reviews as well as some international legal materials including Canadian legislation and regulations, European Union resources. Cases, treaties and international agreements from Canada, Ireland, Australia, Mexico, GATT, Hong Kong, UK, South Africa are also included.

Opposing viewpoints
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center draws on the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources to provide a complete one-stop source for information on social issues. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.


OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center (EJC) (1995 to date)
Full-text articles from OhioLINK electronic journal subscription databases. Currently includes over 4000 scholarly journals. Political science For search tips and help see: EJC help.

Oxford Reference – Politics and Social Sciences   Off-campus access
Currently includes searchable full text of the following reference books: Currently includes searchable full text of the following reference books: A Dictionary of Contemporary World History, Oxford Guide to Countries of the World, A Dictionary of Geography, A Dictionary of Political Biography, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics, A Dictionary of Psychology, Dictionary of the Social Sciences, A Dictionary of Sociology, The Oxford Guide to the United States Government, and Handbook of the World.

PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) International
Index and abstracts of articles, books, government documents, and other literature on public affairs. Includes or has links to full text.

Social Sciences Citation Index   Off-campus access
An index to scholarly articles in the Social Sciences. Provides keyword searching as well as links to cited authors and articles. Use OLinks to determine availability of articles.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, 1975-2006
Index and abstracts to journal articles in political science, international relations, law, and public administration / policy. Includes or has links to full text.

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International Resources and Statistics
America at the Polls     Ref. JK524 .A73 2005x
"A Reference Guide to Concepts, Ideas and Institutions"

Background notes  
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
Concise info on most countries published by U.S. State Department. Entire database is keyword searchable. Try "absolutist" for a start!


Country at a Glance
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/infonation/e_glance.htm
Overview of data on U.N. Member Nations.

Country Studies
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html
Covers information previously published in Country Study/Area Handbooks 1986-1998 by the Research Division of the Library of Congress. Funding for this program was discontinued in 1998.

Dictionary of World Politics     Ref. JA 61 .E85
"A Reference Guide to Concepts, Ideas and Institutions"

Parry and Grant encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law     Ref. JX 1226 .P33 1986


Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy   3 vols. Ref. JX 1407 .E53
Includes articles on the principle movements and ideas influencing American foreign relations (themes, doctrines, policies).

ERC Electronic Research Collection
http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/index.html
A partnership of the United States Department of State, the Federal Depository Library Program and the Federal Depository Library–University of Illinois at Chicago. Consists of archived electronic documents and publications of the Department of State and the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

Europa World Year Book     Ref. JN 1 .E85
Part I provides an overview of international organizations. Part II is a listing by country, including information on the constitution and government, judicial system, political organizations and diplomatic representatives.

Federal Web Locator
http://www.infoctr.edu/fwl/
A guide to federal agency Web sites from The Center for Information Law and Policy at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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Infonation
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/infonation/e_infonation.htm
Statistical data for member countries of the United Nations.

International Yearbook and Statesmen's Who's Who     Ref. JA 51 .I57 (Ask at Ref. Desk)
Provides a detailed listing of UN agencies, major intergovernmental organizations, world population and GNP statistics. Gives an economic, historical and political description of all countries, as well as brief biographical sketches of major political personalities throughout the world.

Oxford Companion to Politics of the World    Ref. JA 61 .O95
Includes information on countries, political institutions, and concepts.

Political Handbook of the World     Ref. JF 37 . P6
Contains essential, current political information about every country in the world. Also lists the composition and activities of many intergovernmental organizations.

Political Parties of the of the World    Ref. JF 2051 .D39 2005x
Includes information on countries, political institutions, and concepts.

Portals to the World
"Electronic resources on the nations of the world selected by Library of Congress subject experts."

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The Statesman's Yearbook     Ref. JA 51 .S7
Includes information on international organizations and a political and economic overview of the nations of the world. Contains an insert with fold-out world map and flags of the world.

Treaties and Alliances of the World, 3rd ed.     JX 4005 .T72 1981
Provides details of major alliances and organizations. Lists multilateral and bilateral treaties in the fields of defense and economic cooperation. Maps illustrate countries' membership in alliances or organizations.

Treaties in Force     KZ 235 .T74  Lastest edition also available online
Produced by the U.S. Department of State, this is a descriptive list of the treaties and international agreements to which the U.S. is a party.

United Nations
http://www.un.org/english/
Web site of the United Nations. Includes online publications and databases.

United States. Department of State
http://state.gov/
See especially Countries and Regions and International Topics and Issues.

United States. Dept. of State. Foreign relations of the United States   JX233 .A3
Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States

United States Government Documents (Maag Library)
http://www.maag.ysu.edu/collection/GOV/Gov_main.html
A guide to information on the Web published by the federal and state governments (prepared by Maag Library).

World Factbook
Factual and statistical information published by the CIA. Country information updated as of August 2003. Use the search box at the top of the screen to select a country.

Yearbook of the United Nations     JX 1977 .A37Y4



Resources on Leadership in Politics (with emphasis on women)
Associations on the Net (Political Science and Law)
Once on the site, select a subject category. If message says "no items found", select "Subject collections" and/or "Magazines."

Center for American Women in Politics
The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) is a university-based research, education and public service center. Its mission is to promote greater knowledge and understanding about women's participation in politics and government and to enhance women's influence and leadership in public life. Learn more about our program areas.

Center for Progressive Leadership

From Suffrage to the Senate: America's Political Women : an Encyclopedia of Leaders, Causes, & Issues, 2 vols.  
Ref. HQ 1236.5 .U6 S32 2006x

Good to Great : Why Some Companies Make the Leap--and Others Don't by Jim Collins., HD 57.7 .C645 2001
The author and his staff evaluate and track eleven companies who went from good to great and stayed there for fifteen years. The key, in the end, was "leadership." A new look at what makes a great leader. Find out why Lee Ioccoca's leadership style isn't so great after all!

To the Contrary (PBS)
"To The Contrary [provides] an important, timely forum for women to discuss national and international issues and policies...With more women in Congress and the Cabinet, women's issues and perspectives are more high-profile than ever before. Americans have cast strong votes of confidence in women leaders and leaders who promote concerns embraced by women. To The Contrary, a leader in women's perspectives, will continue to make their voices heard throughout its [fifteenth] season of broadcast."

Washington Week (PBS)
"Washington Week is the longest-running public affairs program on PBS. The show first aired locally on WETA on February 23, 1967.... [It]features a group of journalists participating in roundtable discussion of major news events." Each week, each journalist is assigned to become expert on a given topic. They are then interviewed/questioned by the other three. No hype, no argumentative discourse, just informed journalism on topics of the previous week and of the day.

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Web Sites

Here are a few sites to get you started:

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About Maag Library
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