Research Guides: Political Science: Research Help

Welcome to the Political Science Research Guide!

This guide is to help you get a jumpstart on Political Science Research by giving an overview of what Political Science Resources are available in the library, along with some quick tips on how to find and use them.

Databases

Sherratt Library provides access to a number of databases on a wide range of subjects. Below is a list of databases with content related to Political Science:

CQ Researcher
In-depth coverage of important issues of the day. Articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research.
Ethnic NewsWatch (1990 - current)
Access to essential, often-overlooked perspectives of ethnic and minority groups in newspapers, magazines, and journals, 1990-present. The publications offer both national and regional coverage. Ethnic NewsWatch™ is the only current database devoted to presenting multi-ethnic and multi-cultural publications in one resource. Coverage begins in 1990 and is updated daily with new content. Many of the titles are not found in any other aggregated resource.
GenderWatch (1970 - current)
Current and historical perspectives on the negotiation of gender roles affecting both men and women.
JSTOR
Full text academic journals in many disciplines, typically limited to issues older than 1-5 years. Search for your topic from the JSTOR search window or select BROWSE by Subject.
LexisNexis
Nexis Uni® features more than 15,000 news, business and legal sources from LexisNexis—including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790—with an intuitive interface that offers quick discovery across all content types, personalization features such as Alerts and saved searches and a collaborative workspace with shared folders and annotated documents.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context (Gale)
Curated collection of material showing differing points of view on current social issues. Articles from Opposing Viewpoints, Current Controversies, At Issue, Contemporary Issues Companion, and Gale Information Plus.
Project Muse
Journals and select books from the university presses of Johns Hopkins, Ohio State, Penn State, U of California, U of Arizona, U of Maryland, U of North Carolina, U of Virginia, and other institutions
Covers literature and criticism, history, visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, and others.
ProQuest Newsstand
Includes nearly 2000 news sources including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, The Denver Post and USA Today.
PsycINFO
Produced by APA, PsycINFO is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health, with ninety-nine percent of the covered material peer-reviewed.
Public Affairs Index
A bibliographic database, Public Affairs Index, covers all aspects of national and global contemporary public policy issues ranging from public health, the environment, housing, human and civil rights, to international commerce and conflict.
This database draws from a diverse array of scholarly journals, conference papers, trade publications and government documents to provide up-to-date information on a broad range of topics of concern to the world today.

Journals and Periodicals

Although many of the journals we have in Sherratt Library are available in electronic form, there are times when a print copy is the way to go. Below is a list of journals we have in print and electronic formats. See titles for links to each journal. (Note: Print copies of journals are housed on the first floor of Sherratt Library, organized alphabetically by title.)

Books and Ebooks

Here at Sherratt Library, we use the Library of Congress classification system (call numbers) to organize most of our items, including print books and e-books. Below is a general list of call numbers that relate to Political Science (they can help you find items faster).

JA - Political Science
JC - Political Theory
JJ - Political Institutions and Public Administration (North America)
JK - Political Institutions and Public Administration (United States)
JS - Local Government
JZ - International Relations

Kathleen Broeder