Welcome to the Political
Science Subject Guide!
This
subject guide is intended to be a starting point for your
research on political science topics. Recommended databases,
journals, reference tools, and websites are listed (and linked
when it is an electronic resource) from the menu above.
This Subject Guide was compiled by the library liaison to the
Political Science Department,
Krista Knapp. If you have questions, please use the
information below to contact Krista!
This page was last updated on 5/5/2009.
JUMP TO:
Books in Blackwell
Subject Searching
Books from other USMAI Libraries
Books through Interlibrary Loan
Books in Blackwell Library
Search the online
Library Catalog for books in Blackwell Library. You can
search by Title, Author, Subject or Keyword, or you can do a
browse search. The books you can check out say "Stacks" before
the call number and are located on the second floor of the
library. If you feel like browsing, here is a website that
explains Library
of Congress Classification, which is how books are organized
in our library.
Click here for a list of newly
added Political Science books.
If you prefer to browse, here
are where you will find books related to political science:
-
HD3600-6000 Economic policy
-
HD7795-8027 Labor policy. Labor
and the state
-
HD8031 Labor in politics
-
HJ9-9940 Public finance/tax
-
HX1-970.7 Socialism. Communism.
Anarchism
-
JA1-92 Political science
(General)
-
JC11-605
Political theory. The state. Theories of the state
-
JF20-2112
Political institutions and public administration
-
JK1-9993
Political institutions and public administration
-
JL1-3899 Political institutions
and public administration (Canada & Mexico)
-
JN1-9689 Political
institutions and public administration (Europe)
-
JQ21-6651 Political
institutions and public administration (Asia, Africa,
Australia, Pacific Area)
-
JS39-8500 Local government.
Municipal government.
-
JV1-9480 Colonies and
colonization. Emigration and immigration.
-
JZ5-6530
International relations
-
K1-7720 – general
law
-
KB – religious
law
-
KF – U.S. Law
-
KZ –
International law
Subject Searching
Why would you want to do a
subject search? Well, let's say you were interested in finding
all the books in the library about cats. You might find books
about cats under "Cats," "Kittens," Felines," or a variety of
other keywords. When you search by subject, then all of the
synonyms are accounted for, so "Cats" as a subject would include
all the books about "Kittens" and "Felines" as well. Subjects
can also serve to narrow your search. A keyword search of
"cats" would retrieve all the books that just have a few pages
about cats, whereas a search of the subject "Cats" would
retrieve books where the main focus were those cute, furry
creatures! This
website from MIT might do a better job of explaining it than
I did!
Here are some subjects
related to Sociology you might want to try searching for. This
list might also be helpful if you are stumped with a broad topic
and need to focus it a bit. Copy the term or phrase into a
search box in the
Library Catalog and select "subject" in the left-hand box.
Come on, get creative! You can combine subjects or subjects and
keywords. Remember, joining terms with "OR" will get you "MORE"
results and joining terms with "AND" will narrow your results.
Savvy researchers try lots of different combinations of terms
and discover what yields the best results. Happy searching!
| General Politics |
U.S. Politics |
International Politics |
| Comparative
government |
Courts -- United
States |
[country name] -- Politics and
government |
| Elections |
Democratic Party |
Democracy -- [country name] |
| Environmental policy |
Energy policy --
United States |
Elections -- [country name] |
| Mass media -- Political aspects |
International
relations |
European Union countries |
| Political campaigns |
Municipal government |
Globalization |
| Political corruption |
National security --
United States |
Human rights |
| Political ethics |
Political science --
United States -- history |
Islam and politics |
| Political leadership |
Presidents -- United
States |
Law -- [country name] |
| Political
participation |
Republican Party |
Religion and politics -- [country
name] |
| Political parties |
Law -- [state name] |
Religion and state -- [country
name] |
| Political psychology |
Law -- United States |
Security, International |
| Political science --
history |
United States --
emigration and immigration |
United Nations |
| Political
socialization |
United States --
Foreign relations -- [country name] |
World politics |
| Political sociology |
United States --
Military policy |
|
| Political violence |
United States. Supreme Court |
|
| Politics and culture |
|
|
| Politics and
education |
|
|
Books from Other USMAI
Libraries
If you are a student,
faculty, or staff member of Salisbury University, you have
access to the library collections of all of the University of
Maryland affiliated universities through our shared library
catalog. To borrow a book from another campus, follow these
steps:
-
Select "Choose Campus"
from the menu at the top
-
Choose a campus or USMAI
for all the campuses
-
Perform the search
-
When you find a book you
want that is not at SU, click on the location link
-
Click the request button
if the item is available
-
Log in with the
information from your Gull Card and complete the request
-
The book will be
available for you to pick up in Blackwell in 3-5 business
days
Books from Interlibrary
Loan/Worldcat
Interlibrary Loan is a great tool that
allows you to borrow a book from libraries outside the USMAI
system. Before you submit a request, make sure that we don't
own the book here at SU or at one of the other USMAI
institutions. If not, you can submit a request through
ILL
Express.
You can also search
Worldcat, which is a huge catalog of materials from
libraries all over the world. If the book you want is in a
library, chances are pretty good you will find it in Worldcat!
If you find the book you want and you know it is not available
at SU or any USMAI campus, then you can click the Find It button
and then request the book through Interlibrary Loan. The
advantage of doing it this way is that you don't have to fill in
all the information about the book!
Click here to go to the
Interlibrary Loan webpage
JUMP TO:
About Databases
Multidisciplinary/Newspaper Databases
Subject-Specific Databases
The Find-It Button
Understanding Scholarly Communication
About databases:
Use databases to find articles on your
topic. Some databases will have the full text of the
entire article available within the database, others will only
have a citation for the article. Use the Find-It button to
determine how to access the full article when there is no
electronic full-text. Read more about the Find-It Button
and Understanding Scholarly Communication below, after the list
of databases!
Here are
some databases that may be useful for
political science
topics:
Multidisciplinary/Newspapers:
-
Academic Search Complete
- a multidisciplinary database containing both scholarly and
popular sources, many of which have full-text available.
ASP is a good place to start your research. Use the FindIt
button to locate articles that are not available full-text.
-
Lexis-Nexis Academic
- a great source for full-text world news and legal
information.
-
National Newspapers
- a source of U.S. news from major papers including The
New York Times and
The Washington Post
-
JSTOR
- a huge,
wonderful database of scholarly communication from a wide
variety of disciplines, including Political Science. All of
these sources are full-text, but the newest documents are
3-5 years old.
Subject-Specific:
The
Find-It Button
It's a bit like magic,
really. The Find It button does three things:
-
Looks in all of our
databases to see if the document you want is available
full-text in another of our databases. If so, it links you
to it!
-
Links you to the library
catalog when we have the item you want in print or
microform.
-
Links you to ILLiad
(interlibrary loan) so you can borrow the item from another
library if we don't have access electronically or in print.
The Find It button is YOUR
FRIEND!!!
You can also use the Citation
Linker, another fabulously cool tool. It is useful when you
are reading an article and it cites another article that looks
like it would be super useful for your research. You plug in
the citation information for that article and can find out how
to access it, whether it be electronically, physically in the
library, or through Interlibrary Loan. It works the same way as
Find It, but you don't have to be in a database.
Learn more about the
Citation Linker!
Understanding Scholarly Communication
Many times, instructors
insist that you use scholarly sources for your papers. What
does that mean? Check out this
handy dandy
chart for the details!
Here are the
basics:
Popular Magazines:
-
glossy, pretty pages
with lots of advertisements and pictures
-
written by hired
reporters for a general audience
-
short, easily read
articles
Scholarly Journals:
-
somewhat dull
looking - very few pictures or advertisements
-
written by experts
in the field and reviewed by other scholars before
publication
-
long articles with
citations and bibliographies at the end
Why should you use
the library and not just use Google to find some good websites?
Most of the time,
scholarly publications are not
available to the general public, nor are they
available for free on the internet. Individuals or
organizations (such as a library) subscribe to these
publications. Because subscriptions are expensive, many
choose to access this content through libraries.
Often, content from
scholarly journals is indexed in databases that
the library subscribes
to. The content is on the web, but it is not accessible unless
you are affiliated with the institution who is subscribing. It
isn’t the same thing as just finding a website
through a regular Google search.
Sometimes the full text of the article is available through the
database; other times it is only a citation to the article and
you will need to find the print version of the article in the
library or order the article through interlibrary loan if we
don’t subscribe to it.
So, basically what
I'm saying is that the only way you can access this scholarly
information for free is by using the library databases!
This is a list of journals
relevant to Political Science that are available in print in the
library or electronically through one of our databases. Please
be advised that this is not a comprehensive list of
journal titles. For complete records
of all the journal holdings, search
catalogUSMAI or the Periodical
Holdings List in Blackwell Library Reference.
Because holdings and subscriptions change
from time to time, this list may not be entirely current, but I
will do my best to keep it updated. If you have any questions
or problems accessing the journals, please call or email your
friendly Liaison,
Krista Knapp, or stop by the Reference Desk.
* Indicates that full text is
not available for the current year.
Administration and Society
- Print available in Blackwell Library
Full text available through
ABI/INFORM |
1974+
1996+* |
Africa Today
- Print available in Blackwell Library
Full text available through
Academic Search Complete |
1975+
1990+ |
American Behavioral Scientist
- Print available in
Blackwell Library
Full text available through
ABI/INFORM |
1961+
1986+* |
American City and County
- Print available in
Blackwell Library
Full text available through
Academic Search Complete |
1976+
1997+ |
American Journal of International
Law -
Print and microfiche available
Blackwell Library
Full text available through
JSTOR
Full text
available through
LexisNexis |
1972+
1907-2007
1980+ |
American Journal of Political
Science -
Print available in Blackwell Library
Full text available through
Academic Search Complete |
1973+
1975+ * |
American Political
Science Review
- Print available in
Blackwell Library
Full text available through
JSTOR |
1949+
1906-2006 |
| American Politics Research
- Print available in
Blackwell Library |
2001+ |
Annals of the American
Academy of Political and Social Science
Print/Microform
available in Blackwell Library
Full text available through
JSTOR
Full text
available through
LexisNexis Academic |
1891+
1890-2004
1996+ |
Asian Survey - Print
available in Blackwell Library
Full text available through
JSTOR |
1961+
1961-2004 |
| Beijing Review -
Print available in Blackwell Library |
1979+ |
| Comparative Political Studies
- Print available in
Blackwell Library |
1975+ |
Comparative Politics -
Print available in Blackwell
Library
Full text available through
JSTOR |
1974+
1968-2004 |
Congressional Digest -
Print available in Blackwell
Library
Full text available through
Academic Search Complete |
1926+
1921+ |
Congressional Record -
Microfiche available in Blackwell
Library
Full text available through the
Government Printing Office |
1874+ |
Demography -
Print and microfilm available in
Blackwell Library
Full text available through
JSTOR
Full text
available through
ABI/INFORM |
1964+
1964-2005
2005+ |
Dissent -
Print available in Blackwell Library
Full text available through
Academic Search Complete |
1972+
2001+ |
European Journal of Political Research
- Print available in
Blackwell
Library - Full text available through
Academic Search Complete |
1976+
2002+* |
| Focus on Africa -
Print available in Blackwell Library |
1993+ |
Foreign Affairs -
Print and microfilm available in
Blackwell Library
Full text available through
Academic Search Complete |
1922+
1922+ |
Foreign Policy -
Print available in Blackwell Library
Full text available through
JSTOR
Full text
available through
Academic Search Complete |
1970+
1970-2004
1990+ |
| Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing |
|
| Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies |
|
| Harvard Law Review |
|
| International Organization |
|
| International Security |
|
| International Social Science Journal |
|
| Journal of Asian Studies |
|
| Journal of Conflict Resolution |
|
| Journal of Contemporary Asia |
|
| Journal of Inter-American Studies and World
Affairs |
|
| Journal of Military History |
|
| Journal of Modern African Studies |
|
| Journal of Peace Research |
|
| Journal of Policy Analysis and Management |
|
| Journal of Political Economy |
|
| Journal of Politics |
|
| Labor Law Journal |
|
| Latin American politics & Society |
|
| Law and Contemporary Problems |
|
| Legislative studies Quarterly |
|
| Maryland Law Review |
|
| Middle East Journal |
|
| Milbank Quarterly |
|
| Nation |
|
| National Civic Review |
|
| National Review |
|
| Near East Report |
|
| New American |
|
| New Republic |
|
| New Statesman |
|
| Oceania |
|
| Orbis |
|
| PS (Political Science) |
|
| Peace and Change |
|
| Perspectives on Political science |
|
| Perspectives on Politics |
|
| Policy Sciences |
|
| Policy Studies
Journal |
|
| Political Research Quarterly |
|
| Political Science Quarterly |
|
| Political Theory |
|
| Politics and Society |
|
| Polity |
|
| Population Bulletin |
|
| Presidential Studies Quarterly |
|
| Proceedings of the
Academy of Political Science |
|
| Progressive |
|
| Public Administration Review |
|
| Public Opinion Quarterly |
|
| Publius |
|
| Russian Review |
|
| State News |
|
| Strategic Management Journal |
|
| Terrorism and Political Violence |
|
| Towson University Journal of International
Affairs |
|
| UN Chronicle |
|
| U.S. Department of State Dispatch |
|
| Washington Monthly |
|
| Washington Report on Middle East Affairs |
|
| World Affairs |
|
| World Politics |
|
JUMP TO:
What is a Reference
Tool?
General Sources
American Politics
International Politics
Law
Online Sources
What is a reference tool?
- A reference tool is a resource that
is used to uncover a specific fact or piece of information.
Reference tools are generally not intended to be read
sequentially or cover-to-cover.
- Reference tools contain
specific facts, definitions, overviews, background
information and citations to other
relevant resources.
- Reference tools are helpful
in narrowing a topic.
- Reference tools provide
definitions of concepts.
- Reference tools
include encylopedias, dictionaries,
biographies, bibliographies, handbooks, atlases, maps, and
thesauri.
- Reference tools are a great place to
start research!
- Reference books in Blackwell Library
are located on the main floor and have call numbers that
start with the letters REF.
General Sources
-
Encyclopedia of Government
and Politics
REF JA61 .E53 1992
-
The Blackwell Encyclopaedia
of Political
Thought
REF JA61 .B57 1991
-
Encyclopedia of
Policy Studies
REF H97 .E6 1994
-
The Statesman’s
Yearbook
Ready Reference | JA51 .S7
-
Encyclopedia of Media
and Politics
REF P95.82.U6 E47 2007
-
Encyclopedia of
Terrorism
REF HV6431 .K883 2003
-
Marxism,
Communism & Western Society
REF HX40 .K43
American Politics
-
America Votes
REF JK1867 .A8
-
American Presidential
Campaigns and Elections
REF JK1965 .A57 2003
-
The American
Political
Dictionary
REF JK9 .P55 1997
-
The Best
Guide to American
Politics
REF JK1726 .W27 2000
-
Congressional
Staff Directory
REF JK1012 .C65 2008
-
CQ Almanac
Plus
REF JK1 .C66
-
Encyclopedia of American
Political
Reform
REF E839.5 .C57 1996
-
A Historical
Guide to the U.S.
Government
REF JK9 .H57 1998
-
Political
Profiles
REF E840.6 .P64
-
The Status of
Women in the States : Politics,
Economics, Health,
Demographics
REF HQ1438.A15 I57 2000
International Politics
-
The Oxford
Companion to Politics
of the World
REF JA61 .O95 1993
-
Encyclopedia of Modern
Asia
REF DS4 .E53 2002
-
Encyclopedia of the
Stateless Nations : Ethnic
and National Groups
around the World
REF D860 .M56 2002
-
Nations of the World
REF D32 .N37
-
The Columbia Gazetteer of the
World
REF G103.5 .C645 1998
Law
-
Black's Law Dictionary
REF KF156
.B43 1999
-
Constitution of the United States of America
REF KF4527 .U54 2004
-
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
REF KF4548 .E53 1986
- Landmark
Supreme Court Cases
REF KF4549 .L58 1999
- West's
Encyclopedia of American Law
REF KF154 .W47 1998
Online Sources
Political Science Bookmarks
You should evaluate websites very carefully before using them
for academic research. Although there is a lot of high quality
information available on the internet, it is buried among the
mire! Use these websites to help you sort out the good from the
bad!
JUMP TO:
General
Government Agencies
Statistics
Law
International
