Sources to Use
|
If you need |
Then try these |
Which you'll find here |
| Factual summary of events and issues to get up to speed (e.g., key players, relevant dates, major events, etc.). Ease of Wikipedia with the authority and accuracy of an academic book. | Subject-specific encyclopedias |
Sage Reference Online Gale Virtual Reference Library Sage Encyclopedia of Political Behavior |
| Broad, but in-depth, overview | Books | Library Catalog |
| Analysis of a particular aspect of an issue, trends that have resulted from an event, application of theory to events, etc. | Scholarly articles | Subscription databases |
| Facts and details about events as they happen | News |
News websites and aggregators Newspaper Source database |
| Statistical data | Government agencies, think tanks | Targeted Google searches |
Encyclopedias
Subject-specific encyclopedias are a great source of information to develop a better understanding of a topic, issue, or problem. These are written by experts for those who are new to a topic. They provide authoritative, academic treatments of subjects in an accessible way. For these databases of encyclopedia entries, keep your search terms fairly broad.
Look at article titles, but also at the encyclopedia it appears in to get a sense of what the coverage will focus on.
- Sage Reference This link opens in a new windowSearch and read entries from over one hundred social science and science specialized reference encyclopedias published by Sage.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new windowSearch hundreds of scholarly, subject-specific reference titles in many topic areas, including the arts, business, education, history, the sciences, technology, literature, and the social sciences. Excellent for in-depth overviews of terms or concepts. Search individual e-books or whole collections.
- Sage Encyclopedia of Political BehaviorISBN: 9781483391144The SAGE Encyclopedia of Political Behavior explores the intersection of psychology, political science, sociology, and human behavior. This encyclopedia integrates theories, research, and case studies from a variety of disciplines that inform this established area of study. Aimed at college and university students, this one-of-a-kind book covers voting patterns, interactions between groups, what makes different types of government systems appealing to different societies, and the impact of early childhood development on political beliefs, among others.
Databases and Journals
- Political Science Complete This link opens in a new windowSearch the full-text of reference books, monographs, and conference papers including publications of the International Political Science Association.
- Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection This link opens in a new windowGet full-text articles from over 500 journals. Topics include psychiatry, psychology, emotional and behavioral characteristics, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. Search PsycINFO for a more complete representation of psychology literature.
- International Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new windowIPSA indexes and abstracts scholarly journals in political science. Full-text may be available via Find-It.
- APA PsycINFO This link opens in a new windowIndexes psychology literature and related disciplines including psychiatry, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, cognitive science, and linguistics. Includes journals and book chapters. Use Historic PsycINFO to identify literature published as early as the 1920s. Links occur to full-text when available.
- Web of Science All Databases This link opens in a new windowThis option will search a combination of all the available science databases produced by this publisher. The search will include familiar citation, biology, medicine, and patent databases. Once connected, review the "select a database" option for a complete list. Use this option if you are not sure which Clarivate database may offer the best results.
- Journal of Political PsychologyNote that you have a variety of access options, but only OhioLINK's EJC has no embargo.
Incorporating articles
- Identifying themes for a literature reviewA literature review should help the reader understand the state of research leading up to your topic, not to provide an overview of individual articles. This worksheet is designed to help you start thinking in terms of how different sources contribute to understand the themes that influence your research.
Questions? Ask a librarian!
Brian Olesko
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