Subject Guide: Political Science

This guide is intended to serve those seeking information pertaining to political science from sources provided by North Carolina Central University.

Reference Sources

Finding Books

• Catalogs and InterLibrary Loan
• E-Books
• New Acquisitions Books
• Library of Congress Classes

Finding Journals and Magazines

• Print Journals
• Electronic Databases

Finding Primary Sources

• Government Documents
• Local Primary Sources
• Newspapers
• Other Primary Source Library Resources
• Primary Source Websites

Professional Organizations

General Information

Reference Sources [ Top ]

American political scientists: a dictionary . Edited by Glenn H. Utter and Charles Lockhart. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press,2002.

REF JA61 .A525 2002

Brewer’s politics: a Phrase and Fable Dictionary. Edited by Comfort, Nicholas A. London, Cassel l, 1993.

REF JA61 .C663 1993

Congressional Quarterly Almanac. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Inc.,1948-.

REF JK1 .C66

Congressional Staff Directory . Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2000-.

REF JK102 .C65

CSA political science & government
REF JA71 .Z1 A214

Elections A to Z. Edited by Benenson, Bob. Washington D.C.: CQ Press, 2008.

REF JK1976 .M57 2008

Encyclopedia of government and politics. Edited by Mary Hawkesworth and Maurice Kogan. New York: Routledge, 2004.

REF JA61 .C66 2004 v.1-2

Holler, Frederick L. The Information of Political Science. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, Inaugural Edition.

REF Z7161 .H64

International political science Abstract
REF JA36 .I5

PAIS international in print
REF JX71 .Z1 P83x

Political handbook of the world. Edited by Arthur S. Banks and Thomas C Muller. Binghamton, New York: DSA Publications, 1975-.

REF JF37 .P6

The Book of the States . Lexington. KY: Council of State Government, 1943-

REF JK2403 .B6

The international year book and statesmen’s who’s who. East Grinstead, England : Kelly’s Directories, 1953-.

REF JA51 .I57

The Statesman’s year book , London : Macmillan ; New York : St. Martins Press, 1864-.

REF JA51 .S7

United States Government Manual. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1940-

REF JK421 .A3

Who’s Who in American Politics. New York : Bowker, 1967-

REF E176 .W6424

Finding Books [ Top ]

Catalogs and InterLibrary Loan [ Top ]

NCCU Catalog

How to search NCCU's Catalog

Search TRLN

Joint catalog of the Triangle Research Libraries Network: Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

WorldCat via OCLC FirstSearch
Coverage: Union catalog of materials held in libraries world-wide.

Allows you to search other libraries if the libraries at NCCU don’t carry the book you need.

ILLiad

Allows you to order books from other libraries through InterLibrary Loan. If it’s your first time using ILL, you’ll need to create an account first. Just click on “First Time Users” (near the bottom of the page) to create your account—it’s free and easy!

E-Books [ Top ]

For both of these e-book collection, you must creat a free account.

Books24x7 ITPro & BusinessPro Library Collections
Coverage: Referenceware is the largest online book resource offering unobstructed access to the complete unabridged contents of thousands of the latest and best business and technology books, as well as to expert summaries of popular business books.

Note: You must create a free account first and then you will be able to log in and access Books24x7.

ebrary

Coverage: Offering access to full-text e-books in high-use subject areas. All of the documents in the ebrary platform can be cross-referenced, are full-text searchable, and integrate with other digital resources in the library and on the web through the ebrary Reader™ and InfoTools™  software. ebrary offers a choice of Readers with QuickView™ for instant viewing in a browser.

Note: You must create a free account first and then you will be able to log in and use ebrary Reader.

NetLibrary via NetLibrary
Coverage: Provides easy access to the full text of more than 10,000 reference, scholarly, and professional books.

New Acquisitions Books [ Top ]

Contemporary pattern of politics, praxis, and culture. Edited by George A. Persons.New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers,2005.

JA76 .C575 2005

Heroes and martyrs of Palestine: the politics of national commemoration. By Khalili, Laleh. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

DS113.6.K37 2007

In search of the good life: a peadagogy for troubled times. By Dallmayr, Fred R. Lexington, KY. University Press of Kentucky, 2007.

JA76 .D234 2007

Interpretation and method: empirical research methods and the interpretive turn . Edited by Dvora Yanow. N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2006.

JA71 .I575 2006

The game of justice:  a theory of individual self-government. By Lane, Ruth.  New York:  State University of New York, 2007.

JC578.L36 2007             

The Palgrave Macmillian dictionary of political thought. By Scryton, Roger. New York: Palgrave Macmillam, 2007.

JA61 .S37 2007

Understanding the political world : a comparative introduction to science. By Danziger, James N. New York: Pearson Education, 2005.

JA66 .D36 2005

Library of Congress Classes [ Top ]

These areas of the LC Classification system contain materials about Political Science history. Please note that the subject headings are taken from the Library of Congress website.

Finding Journals and Magazines [ Top ]

Journal Finder

Journal Finder is the online index for all journals to which the NCCU community has access. You can search by journal title (often called “Source” in database results) and see the various types of access available. If the journal is available online, a link provides immediate access.

NCCU Theses

The library maintains a collection of theses written by NCCU students. Theses are kept in the Treasure Room and can be accessed by requesting a thesis at the reference desk. You can search for a thesis in the library catalog or by examining our index, also kept in the reference area.

Print Journals [ Top ]

Shepard Library has an extensive collection of print journals, current issues of which can be found in the serials section of the library (2nd floor), shelved alphabetically by journal title. Older issues can be found on the third floor in bound volumes, also shelved alphabetically by journal title. Journals may not be checked out, but you may make copies in the reference section (2nd floor) and reserves section (1st floor) of the library.

Indexes provide ways to search for periodical articles—the precursor to databases. Some indexes, such as Biography and Genealogy MasterIndex, have been converted to database format and may be available both online and in print. For many older periodicals, indexes remain the only way to search for articles. If you need help using an index, don’t hesitate to ask at the serials desk!

Some print indexes available at Shepard Library:

Biography Index

Bibliographic Index

Index to Black Periodicals

Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature

Vertical File Index

Electronic Databases [ Top ]

The electronic databases listed below allow you to search for journal articles. Some databases may provide access to the full text of the articles; if only a citation is provided, you can use Journal Finder to see if we carry the journal in our libraries.

Academic Search Premier via EBSCOhost
Coverage: Provides abstracts and indexing for over 3,200 scholarly journals covering a wide variety of subject areas from 1984 to present. Includes many complete articles from over 1,000 journals including 380 journals dating back to 1990.

America History and Life via EBSCOhost

Coverage: Contains over 400,000 bibliographic citations and abstracts from over 2000 journals. Citations include journals of state and local historical societies, the social sciences and humanities, and leading historical journals in related fields. Historical coverage of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.

CQ Electronic Library via CQ Press
Coverage: CQ Electronic Library provides access to over 3,000 journals, magazines and newspapers articles on current and controversial issues.

Expanded Academic ASAP via Gale

Coverage: From arts and the humanities to social sciences, science and technology, this database meets research needs across all academic disciplines. Access scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images. 1980 - Current.

Historical Abstracts via EBSCOhost
Coverage: Bibliographic citations and abstracts from over 2000 journals, books, and dissertations. Historical coverage of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada)in all branches of world history, including political, diplomatic, military, economic, social culture, religious, and the history of science, technology, and medicine.

JSTOR

Coverage: Archive of over 100 full text scholarly journals in the arts and sciences. Does not include issues from recent volumes usually the last 2-5 years.

North Carolina General Assembly via NC LIVE

Coverage: This database finds articles in all major law reviews, law journals, specialty law and bar association journals. Legal newspapers on Federal and State Cases, Laws and Government Regulations, Legal Practice, and legal subjects such as Taxation and International Law. British Commonwealth and European Union cases and law are also included.

PAIS International via Cambridge Scientific Abstracts

Coverage: The PAIS International database from CSA contains references to more than 553,300 journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. Newspapers and newsletters are not indexed. PAIS International includes publications from over 120 countries throughout the world. In addition to English, some of the indexed materials are published in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Political Science: A SAGE Full-Text Collection via CSA
Coverage: Political science, American government, policy studies. 1974-Current.

Social Science Citation Index via ISI Web of Knowledge
Coverage: A multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of the social sciences. It fully indexes more than 1,725 journals across 50 disciplines. It also indexes individually selected, relevant items from over 3,300 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. Provides access to current information and retrospective data from 1956 forward.

Finding Primary Sources [ Top ]

Government Documents [ Top ]

Government Document Center

This will take you to the library’s page on accessing and using government documents.

Electronic Databases that give you access to government documents include:

GPO Access via US Government Publications Office
Coverage: GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted. This free service is funded by the Federal Depository Library Program and has grown out of Public Law 103-40, known as the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Enhancement Act of 1993.

LexisNexis Academic via LexisNexis
Coverage: Provides full-text documents from over 5,900 news, business, legal, medical, and reference publications. These sources include U.S. Federal and State case law, codes, regulations, Shepard's Citations for all U.S. Supreme Court cases back to 1789, company financial information, and industry and market news.

MarciveWeb Docs via US Government Publications
Coverage: MarciveWeb Docs is a general index to federal government documents published from 1976 to the present and is updated monthly. It indexes many types of documents including agency publications, annual reports, census data, congressional hearings, and statistical publications.

North Carolina General Assembly via NC LIVE

Coverage: This database finds articles in all major law reviews, law journals, specialty law and bar association journals. Legal newspapers on Federal and State Cases, Laws and Government Regulations, Legal Practice, and legal subjects such as Taxation and International Law. British Commonwealth and European Union cases and law are also included.

Government Sources Web Links

USA.gov - the United States government's official web portal.

United Nations

U.S. Department of State

White House

Local Primary Sources [ Top ]

Shepard Library maintains a vertical file (file cabinets with newspaper clippings, brochures and other primary documents) about NCCU and Durham, which located in the Reference Department on the 2nd floor. Please ask a librarian for assistance!

Newspapers [ Top ]

Print Newspapers and Indexes

Currently received newspapers and print indexes are located in the serials section of the library. The serials department also maintains a collection of currently received newsletters, plus microfilm/microfiche of newspaper back issues and some newspapers that are not received in print.

A selection of currently received newspapers available in Shepard Library:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Daily World

Carolina Times

Charlotte Observer

Christian Science Monitor

Federal Times

Herald-Sun(Durham)

New York Times

News & Observer(Raleigh)

News & Record(Greensboro)

USA Today

Washington Post

Wall Street Journal

Washington Post

Wilmington Journal

Newspaper indexes available at Shepard Library:

Black Newspapers Index

Durham Morning Herald/Durham Sun Index

New York Times Index

Wall Street Journal Index

Electronic Newspaper Access

The newspaper databases listed here are only a selection of newspaper resources available on the Political Database page. You can also use Journal Finder to look up newspaper titles that the library carries in print and electronically.

Global NewsBank via NewsBank
Coverage: News articles covering politics, economics, culture, business, science, technology, and the environment from Africa, Asia, Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Pacific Rim, Central and South America, and the Middle East. All articles are in English and are from over 1000 translated broadcasts, news agency transmissions, wire services, newspapers, magazines and government documents. Coverage is from 1996 to present.

LexisNexis Academic via LexisNexis
Coverage: Provides full-text documents from over 5,900 news, business, legal, medical, and reference publications. These sources include U.S. Federal and State case law, codes, regulations, Shepard's Citations for all U.S. Supreme Court cases back to 1789, company financial information, and industry and market news.

NewsBank NewsFile Collection via NewsBank
Coverage: News articles covering social, economic, environmental, government, sports, the arts, people, health and science issues and events from more than 500 U.S. regional and national newspapers, wire services, and broadcasts. 1992-- present.

News and Observer Index [Raleigh] via ProQuest Company
Coverage: Covers North Carolina and the world. Indexes articles from 1995 to present. Includes a few complete articles from 1988 to 1994 and most articles from 1995 to present.

ProQuest Newspapers via ProQuest
Coverage: Includes all of North Carolina Newsstand and many full text articles from: Christian Science Monitor (1988 to present), Los Angeles Times (1985 to present), New York Times (1980 to present), Wall Street Journal (1984 to present), The Washington Post (1987 to present).

Other Primary Source Library Resources [ Top ]

Historic Documents. Congressional Quarterly, Inc. 1972-present. Serial publication.

Yearly publication of important US documents.

Accessible Archives

Coverage: It makes available vast quantities of archived historical information, previously furnished only on microfilm. Its primary source material has been selected to reflect a broad view of the times, and has been assembled into databases with a strict attention to detail allowing access to specific information with pinpoint accuracy.  Its full text search capability and digital imaging permits the user to search and manipulate information in ways never before possible.

CQ Electronic Library via CQ Press
Coverage: CQ Electronic Library provides access to over 3,000 journals, magazines and newspapers articles on current and controversial issues.

[Once you enter the database, look under Online Editions, and select the option “Historic Documents Series” for primary sources.]

International Financial Statistics via International Monetary Fund
Coverage: IFS is a monthly database produced by the International Monetary Fund which provides time series data covering approximately 26,000 economic concepts which show major economic aggregates used in the analysis of economic developments and includes data on exchange rates, balance of payments, banking and financial systems, fund positions, interest rates, government finanace, international liquidity and banking, national accounts, employment, population, prices, production, and trade.

Primary Source Websites [ Top ]

Documenting the American South

Primary documents from the American South, provided by UNC-Chapel Hill.

Library of Congress Digital Collections

Online access to a number of primary source collections.

National Archives

Main website of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Professional Organizations [ Top ]

American Political Science Association

Midwest Political Science Association

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration

General Information [ Top ]

Electronic Information System for International Law

FactCheck.Org, Annenberg Political Fact Check

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research

OYEZ: United State Supreme Court Multimedia

[ Top ]

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This page was last updated: May 28th, 2009 

Send comments to: Library Liaison for Political Science and Web Liaison