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Research Guides

Political Science

Get started with key print and online resources in political science.

Major political science databases

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts  1975+

  • Indexes dissertations and scholarly journal articles, covering almost 1,350 serials including major journals on policy
  • Features a thesaurus of subject terms to help improve your searches
  • Shows you how many times the article has been cited in the database screenshot of cited by information in WWPSA

PAIS International  1914+

  • Indexes articles from scholarly journals and magazines, (such as the Atlantic, Economist, Commentary, Policy Review and Public Interest), books, government and other reports and statistical compilations addressing important political, economic and social issues
  • Publications from over 120 countries throughout the world, some in languages other than English

International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)  1951+

  • Indexes journal articles, books, chapters of multi-authored books, and book reviews
  • Compiled by the British Library of Political and Economic Science of the London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Includes publications from over 100 countries in 70 languages

Annual Review of Political Science  1998+

  • Combines primary research literature and identifies principal contributions in political science
  • Features articles written by recognized experts in their field

Multi-disciplinary databases

Proquest Databases

  • Multidisciplinary search engine of academic journals, newspapers, ebooks, and more

Scopus

  • Includes peer-reviewed research journals, conference papers, trade publications, some book series in the sciences and social sciences (with some humanities coverage)
  • Clear, easy-to-use search interface; users can refine search by journal, author, and discipline

Web of Science: Core Collection

  • A major multidisciplinary database covering the Arts & Humanities, the Sciences, and the Social Sciences
  • Users can search its entirety or its subsections

Factiva

  • Includes the following indexes:
    • Canadian newspapers, including The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and National Post
    • U.K. newspapers, including The Guardian, The Independent, and The Times (London)
    • U.S. newspapers, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post
    • News magazines, such as The Economist
    • International papers, in English and other languages

Google Scholar

Google Scholar may be a useful supplement to other databases. To avoid paying for articles, check for their availability in the university's libraries.

Specific areas and formats

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO)

  • Source for theory and research in international affairs
  • Indexes working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs
  • Also includes original case studies written by leading international affairs experts
  • Note: no capacity for Boolean searches

PolicyFile

  • Unique resource for U.S. public policy research
  • Accesses information from over 300 public policy think tanks, non-governmental organizations, research institutes, university centers, advocacy groups, and other entities
  • Well-known contributors include: the Brookings Institution, Cato Institute, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Hoover Institution, International Monetary Fund, RAND Corporation, World Bank

Alternative Press Index 1991+

  • Features articles on cultural, economic, political, and social issues from radical and left-leaning resources
  • Coverage is international and interdisciplinary

Bibliography of Native North Americans 1550s+

  • Database covers aspects of Indigenous North American culture, history and life
  • Topics include archaeology, multicultural relations, gaming, governance, legend, and literacy

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global 1861+ (full text from 1997+)

EconLit: Economic Literature Index

  • Index includes journal articles, books, book reviews, collective volume articles, working papers and dissertations
  • Features over 120 years of economic literature from around the world

Gender Studies Database 1972+

  • Interdisciplinary coverage of a range of topics, including women's studies, men's studies, ethnic diversity, and sexual health

Left Index 1982+

  • Index focuses on political, social, economic, and culturally-engaged work in both inside and outside of academia

IPEX

  • Tool for finding translated European national parliamentary material translated into English 
  • Commentaries/related national legislation surrounding EU legislation 

Topical collections (primary sources and publications)

Archive of official publications and primary source material related to civil rights in the United State from the 19th century through the 20th century 

Reports, publications, and news broadcasts offering firsthand analysis, descriptions, and viewpoints of every facet of the Cold War 

Translated and English-language radio and television broadcasts, newspapers, periodicals, government documents and books providing global insight on immigration in the mid-to-late 20th century 

Reports, publications, and news broadcasts covering America's fight for racial justice, with firsthand analysis of race relations in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia 

Translated news broadcasts and publications on the international reaction to apartheid throughout the African continent and from around the world 

Secret Files from the World Wars to the Cold War

Canadian databases

America: History and Life  1964+

  • Covers the United States and Canada
  • Indexes journals published worldwide

Canadian Periodical Index CPI.Q.  1992+

  • Indexes a comprehensive list of Canadian and international journals, magazines, newspapers, and other references

CBCA Reference  1982+

  • Indexes a wide diversity of Canadian periodicals, ranging from academic titles to special interest publications to general magazines

Contemporary Canadian Politics: an annotated bibliography, 1970-1987 and 1988-1994

  • Available in Robarts Reference at Z7165 .C2 M28 1988

Canadian Political Parties, 1867-1968: A Historical Biography

  • Available in Robarts Reference at Z7165 .C2 H4

Canadian Foreign Relations Index (CFRI)  1945+

  • Contains domestic and foreign material (including speeches and policy statements) on Canadian foreign relations, economic relations, foreign aid, international law, and international environmental concerns
  • CFRI is a compilation of the print series A Bibliography of Works on Canadian Foreign Relations, published in six volumes

Canadian Research Index (CRI)  1982+

  • Indexes depository publications of research value by Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments (excluding Nunavut)
  • Also indexes non-depository policy, social, economic, and political reports issued by hundreds of Canadian government agencies and departments; Statistics Canada monographs and serials; and scientific and technical reports issued by research institutes and government labs
  • Excellent resource for Canadian political science research

Muniscope

  • Contains over 9,000 publications relating to urban, regional, and rural communities
  • Topics include: planning; infrastructure; service delivery; finance and taxation; economic development; sustainable development; housing; recreation
  • To search Muniscope, register as a Guest user, then highlight the library button and click on Search
  • All Muniscope documents are available to U of T students and staff through Interlibrary Loan for $5.00 per item charge

French language resources

REPÈRE Internet

  • Provides indexing of over 500 French-language periodicals covering all subject fields
  • Includes French resources from Canada, France, Belgium, and Switzerland