Okanagan Library Research Help
Political Science Liaison Librarian - UBC Vancouver
Library Access Browser Extension
Step 1: Download and install the extension: leanlibrary.com/download
Step 2: Select University of British Columbia
Step 3: Start searching! When off-campus, Library Access will let you know when you are on a website that the library has access to.
Step 4: Login with your UBC CWL (campus wide login)
Start Here
Political Science research requires knowledge of how to search as well as where to search for different types of relevant information. This research guide provides two approaches to research through the left-hand menu.
- First, we provide guidance on how to search for different types of sources: articles, books, background reading and primary sources.
- Second, we provide guidance on how and where to search for information specific to subtopics within Political Science. For each of these topical areas, the general search strategies described for different types of sources also apply.
As general starting points, UBC Library's Summon Search, the Scopus database and Google Scholar are all excellent tools for locating a wide range of interdisciplinary and political science sources. Beyond these general search tools, this guide highlights specific places to search based on source type and topic.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowWorld's largest academic search engine providing free searching to a full range of scholarly literature (ie. peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, pre-prints, abstracts, technical reports).
Key Political Science Databases
- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new windowCitations, abstracts, and indexing of the literature in political science, international relations, law, and public administration and policy. About 2500 journal titles from around the world are monitored for coverage.
- PAIS Index This link opens in a new windowPAIS is an index to the literature of public policy, social policy, and the social sciences in general.
- JSTOR Collection This link opens in a new windowIn addition to fully-searchable journal backfiles, also includes current issues for some titles as well as collections of primary-source documents such as their '19th century British pamphlets'.
- CIAO - Columbia International Affairs Online This link opens in a new windowWorking papers, occasional papers series from NGOs, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs related to international affairs.
- Web of Science Core Collection This link opens in a new windowMultidisciplinary database of journal articles and conference proceedings, used for citation analysis of research. Includes access to EndNote Basic, a web-based version of EndNote.
Related Guides and Publications
- How to CiteUBC Library guide to citing sources.
- Newspapers and News SourcesUBC Library guide to newspaper sources.
- Public PolicyUBC Library guide to public policy resources.
- Intergovernmental OrganizationsUBC Library guide to IGOs including the United Nations, World Bank, WHO.
- Style Manual for Political ScienceAmerican Political Science Association, Committee on Publications. 2018.
- Theses and DissertationsUBC Library Guide to finding theses and dissertations.