• Introduction
• Getting Started
• Finding Books
• Finding Articles
• Web Sites
• Instructor Reserves
• Citing Sources (MLA) and Plagiarism

This guide is designed to assist students taking Political Science courses with locating library resources for their research paper assignments. The guide is organized into steps that cover the basic research process: identifying a topic, locating relevant sources, and citing sources used to write the paper. For general research assistance other than Political Science, view the links under Research Tools.

Whether your instructor assigns you a topic or you choose one yourself, an effective way to begin your research is with a source that presents an overview of the issues. This will enable you to focus your topic while providing valuable background information for selecting articles and information from other resources. The following sources are recommended as starting points for identifying Political Science issues:

Congressional Digest
A monthly nonpartisan publication that presents analysis and debates on important public policy issues facing the U.S. Congress. Each month is devoted to a single controversial topic ( Welfare Reform, School Prayer, Chemical Weapons, etc.) and provides an overview, legislative background, and pro and con position papers from members of Congress. (Located in the Periodicals Department.)

CQ Researcher
A weekly publication addressing current social, political, economic, and international topics. Each issue includes a topic summary, a background overview, a chronology of important dates, a brief pro/con discussion, and an annotated bibliography. (Located in the Periodicals Department. Also available online: See "Finding Articles" below.)

Books and other library materials can be searched using the Online Catalog. Books for Political Science are categorized under sections J-JX of the Library of Congress Classification System. There are two categories of books in the library: general and reference. General books can be checked out and are often used for more in-depth research. Reference books do not circulate but can be useful for acquiring an overview on a topic. Reference books are located on the upper floor of the library and circulating books are in the "Stacks" on the lower floor. Reference titles for Political Science include:

The Blackwell Dictionary of Political Science
Ref. JA 61 B43 1999

A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy
Ref. JA 71 C565 1993

Congressional Quarterly's Guide to Congress
Ref. JK 1021 C565 2000

Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections
Ref. JK 1967 C662 1994

Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Presidency
Ref. JK 516 C57 1996

CQ Almanac
Ref. JK 1 C66

The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World
Ref. JK 61 O96 1993

Political Parties & Elections in the United States
Ref. JK 12261 P633 1991

There are of course countless Web sites related to Political Science. Links to some recommended sites are listed under "Internet Resources" > Political Science, Government, and Law on the library's website. A few sites that contain issue related topics are listed below:

National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA)
A nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization, the NCPA's goal is to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulations. Policy issues include education, immigration, health care reform, minimum wage, and welfare.

Public Agenda: Issue Guides
A nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that provides perspectives and analysis of public attitudes toward controversial social issues. Each issue begins with an introduction and is divided into three research categories: "Understanding the Issues," "Public Opinion," and "Additional Resources."

ProCon.org
A nonprofit and nonpartisan organization whose mission is "Promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues..." Each issue is supported by its own home page and contains in-dept resources on the topic.

Social Issues
The Social Issues Web page is part of the Multnomah County Library (Oregon) "Homework Center". Although its stated audience is middle school students, the site is appropriate for any researcher. Each issue contains links to "megasites," followed by sites with pro and con arguments.

The library maintains a collection of instructor reserve materials. These consist of textbooks, videos, and supplemental course materials that instructors have put in the library for student use. To find what materials are available for Political Science, search the Reserve Desk in the Online Catalog. It is best to search by "Course Number" (ex. POLS 101) in that an instructor other than yours may have placed an item on reserve. Materials can be requested at the Circulation counter and generally must be used in the library on a two-hour loan period.

The most common way to cite sources is to use a bibliography or "Works Cited" list at the end of your paper. The works cited list includes a citation for each of the sources you used to write your paper. The citations are formatted in a consistent style according to one of several standard citation formats. One of the most common formats for college research papers is the MLA (Modern Language Association) style. Copies of the MLA Handbook are available in the library stacks (LB 2369 G53 2009). An abbreviated version is also on the library's website under "Research Tools" -- MLA. The abbreviated version has examples for citing full-text articles from online databases (Expanded Academic ASAP, CQ Weekly, etc.) and other selected library sources. If you are unsure about when and why it is necessary to cite sources, see "Understanding Plagiarism" for a concise overview and additional links. Assistance with writing your paper is available at the VVC Writing Center.