Subject Guides: Political Science Subject Guide: Finding Background Information

Encyclopedias, Handbooks, and More

To find more print and online reference books for general political science topics, as well as specific subjects within or related to political science, search Encompass Search or ask for help..

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Hundreds of authoritative dictionaries, encyclopedias, fact books, guides, companions and more from respected publishers across dozens of major subject areas.

Annual Review of Political Science
Literature reviews providing summary and analysis of research in the field of political science, published annually. Good for an overview of the state of research on a given topic. Full text is available online for 1998-present.

The Oxford Handbook of Political Science by Robert E. Goodin (Editor)
ISBN: 0199604452
Publication Date: 2011-09-02

Country and Government Information

CIA World Factbook
Information, including statistics, on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for hundreds of world entities.
Countries and their Cultures
Focuses on cultures and countries around the world, specifically what is and is not shared culturally by the people who live in a particular country. Entries contain descriptive summaries of the country in question, including demographic, historical, cultural, economic, religious, and political information.
Department of State Background Notes / Fact Sheets
Fact sheets from the Department of State that focus on U.S. relations with each country.
Political Handbook of the World
Information by country on a variety of topics, including: government and politics, constitution, foreign affairs, political and opposition parties, and more.
World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples
"Our information is well-researched and verified and provides a unique resource to journalists, governments, UN officials and academics across the globe."

Resources for Newspapers and Magazines

Google News
Search or browse across many news sites simultaneously.
Mondo Times -- the Worldwide News Media Guide
Links to local media in the United States and worldwide, including newspaper, TV stations, news radio stations, and online news sources.

Reader's Guide Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Provides indexing of general-interest periodicals published in the United States for the period 1890-1982.

Think Tanks

Think tanks are institutions affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses that generate public policy research, analysis, and activity.

Harvard Kennedy School Library Think Tank Search
A custom Google search of more than 250 U.S. and non-U.S. think tank websites.

Getting Started with Reference Resources

The resources on this page can help you to brainstorm topic ideas, narrow your topic to make it more manageable, or learn background information about a topic you have picked.