LibGuides: PS 1 Escover: Assignment 1

Political Science Research

Background Information & Keywords

Use your class notes, textbook, and the library databases Opposing Viewpoints & CQ Researcher to gather background information on your topic.
Identify keywords to focus your search. Keywords include people, organizations, events, synonyms, and specialized vocabulary. For example:
- gerrymandering
- redistricting
- majority-minority district
- census

Revise & Refine your Search

Use your keywords to find at least three articles on your topic
Re-do your search in Opposing Viewpoints and CQ Researcher. You can also try U.S. Newsstream and OneSearch.
Send yourself at least three articles, including the APA citations

Find Sources

Find Articles on your Research Topic

Opposing Viewpoints -- overview of social issues
CQ Researcher -- in-depth reports on social issues
OneSearch -- to search all of the library collections at the same time

Political Science Journals

Foreign Affairs -- Reviews current events as they affect US relations worldwide
Political Science Quarterly -- Covers politics & policy
Governance -- International politics, policy, & the organization of the state. 1-year full-text delay.
Journal of Politics -- American & international politics. 1-year full-text delay.
Political Behavior -- Interdisciplinary study of group and individual political behavior. 1-year full-text delay.

News Sources:

Intended for a general audience
Written by journalists
Reviewed by one or more editors for quality and accuracy
Provide information on a recent event or topic of interest
Provide the perspectives of average people, not experts

IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all news sources are created equal! Some have hidden (or obvious!) motives or political beliefs. Do some background research into who owns the news organization to learn more about it.

Find News Sources:

OneSearch search everything in OneSearch and limit to "Newspaper Articles"
U.S. Newsstream includes the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many other newspapers
Google News free online newspapers

Phone with google search box

Research Centers & Fact-Checking Websites

Pew Research Center - nonpartisan fact tank
Public Policy Institute of California - nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank
FactCheck.org - checks the factual accuracy of statements
PolitiFact - researches statements and rates their accuracy on the Truth-O-Meter

Polls & Statistics

graph and map displaying statistics

Public opinion on different issues
Demographic data -- age, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status -- as well as housing, employment, health, and many other topics
Includes current and historical data
Numbers can be used to tell a story

Find Polls & Statistics:

Data.gov from the U.S. Census
Pew Research Center -- a nonpartisan fact tank
Public Policy Institute of California -- a nonpartisan think tank

PS 1 Escover

Questions? Ask A Librarian

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