skip global navigationCSUSM Library
  CSUSM | Courses/Web CT
home library catalog research databases aubject & course guides ask a librarian  
Home / Subject & Course Guides / Political Science
Guide to Political Science Resources
The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in Political Science. For further assistance, contact Allison Carr, Social Sciences Librarian.
Course Guides
PSCI 100U.S. Government and Politics (Bass)
PSCI 100U.S. Government and Politics (Matthews)
PSCI 100U.S. Government and Politics (Breckon)
PSCI 301The Practice of Political Research (Bass)
PSCI 331World Political Systems (Castaneda)
PSCI 361US Latin American Relations (Castaneda)
PSCI 413Constitutional Law (Quinley)

[ All Political Science course guides ]

Getting Started
Books
Journal Articles
Web Sites
Special Topic: Politics and Religion
Citing your Sources
 

Getting Started

These sources can help you identify a topic for your research. Some provide an overview of a specific issue and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research. Others help you to notice a topic that might be of interest to you.

Worldmark encyclopedia of the nations
REFERENCE G63 .W67

The Oxford companion to politics of the world
REFERENCE JA61 .O95 2001

Political science : illustrated search strategy and sources : with an introduction to legal research for undergraduates
REFERENCE JA70 .L68 1993

The Blackwell encyclopaedia of political thought
REFERENCE JA61 .B57 1987

The Blackwell dictionary of political science

 

Books

To search for books, you need to use a library catalog. Depending on how much time you have, you have a couple of options.

Tips for searching the Library Catalog
Don't waste your time with fruitless searches; here are some tips for doing your research faster.

 

Books at Cal State San Marcos

Library Catalog
Search our local collection of about 250,000 books.

Other Options

Circuit (1-3 day delivery)
Search the collections of other San Diego area libraries -- about 3,000,000 books. Find and request books directly online; pick them up at our Library in 1-3 days.

WorldCat (5-10 day delivery)
Search the collections of libraries world-wide -- about 52,000,000 books. Find a book in this database, and fill-out an Interlibrary Loan delivery request. Book will be delivered to Library for pickup.

 

Journal Articles

To look for articles in journals, you will need to start with a research database. The following databases provide abstracts of articles from thousands of journals and other sources, often providing full-text.

Strategies for searching these databases
Don't waste your time with fruitless searches; here are some tips for doing your research faster.

 

Most Useful

PAIS
An important index to political, economic, and social issues in current debate.
Coverage: 1972→current

GPO: U.S. Government Printing Office
Abstracts from all types of U.S. government documents, including Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and records.
Coverage: 1976→current

Sociological Abstracts
Provides access to the latest international findings in theoretical and applied sociology, social science, and political science.
Coverage: 1963→current

JSTOR
Contains (EXCEPT for the latest five years) core scholarly journals in sociology, history, economics, political science, mathematics, African-American & Asian studies, literature, humanities, music, and biological, health & general sciences.
Coverage: 1838→2003

Also Useful

Project Muse
Full-text coverage for hundreds of scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics
Coverage: 1993→current

Womens Studies International
Includes over 204,000 records drawn from a variety of essential women's studies databases.
Coverage: 1972→current

Academic Search Premier
This scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study including: computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more.
Coverage: 1975→current

Lexis Nexis Academic
Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information.
Coverage: 1975→current

CQ Researcher
Explores a single "hot" issue in the news in-depth each week. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology.
Coverage: 1991→current

Blackwell
Blackwell includes over 800 journals in Arts, Business, Health Sciences Humanities, Social Behavioral Sciences, and Science and Technology.
Coverage: current

Sage Journals Online
Sage Journals Online includes over 460 journals in Business, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology and Medicine.
Coverage: current

Public Policy Institute of California
This collection of California state policy, research and statistical reports covers subjects such as economic development, education, employment, environment, government/politics, health, housing, infrastructure (transportation, water, etc.), immigration.
Coverage: 1996→current

 

Web Sites

Strategies for searching the Internet

 

Select Political Science Internet  Resources

 
 
Cal State San Marcos California State University San Marcos Library
Send comments to Library Webmaster