Research Guides: Politics Research Guide: Find a Research Question

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Topical Reviews

Oxford Bibliographies: Political Science This link opens in a new window
Hundreds of annotated guides to recent scholarship in topics across all subfields of political science and international relations.

Oxford Research Encyclopedia: Politics
Provides up-to-date, peer-reviewed surveys of major topics, theories, and research questions across all areas of political science.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia: International Studies
These peer-reviewed articles cover major topics, theories, and research questions across many subfields of international studies/international relations, like conflict, security, human rights, diplomacy, etc. This is the follow-up to the International Studies Association's International Studies Encyclopedia Online.
Oxford Handbooks Online
These handbooks provide a great source for authoritative reviews of research across political science, political theory, and related disciplines. Most of these we also have in print.

Routledge Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
These handbooks provide overviews current research and future trends in the social sciences and humanities, with a strong collection in politics, particularly international relations and area studies.
Annual Review of Political Science This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive review of the literature in political science. Can help students identify major tends in the field as well as find general overviews of research in specific subject areas of politics.

Elgar Research Handbooks Online
Large collection of handbooks on topics across political science and public policy.

Political Theory Sources

Cambridge Collections Online This link opens in a new window
Searchable full text access to the complete Cambridge Companions to literature, philosophy, religion, and classics.
Philosophy Compass This link opens in a new window
Peer-reviewed survey articles on contemporary work in philosophy.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Authoritative source of full-text articles with current bibliographies on many topics of philosophy.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Provides full-text articles with current bibliographies on virtually every aspect of philosophy.
Encyclopedia of Political Theory - Mark Bevir, ed.
Thorough discussions of a diverse range of political theories and concepts.

Past Masters This link opens in a new window
Searchable full-text works in several languages from major philosophers and theologians.

Major Encyclopedias Covering the Whole Discipline

SAGE Handbook of Political Science
Published in 2020, this handbook provides a thorough overview of the discipline. Each of the 92 chapters gives a comprehensive overview of major topics within each subfield. Thematic sections include, Political Theory, Methods, Political Sociology, Comparative Politics, Public Policies and Administration, International Relations, and Major Challenges for Politics and Political Science in the 21st Century.
International Encyclopedia of Political Science (2011)
Covers all aspects of politics, from political theory and methodology to political sociology, comparative politics, public policies, and international relations.
The Encyclopedia of Political Science
Covers all areas of political science and provides medium-length entries with short bibliographies for further reading. Created under the direction of the American Political Science Association. Also in print at JA61 .E513 2011 (Trustee Reading Room Reference).

International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.) This link opens in a new window
Covering 26 volumes in print, this major encyclopedia aims to capture the "state of the art" of the social and behavioral sciences, expanding its focus to include related biological fields, such as evolutionary science, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, and health. Topics include anthropology, archaeology, demography, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychiatry, psychology, and sociology.

Sources for Paper Ideas

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Offers reports and analysis on a variety of current policy issues. Includes background information, pro/con debates, and a chronology, plus resources for additional research.
Facts On File Issues and Controversies This link opens in a new window
Explore current issues and events with in-depth articles made to inspire thought-provoking debates. Topic pages feature the latest related news coverage from Reuters® as well as a variety of helpful background information, from the key pro/con arguments to chronologies of related events to primary documents. Updated weekly. 1995–present.
World News Digest (Facts on File) This link opens in a new window
Digest of major news stories around the world. 1940+

Get Statistical Help

Need statistical help?

Firestone Library's Data & Statistical Services section has 2 full-time consultants and a group of advanced graduate students who can help you! See the DSS website to make an appointment with one of the consultants or find the schedule for their virtual drop-in hours.

If you're in the social sciences, the Politics Department's Program for Quantitative and Analytical Political Science also provides a Consulting Service to advise on research design, statistics, formal theory, and computational questions arising from your research.

The library also provides numerous training workshops on R, Stata, visualization tools, and GIS software.

POL Course Guides

POL 324: Congressional Politics
by Jeremy Darrington Last Updated Dec 5, 2023 13 views this year

Princeton University Library

Politics Research Guide

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