Welcome to the Politics & International Relations LibGuide
Use this guide to help you make the most of the library and information resources and services.
Search across the print and online collections for books, chapters, articles, journals and lots more.
For more in depth research in databases and archives, use the A-Z Databases List.
Finding Books & Journal Articles
Use the IBSS LibGuide for guidance and search tips
The Web of Science LibGuide for comprehensive support and training
JSTOR provides access to scholarly book, journal and primary sources via an easy to use search interface.
Use the How to Search JSTOR LibGuide for a general introduction to the service.
The Political Science Resources on JSTOR guide will introduce you to the content available in this area. The content covers all the major subfields of political science: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory & philosophy, political behavior, public policy and law. The political science content includes journals published around the world, including concentrations in Middle East studies, India, and Asia.
JSTOR also has a Vimeo channel for educational and instructional videos. The following video shows you how to use ebooks on the JSTOR service.
This archive consists of numerous collections. Those available to you include
A Proquest Libguide for DNSA is available. Note that the guide covers all the collections on DNSA, and your full text access is to the subset of collections flagged above.
Further information about the National Security Archive is available via their website. Numerous freely available documents are available for browsing and searching, as well as a wealth or other information. The NSA is an independent non-governmental research institute and library located at the George Washington University in the US. The NSA collects and publishes declassified documents acquired through Freedom of Information Act FOIA procedures.
Statista is a database that offers access to global statistics, data, graphs and infographics. Statista provides in-depth economic data on 120 countries; as well as political data and information on global companies and market trends. All data is available to download and Statista allows you to edit how your data is presented.
Use the Databases A-Z List to access all the resources available to you.
You can browse by subject , e.g. Politics or type (e.g.maps, news, images etc.) or search to find your required resource.
Allied subjects include Middle Eastern Studies, Security Studies and Business. You will also find LibGuides available for these and other subject disciplines.
More guidance on news and official publications sources is available via this guide and these can be valuable research resources in the field of Politics and International Relations.
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).
You can explore TED Talks related to the topic of Politics, as well as articles on Politics
The Global Power Shift playlist playlist is a good starting point for understanding the sort of talks you'll find on TED.
You'll find talks on all sorts of other topics too. The latest and most popular talks are available from the TED homepage.
TED talks can be a great way to keep up to date with live issues in your area of research/study
Below is a popular talk from Hans Rosling, exemplifying the benefits of data visualisation.
You are likely to use a wide range of different types of information sources for your study and research.
As well as academic sources such as books and journals, you may wish to consult news sources, official publications, statistics etc. View the Searching for specific types of information guide.
Use the online support highlighted here to guide your searching.
Find out more on the News LibGuide
Find out more in the Official Publications LibGuide.
The University has access to an extensive range of online primary source materials. These contain digitised copies of documents, letters, books, photographs and other primary sources.
The Primary Sources Libguide will help you identify the best databases for your research.
Statistics is the science of collecting, analysing and presenting numerical data.
Statistical data can be found on a huge variety of subjects, for example the economy, employment, the environment, government, health, international trade, manufacturing, and population.
They can be a vital source of information for your studies.
Find out more on the Statistics LibGuide.
It is important to plan your search strategy, and manage your search results so that you get the most from your online searching.
Keep a record of all the material you need to cite in your assignments, papers, projects etc.
Use the Search Techniques and Referencing guidance to assist you.
As you search you need to keep track of all the material you will be using in your academic work so that you can cite and reference it appropriately.
Always check your module handbook for specific departmental guidance on the style required for your assessed works and dissertations. Check with your personal tutor or dissertation supervisor if you need clarification.
For more guidance take a look at:
Find out more about the skills support available to help you develop a range of study skills including essay writing, referencing, critical reading and getting the most out of lectures.
Sage Research Methods Online (SRMO) is a great resource to use when you are planning and conducting your research.
It is targeted at social science researchers but is useful across all subject areas as it covers key research methodology topics that are applicable across the research spectrum.
Sage have produced a comprehensive LibGuide to help you get the best from the resource.
