Research Guides: Political Science: Starting Points

Reference & Background Resources

Use reference and background resources to develop and refine your topic. Country studies, fact sheets, encyclopedia articles, and more will help you identify the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your research topic. They will also help you develop keywords for smarter searching

We Recommend

CQ Researcher Plus Archive
Good for background information on contemporary issues affecting the U.S.
Gale eBooks
Database of encyclopedia articles and other specialized reference resources from a variety of disciplines.
Oxford Handbooks Online
Collection of reference handbooks.
Oxford Reference Online
Collection of high quality reference works and dictionaries.
SAGE Knowledge
Social sciences platform for SAGE and CQ Press book, reference, and video content.

CQ Research is a great place to start

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Research Methods

Sage Research Methods brings you books, chapters, articles, case studies, practice data sets, and practical guidance on choosing and using any research method of your choosing.

SAGE Research Methods Online Information about writing a research question, conducting a literature review, choosing a research method, collecting data, and writing up the findings. Coverage spans the full range of research methods used in the social and behavioral sciences, plus a wide range of methods used commonly in sciences, health sciences, and humanities.