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PS 371: Political Science Research Methodology

Course Instructor: Maurice Knight; Roxana Toma
Librarian: Matt Sumner

Finding Periodical Articles in the Library

It takes time for information to find its way into books. If you are doing research on a topic that is happening how, you will probably want to begin your search with indexes to periodical literature.

Think of a recent news event: first, reports of it appeared on the Internet, on TV and radio, then in the daily newspaper, and next in weekly news magazines. Over time more lengthy articles on the event will appear in more scholarly journals, and finally books on the topic might be published.

For recent years many journal articles are available electronically, either through links in the records contained in indexes of journal literature, or within collections of electronic resources to which the library subscribes.

When using these indexes, you really have two goals in mind:
1) First, you want to locate good articles on your topic, and
2) then you want next to locate their complete texts.

Approach these goals as two steps. First locate articles you want to read, and then determine where you need to go to find their texts. The articles will be in a variety of locations - on the web, in paper in our book stacks, in a microformat, or available only from another library. The records in indexes offer clues that help you locate articles, and you'll be following different paths to get your hands on the articles you need.

Your professor will be more impressed with your research if you cite "scholarly journal" articles. There are several characteristics that distinguish Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazines.

Academic Search Premier

NCSU's Information System, NCSU Library's World Wide Web (with a Unity ID)

Academic Search Premier provides full text for over 1,530 academic, social sciences, humanities, general science, education and multi-cultural journals. In addition to the full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for nearly 2,720 journals. Over 1,700 journals are peer reviewed. Full text backfiles go as far back as January of 1990, while indexing and abstract backfiles go as far back as January of 1984.

PAIS International , 1972 to present

NCSU's Information System, NCSU Library's World Wide Web (with a Unity ID)

The PAIS International database is a bibliographic index to the literature of public policy, social policy, and the social sciences in general. Journal articles; books; government documents; statistical compilations; committee reports; directories; serials; reports of public, intergovernmental, and private organizations; and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world are indexed. Updated quarterly.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts , 1975 to present

NCSU's Information System, NCSU Library's World Wide Web (with a Unity ID)

WPSA is building on the merged backfiles of Political Science Abstracts (1975-2000), and ABC POL SCI, (1984-2000). The database provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration/policy.

Scroll to the bottom of the database selection screen, put a check in the box for Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, and click the "Continue to Search" link.

Social Sciences Citation Index

NCSU's Information System, NCSU Library's World Wide Web (with a Unity ID)

The Social Sciences Citation Index is a multidisciplinary database, with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of the social sciences. It indexes more than 1,725 journals spanning 50 disciplines, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 3,300 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals.

Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1976 -

Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1895 -

D. H. Hill Ref. GP 3.6: (U.S. Documents Reference, 2d floor, North Tower)

This is the primary bibliography of publications printed by U.S. government agencies. It is available in an electronic database, 1976 to the present; but earlier volumes are available only in paper.

Another section of this resource contains more information about federal government publications.

Index to Legal Periodicals & Books, v. 21-v. 39, 1981 to 2000

D. H. Hill Stacks K9 .N32 (4th floor, Tower Stacks)

Begun in 1908, this title indexes the most important legal periodicals in a format similar to the Readers' Guide. Articles are indexed by subject and author. Each volume includes a Table of Cases and a Table of Statutes indicating articles which include a substantial discussion of a particular decision or statute.

LexisNexis Academic Links

Use these links into LexisNexis Academic to open specific search screens for different resources offered via that product:

Country & Region Reports (requires navigation; see notes)

NCSU's Information System, NCSU Library's World Wide Web (with a Unity ID)

Take this path from the initial LexisNexis Academic Screen: Click "Sources" tab -> click "Country & Region Reports" folder -> select one or more available sources -> click "OK - Continue" at right margin.

US & Canadian Law Reviews, Combined

NCSU's Information System, NCSU Library's World Wide Web (with a Unity ID)

You may use the dropdown box to select United Kingdom legal journals, or to select legal journals categorized by broad subject.

News, All (English, Full-Text)

NCSU's Information System, NCSU Library's World Wide Web (with a Unity ID)

You may use the "Select Sources" dropdown box to select more specific news sources.

IngentaConnect

This is a Table of Contents database. Ingenta's integrated service offers free searching and browsing of more than 26,000 publications, and full-texts to some titles.

The Ingenta service offers full-text articles on a pay-per-view basis, but you may request article texts through the library's Interlibrary Loan process.

Librarian Contact Information