InfoGuides: Policy and Government: Begin your research

Begin your research

Welcome to the Policy and Government Infoguide

Use this guide to locate sources to use for your course assignments.

Find News - Read newspapers online or search for news coverage

Find Background Information -- Country profiles & overviews of policy issues

Find Peer Reviewed Journal Articles - Key databases and journals for Political Science & Public Policy

Find Reports, Working Papers, Think Tanks - Find reports & papers from think tanks and research institutes

Find Data - Locate data and statistics, including opinion polls

Find Books - Search the Mason and Washington Research Library Consortium catalogs

Find Bills, Laws, etc. - Access government documents online and in print

Find Professional Associations - Organizations and conferences in politics- & policy-related fields

Write & Cite - Information on Zotero and contacting the Writing Center

Get Help - Chat with a librarian or setup an appointment with the Policy & Government Librarian

Resources for research & staying up-to-date.

CRS Reports
The Congressional Research Service produces concise, authoritative, non-partisan analyses on most policy topics.

Policy File Index This link opens in a new window
Access domestic and foreign public policy research and analytical papers on governmental and legal topics, representing the work of think tanks, research groups, and academic institutes from 1990 to present. Tutorial for Policy File Index database.
Policy Commons This link opens in a new window
Database for public policy, with millions of reports, working papers, policy briefs, data sources, and media drawn from a directory of more than 20,000 IGOs, NGOs, think tanks, and research centers on disciplines including agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, diversity, crime, librarianship, etc. Community tools allow users to upload, share, and discuss their discoveries. Tutorial for Policy Commons,
Political Science Complete This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Search here for journal articles and conference papers.
ABI/INFORM Collection This link opens in a new window
Peer reviewed articles, news, and analysis. Officially a business/management/economics database, ABI/INFORM is a gem for policy students. (Perhaps because policy tends to involve money?)
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is the place to go for core academic journals. It's limited in scope, but great for key articles in your subject area.

Don't see a guide for your subject area? Ask Lorena to create one!

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