LibGuides: GOVT 212: Scope and Methods for the Social Sciences: Library Research

Using HoyaSearch

The best and safest place to start a literature review is the library website. Here are a few points to remember when searching:

Research Databases

Searching in specific databases can greatly focus and improve your results. You can filter databases according to keyword, subject or type. Here are some suggested databases for this course:

CQ Researcher
Publishes 12,000-word reports covering the most current and controversial issues of the day with complete summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies and more on a weekly basis. Note: There is a limit of 10 concurrent users.
Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
A free ICPSR account is required to download data. The account must be created on-campus and accessed from on-campus at least once every six months to otherwise access ICPSR restricted data off-campus.
Provides access to computerized social science data collected by the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, a membership-based, not-for-profit organization serving member colleges and universities in the United States and abroad.
Pew Research Center
Note: Access to datasets requires that you create a free account on the Pew website.
"A nonpartisan 'fact tank' that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world."

Includes seven projects: the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the Project for Excellence in Journalism, the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, the Pew Hispanic Center, the Pew Global Attitudes Project, and Social & Demographic Trends.
ProQuest Political Science Database
Covers the literature of political science and international relations, including such topics as comparative politics, political economy, international development, environmental policy, and hundreds of related topics.
Sage Research Methods
(SRM) is a research tool supported by a newly devised taxonomy that links content and methods terms. It provides the most comprehensive picture available today of research methods (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods) across the social and behavioural sciences.