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

Library Services

This guide is designed to help you find the best resources for your assignments for the course "Scope and Methods for the Social Sciences".

Consultations

Drop by my office (1B15, Library 1st floor), book an appointment with me, or send me an email (pt491@georgetown.edu) to arrange for an individual consultation. I can help you locate academic and scholarly materials for your assignments. d

Working Hours

Librarian: I am available from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday - Thursday.

Library: Working Hours

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 This link opens in a new window
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) This link opens in a new window
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 This link opens in a new window
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 This link opens in a new window
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 This link opens in a new window
SAGE Research Methods (SRM) has tools for every step of the research process in the social sciences, from writing a research question, choosing a method, gathering and analyzing data, and writing up the findings. SRM includes reference entries for hundreds of research methods, over 1,000 books providing in-depth treatments on using various methods, cases, datasets, and short videos demonstrating and applying methods in scholarship.
Sage Research Methods includes:
Sage Research Methods: Foundations - brief but expert introductions to hundreds of research methods.
Sage Research Methods: Cases - 2,000 case studies of real research projects*
Sage Research Methods: Datasets - 500 datasets offering hands-on practice of methods and techniques*
*not all cases and datasets are included in Georgetown's subscription.