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Political Science Research Guide

Use this guide to find information and research on topics in the field of political science

Already Have a Citation?

If you have a citation to a journal article, you can go directly to the article by using the Citation Linker.

Political Science Related Databases

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
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A good starting point: articles from key journals in many scholarly disciplines, with some trade journals and magazines.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.

Databases index the contents of journals and are the first place you want to look for articles.

Columbia International Affairs Online: CIAO This link opens in a new window
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Full-text working and position papers, books, and journals - from international affairs research institutes, 1991-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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The international scholarly literature of political science, including articles, books, chapters, and reports, 1975-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
PAIS International This link opens in a new window
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Articles, government documents, reports in the fields of political science, public and social policy, international relations 1915-.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
CQ Almanac This link opens in a new window
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Annual reference almanac - offers original narrative accounts of every major piece of legislation that lawmakers considered during a congressional session, 1946 to present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
CQ Congress Collection This link opens in a new window
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The Congression Collection analyzes the history and development, legislation, powers, and personalities of the U.S. Congress. Learn how Congress works. Retrieve floor vote data. View biographical profiles of every member of Congress.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
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Comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news, including coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy, 1923-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
International Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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Citations to articles from international political science periodicals, 1951-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
U.S. Congressional Documents This link opens in a new window
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This collection features the complete Congressional Record Bound version, as well as the daily version back to 1980. It also includes the three predecessor titles: Annals of Congress (1789-1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837) Congressional Globe (1833-1873), and Congressional Hearings (early 1900s-present), as well as other important congressional material such as hearings, CRS Reports, and much more.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
PolicyFile This link opens in a new window
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Full text policy papers from think tanks, research institutes, and agencies.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.

Getting the article

If there is no direct link to the full text of an article in the database you are seaching, click on the UMLinks button. It will find the full text of your article online if it's available through the libraries. Or, it will search the library catalog for you to see if we have your article in print--or let you request it via Interlibrary Loan.