This series of handouts is designed to help you use particular resources. You can use these to get an idea about what materials are available through these sources and how to use them. If you need any assistance, please ask a reference librarian for help.

POLITICAL SCIENCE: Political Science is the study of politics, the science of how socities are governed. From the election process to the branches of government, Political Science studies the people, the ideas, the policies and the systems of government on all levels:  local, state, national and international. Legal issues are often important in political debates as well.

SEARCH TERMS: When you need information, you should make sure you are looking under the right subject. Using the wrong terms can waste time and prevent you from finding readily available materials. Both the library catalog and indexes (lists of articles by subject) use standardized terms that may not be the commonly used ones. If you don't find anything under the first term you used, try a variety of others. You can also check lists of terms. Look in the  Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) books for terms to use for the library catalogs. These resources are located in the library near the computers. Some examples of subject headings for political science are:

BACKGROUND MATERIALS: The first step in an information search is locating background and review materials. General and subject specific encyclopedias, subject dictionaries, handbooks and other reference sources provide you with an overview of a topic and list basic facts. They point to major elements and important scholars of a subject. This information can give you ideas on how to focus or "narrow down" your topic. These are located in the encyclopedia area and in the reference shelves. Some examples for political science are:

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Political Thought                        R 320.03 B632- EA
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court     R 347.73 C749-Reference
A Dictionary of Modern Revolution                                            R 320.03 H996
Encyclopedia of American Political History                               R 320.973 E56- EA
Profiles of an Era: The Nixon/Ford Years                                 R 920.073 P964-Reference
Safire's New Political Dictionary                                               R 320.03 S128-Reference
 
 

BOOKS: The second step in an information search is locating in-depth sources. Circulating books usually have more recent information than reference sources and cover single subjects in detail. You can search for books by title, author or subject using LCSH terms in SIRSI, the online library catalog. Ask a reference librarian or look at the Searching the Library Catalog handout if you need assistance. Political Science materials are found primarily in the 320s. Works dealing with politics in a specific time period or geographic area  are located in the 900s as are works covering a specific person. Legal materials are found in the 340s.

Remember that call numbers arrange books by subject so if you find a book that is on your topic and need more, browse the books in the same area. Examine the table of contents and the indexes to see if your subject is covered.

JOURNAL ARTICLES: The third step in an information search is locating current information. Articles usually have the most current information available. Indexes and abstracts list articles by subject. Several appropriate indexes for Political Science research are available through FirstSearch, an online database, available from the library web page (http://www.arbor.edu/whitelibrary). They include FactSearch, GPO (Government Printing Office), LegalPeriodical, PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service), Sociological Abstracts, and Social Science Index. For assistance using First Search, please see a reference librarian or look at the handout, Searching First Search. You will  find older paper editions of Sociological Abstracts and Social Science Index on the Index Table near the library Reference area. SAC discontinued these paper subscriptions in 1999.

Keep in mind that journals and magazines vary in academic quality. If you need scholarly research materials, use the academic journals instead of general magazines.

WORLD WIDE WEB: Another source for information is the world wide web.  Students are encouraged to use the web cautiously, however, as much of the information on the web has not been evaluated or reviewed. For background information, the web can be a great place to start. It is not always the source of choice for scholarly research paper. Talk with your instructor about using web resources for papers. The SAC Librarians have reviewed web sites and selected key academic web sites by discipline.  Check out these sites here.

CURRENT: Other current materials can be found by browsing the new books shelf. You can browse the new periodical shelves for newly released art journals and magazines that are not yet indexed as well.   Newspapers are a good source for current, up-to-date information, which is important in political science. SAC subscribes to several newspapers, including The Jackson-Citizen Patriot, The Detroit News, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.  You'll find newspapers near the current periodical area.
 
FURTHER RESEARCH: Additional ways to research include examining bibliographies in reference books, books and articles for similar materials. You can request materials we do not own through Interlibrary Loan. The vertical file contains various pamphlets, handouts and documents arranged by subject. For specific needs, there is chart and picture file available as well.

DON'T GO AWAY EMPTY HANDED!!! If you are having trouble locating what you need, just ask for a reference librarian. We are here to help!
 

DON'T GO AWAY EMPTY HANDED!!! If you are having trouble locating what you need, just ask for a reference librarian. We are here to help!

 

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