Research Guides: Political Science: Political Science Resources

Introduction

This guide is designed to get you started with political science research. If you need additional help please Ask a Librarian or contact political science liaison Annie Tummino at annie.tummino@qc.cuny.edu.

Topic Overviews

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Digital reference collection of nearly 2,000 titles; includes encyclopedias, almanacs, handbooks, and specialized reference books.
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Coverage of current event topics, from the facts to arguments of each topic's proponents and detractors.
Dates: 1992-present

Books and Aggregated Sources

OneSearch
Search for books held at Queens College or the whole CUNY system. You can also order books from other CUNY schools to come to Queens College, or utilize their libraries directly. OneSearch also functions as a "one stop shop" for various kinds of resources, including journal articles, media, and more.
WorldCat
WorldCat connects you to the collections and services of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. If Queens College doesn't have a title, you can request it through inter-library loan.

Articles

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary database for scholarly journals, magazines, and news sources; a good starting point for research in all areas of study.
Dates: 1990 - present
Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) This link opens in a new window
Coverage of the latest concepts, trends, opinions, theories and methods from both applied and theoretical aspects of the social sciences.
Dates: 1983-present

Newspapers

Newspaper Databases
Compilation of newspaper databases available through the Queens College Libraries.

Politics

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Weekly reports on a topic that is either newsworthy or an issue of broad interest in the public policy sphere.

Elections and Polling Data
Compilation of a variety of non-partisan sources of polling data and reports.

Law

Legal Source This link opens in a new window
Coverage of legal issues, studies, and trends.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Nexis Uni offers intuitive searching for all levels of research experience, empowering students to Access discipline-focused pages with curated news, featured publications, and relevant court cases for Political Science, Business, and Criminal Justice majors.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.

Data

ICPSR This link opens in a new window
The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) database maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction.

Polling Data Resources
Compilation of non-partisan sources of polling data and reports.

NYCdata This link opens in a new window
Contains information and statistics specific to New York City, organized in eighteen (18) categories; includes business, culture, education, income, housing, sports, and more.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Gain deep insights into any area of interest - down to a city block, with stunning visualizations and built-in data. Reinforce your decisions with reliable and accurate location data. You will need to create a personal account.
To use Social Explorer remotely, save, and share projects, please create a personal account.

Topic and Identity Based Resources

Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Digital collection of interviews, speeches, books, pamphlets and other primary historical sources by African-American authors; 1700-present.
Gun Regulation and Legislation in America This link opens in a new window
More than 500 titles dealing with this difficult and important topic including periodicals, federal legislative histories, Congressional hearings, CRS Reports, Supreme Court briefs, and more
RAMBI: The Index of Articles on Jewish Studies This link opens in a new window
Bibliography of articles in the field of Jewish studies; based on the collections of the National Library of Israel;
1966-present.
South Asia Open Archives This link opens in a new window
Creates and maintains a collection of open access materials for the study of South Asia.

More Databases

Gale General OneFile This link opens in a new window
Access to articles within general periodicals, newspapers, reference books, as well as multimedia sources; updated daily.
Dates: 1980 - present
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. Please sign to QC Library when prompted to browse articles within the Queens College Library collections.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Remote access to Google Scholar may not always work. In such cases we advise that you follow the steps below or review the FAQ on Google Scholar
How to access QC subscribed articles via Google Scholar:
1.Access Google Scholar via the un-proxied version: Google Scholar
2. From the Menu Icon on the Top Left select Settings then Library Links
3. In Library Links, search for Queens College then select "Queens College --> Fulltext at QC"
4. SAVE and return to the Google Scholar Homepage
5. You should be able to search for articles. When you see the "Queens College --> Fulltext at QC", select to either be re-directed to the Library Catalogue, OneSearch or asked to login to the library proxy in order to access articles.
6. Please review the FAQ on logging into the library proxy.
Should you have any additional questions, please contact our Electronic Resources Librarian by completing the Electronic Resources Access Form.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a multi-disciplinary collection of scholarly journals and e-books that include primary sources, images, and more.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
JSTOR provided expanded access during the pandemic (June 2020-June 2023). Expanded access expires on June 30, 2023. CUNY will reinstate that access beginning in January 2024.You may review the Electronic Resources Status Dashboard for updates. Questions? Email: access-support@qc-cuny.libanswers.com or Open a Ticket!
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Provides specialized, subject-based encyclopedias; includes thesauri, language dictionaries, and timelines.
Access is limited to five (5) simultaneous users.
Social Services Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Social Services Abstracts provides bibliographic coverage of current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development (1979-current).
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.

More Research Help

If you feel overwhelmed, you can always get more help from a librarian!

Annie's Research Tips
Some key takeaways about the research process.