General Databases

Below are some broad political science databases to start.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts is building on the merged backfiles of Political Science Abstracts and ABC POL SCI, published by ABC-CLIO. The database provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration / policy.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
The CQ Researcher, founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, is your complete source for in-depth, analytical reporting on the most current and controversial issues of the day. The objective, forward-looking reporting that characterizes these articles is designed to encourage discussion, to help readers think critically and to facilitate further research. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology.
International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences This link opens in a new window
Features articles and biographies contributed by scholars from around the world on a wide array of global topics in the social sciences while highlighting the expanding influence of economics in social science research.
PAIS Index This link opens in a new window
Since its establishment in 1914, PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) has chronicled issues in the public debate through highly selective coverage of a wide variety of sources. The PAIS Archive provides historical perspective on many of the 20th century's public and social policies.
Policy File Index This link opens in a new window
Covers all public policy issues and it draws its content from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations and publishers.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Access to over 380 humanities and social sciences journals from over 60 scholarly publishers.
Social Sciences Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Indexes articles and book reviews in the key English language periodicals in the fields of social sciences.
Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science) This link opens in a new window
Web of Science provides access to Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, and Arts and Humanities Citation Index.

What is a Database?

A 'database' is an online resource that indexes journals, journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, primary sources, and other content. These databases make it easy for users to search across multiple content types and content providers without having to search each provider individually. Some databases offer access to a broad variety of content, and are often good starting points for research. Other databases are subject specific and are useful for finding resources related to a specific field of research.

All ULS databases offer multiple options for searching and refining search results, and many of the databases offer access to full-text articles.

Refining Your Search

It is highly unlikely that your first search will result in a perfect result set. Refining your search can return more relevant results, providing you with higher quality resources for your research. Use the tips below to refine your searches:

Alter Your Search Terms
Based on your search results, you may consider altering the terms you enter in to the search box. Using more specific language (e.g. 'Alzheimer's' instead of 'dementia') or finding synonyms for your search terms (e.g. 'girder' instead of 'beam')
Combine Search Terms
Combining two or more search terms can help refine your results. In many databases you can combine search terms by enclosing them in double quotes (though use the Help page in your database to determine how best to combine terms)
Find New Keywords and Search Terms
Look at you initial set of search results for new keywords and search terms. When you find an article or resource that is relevant, look for new terms that you can use to refine your search. Academic articles may have a Keywords section from which you can extract new terms. Also look at titles, abstracts, figures, and summaries for useful terminology.

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