Research Guides: Political Science Research: Reference Sources

Reference Databases

Encyclopedias and other reference books are an excellent starting point for your research. They can provide background information and help you identify keywords to use when searching for books and articles.

To access databases from off campus, you will be prompted to log in with your Pipeline username and password.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Contains the full text of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference books.
Gale Ebooks This link opens in a new window
Full-text encyclopedias and specialized reference books covering all major subject areas.

Online Reference Sources

Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations
Presents easy-to-understand information on 200 countries and dependencies from around the world. Entries discuss a variety of topics in detail, from banking and securities to climate, from government data to demographic statistics. Also includes biographical essays on national leaders.
Encyclopedia of African-American Politics
This A-to-Z volume examines the role of African Americans in the political process from the early days of the American Revolution to the present. Focusing on basic political ideas, court cases, laws, concepts, ideologies, institutions, and political processes, this book covers all facets of African Americans in American government.
A Glossary of Political Theory
Covers alphabetically both the major concepts in political theory and the key writers in the field. While ensuring accuracy and objectivity, the entries represent interpretations that are both challenging and interesting.
Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought
Covers every aspect of political thought, defining concepts and ideologies, surveying the arguments on issues, giving capsule histories of political institutions, and summarizing the thought of major political theorists.

Reference Books

The Oxford Handbook of Political Theory by John S. Dryzek; Bonnie Honig; Anne Phillips
Call Number: R 320 D811o 2008
Publication Date: 2008
Close textual analysis of historical texts sits alongside more analytical work on the nature and normative grounds of political values. This Handbook provides comprehensive and critical coverage of the lively and contested field of political theory, and will help set the agenda for the field for years to come.
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History. (Two Volume Set) by Michael Kazin (Editor); Rebecca Edwards (Editor); Adam Rothman (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2009
The book addresses both the traditional topics of political history--such as eras, institutions, political parties, presidents, and founding documents--and the wider subjects of current scholarship, including military, electoral, and economic events, as well as social movements, popular culture, religion, education, race, gender, and more.

Online Topic Guide

Political Science Topics
Over 1700 topics ranging from Absolutism to Zionism.