Political Science

Search Popular Political Science Databases

Academic Search Complete

The Academic Search Complete database is the world's most valuable and comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 journals and a total of more than 13,200 publications, including monographs, reports, and conference proceedings. 

Log in

To log in to the Academic Search Complete database, use the database links on the library homepage or select the link below. If prompted to log in, you will use the same login information you use for your classes (D# and password).

Search

  1. Enter your keyword(s) for your topic in the search box(es) at the top of the page. The image below demonstrates a search for social media AND mental health.

  1. Move down the page to see the list of available filters on this search page. The image below shows the Full Text, Peer Reviewed, and Past 5 Years filter options selected.

  1. After applying your filters, select Search to run your search.
  2. To narrow your results even more after your search, select the All Filters button to expand the Filters panel on the right-hand side of the page.

  1. To choose more filters, use the arrows next to the facets to expand the lists.
  2. After applying the filters, select Apply.
  3. Select a reading option (Publisher Site, Online Full Text, PDF) from the Access Now menu to access the full text of your results.

Ready to get started? Select the link below to launch the database!

Credo Reference

Credo Reference consists of encyclopedias and other reference books on a wide range of academic subjects in the humanities, social sciences, and more. While these summaries may not be acceptable for an assignment, it is a good source for finding background information on general education topics. Before you follow the instructions below, check your assignment rubric or ask your professor which sources are acceptable for your assignments.

Log in

To log in to the Credo Reference database, use the database links on the library homepage or select the link below. If prompted to log in, you will use the same login information you use for your classes (D# and password).

Search

Enter your keyword(s) for your topic in the search box at the top of the page. The image below demonstrates a search for social media.

Browse the search results for information about your topic. The image below shows the results of the social media search. There is an encyclopedia entry at the top of the results page, defining social media, and results for other encyclopedia and reference book entries below. You can also use the options to the right of your results to explore the topic further.

Ready to get started? Select the link below to launch the database!

Points of View Reference Source

The Points of View Reference Source is a great place to find information that presents both sides of a current issue or event. Each topic provides an overview essay of the topic, a point (argument) essay, a counterpoint (opposing argument) essay, and a guide to critical analysis. These essays will help you build your persuasive arguments.

Log in

To log in to Points of View Reference Source, use the database links on the library homepage or select the link below. If prompted to log in, you will use the same login information you use for your classes (D# and password).

Search

There are two ways you can search for topics in this database:

  • Enter your keyword(s) for your topic in the search box at the top of the page. Select a term from the populated drop-down menu of popular searches and publications, or select the magnifying glass icon to search. The image below demonstrates a search for the death penalty.

  • Or use the browse function to explore the topics that are covered in the database. This is often a great way to help you decide on a topic to write about. Go to the Explore Topics section, and select the link for a topic of interest. The first image below highlights the Censorship topic, and the second image below highlights the Banning Books sub-topic.

Each topic opens with an overview essay and links to the point and counterpoint essays in the Related Items section. Each essay has a list of references from reputable popular and trade publications from all sides of the political spectrum. To read them, move down to the Bibliography section of the essay, and select the links from the list.

Ready to get started? Select the link below to launch the database!

Political Science Database from ProQuest

The Political Science Database features articles from leading political science and international relations journals and also includes dissertations, working papers, conference proceedings, country reports, and policy papers.

Log in

To log in to the Political Science Database from ProQuest, use the database links on the library homepage or select the link below. If prompted to log in, you will use the same login information you use for your classes (D# and password).

Search

Enter your keyword(s) for your topic in the search box(es) at the top of the page. The image below demonstrates a search for political AND participation. It also highlights the Limit to options below the search box, which will help narrow your results.

Popular filters include:

  • Full text
  • Peer reviewed
  • Publication date

Ready to get started? Select the link below to launch the database!

U.S. Newsstream from ProQuest

U.S. Newsstream provides access to current U.S. newspapers, wires, broadcast transcripts, blogs, and news sites stretching back into the 1980s from top U.S. news sources, including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, and Chicago Tribune.

Log in

To log in to U.S. Newsstream from ProQuest, use the database links on the library homepage or select the link below. If prompted to log in, you will use the same login information you use for your classes (D# and password).

Find Newspapers

Let's say you have an assignment that requires you to find an article from a local newspaper about a local policy issue that affects you. You can choose to do an online search for the newspaper, or you can search for it in our U.S. Newsstream database.

An online search of the newspaper would allow you to access the articles directly from their website. For example, a Google search of "Arizona local newspaper" yields The Arizona Republic as the first search result. Although this is the most effective way to find articles from your local newspaper, you may hit a paywall while trying to access the full text because most news websites make the reader pay through a subscription or pay per article.

If that is the case, this database may be the best option because we have a subscription, which provides full-text access to certain publications. To see if your local newspaper is included in this database's list of publications, follow the steps below.

  1. Select Publications in the top navigation menu, as shown in the image below.

  1. In the Publication Search box, enter the state you live in. The image below demonstrates a search for publications in Arizona.
  2. Select In Title from the drop-down menu next to the search box.
  3. Select Search.

  1. Select the newspaper title from the search results. The image below highlights The Arizona Republic in the search results.

  1. Move down to view articles from the latest issue or enter a topic of interest in the Search within this Publication box, as shown in the image below.

Ready to get started? Select the link below to launch the database!