GUIDE TO DOING RESEARCH IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
AT THE GELMAN LIBRARY

Overall Research Tips

1. Begin your research early; don't wait until the last minute.

2. Select a manageable topic that is sufficiently focused. If unfamiliar with the subject, consider reading an overview to get a handle on it.

3. Determine beforehand any constraints on your research (i.e., length, scope, limitations on resources which can be used).

4. Maintain a bibliographic trail of the resources and tools you have examined.

5. Identify the appropriate subject headings for the topic you are researching. If you are unsure, try keyword searching. Once you have found a citation which seems to be on the mark, see how it is subject classified and search for similar items using those subject headings.

6. Consider the timeliness and reliability of the information you are using (e.g., the source, authorship). Be especially wary of information coming off the Internet.

7. If you are not finding what you need, consult with a librarian.

Major Research Tools Available at Gelman

Use this is as a checklist to help identify appropriate sources for your research.

Databases on ALADIN

The following resources are available via the ALADIN (http://www.aladin.wrlc.org)

WRLC Libraries Catalog: Primarily monographs (i.e., books) held by GW and the other libraries in the Washington Research Library Consortium. If GW does not have the book or Gelman's copy is missing or checked out, use the Consortium Loan Service to request a copy from another library in the consortium which may have it; otherwise, request the item through Interlibrary Borrowing.

Access UN: Index to United Nations documentation since 1996.  Documents are  available on microfiche in the Microfiche Reading Room on the third floor.

Air University Index to Military Periodicals: Index to articles in military publications.

Bibliography of Asian Studies Online: Gateway to information on Asia.

Columbia International Affairs Online:  A regularly updated source of scholarly materials including working papers,  conference proceedings, journal abstracts, books, and other links and resources.

Declassified Documents Reference System: A full-text database of declassifed government documents published by the CIA, FBI, White House, State Department, and other government agencies.

Dow Jones Interactive: Full text of articles from numerous sources.

FirstSearch: A collection of electronic databases including:

 Article1st, an index of articles from nearly 12,500 journals
 EconLit, an index of economic literature
 FactSearch, a guide to statistics resources on topical issues
 WorldCat, a catalog of books and other materials in libraries worldwide

GPO Access: Major gateway to U.S. government documents.

Historical Abstracts: Citations and abstracts to historical materials.

Index to Legal Periodicals: Index to legal literature.

JSTOR: Archival collection of full-text scholarly journals in various subject areas, including economics, history, and political science.

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe: Full text articles from a vast array of sources.

National Security Archive: Declassified documents on U.S. foreign policy.

PAIS International: An index to journals, books, government documents, and other publications in political science, international affairs, and public policy since 1972.

Periodical Abstracts: Multi-subject current periodicals index to articles in scholarly and popular journals since 1993.  Some full text available.

Periodical Contents Index: Index to the contents of thousands of periodicals in the humanities and social sciences from their first issues to 1990/1991.

Periodical Index: Backfile of Periodical Abstracts covering 1983-1993.

PolicyFile:  Public policy research and analysis from think tanks, university research programs, research organizations, and publishers.

Project Muse: Full text of articles from scholarly journals including Human Rights Quarterly, Journal of Democracy, SAIS Review, and World Politics.

Stat-USA/Internet: A compendium of mostly statistical information, including the National Trade Data Bank.

UnCover:  Tables of contents of and index to 10,000 journals

Web of Science: Citations of articles from major research journals.

World Development Indicators: World Bank data providing statistical information on parameters of economic development.

World News Connection: Formerly known as the Foreign Broadcast Information Center (FBIS), provides English transcripts of broadcast and print news media from 8 world regions.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts: Provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration, and public policy.

Databases on Compact Disc in the Reference Section 

The following resources are available at workstations near the Reference and Information Desk.

Frontline Diplomacy: Oral history collection on U.S. foreign policy.

Index to United Nations Documents: Provides bibliographic citations to major UN documents and publications.

The World Wide Web 

A categorized list of Internet resources selected by Gelman librarians is available at http://www.gwu.edu/~gelman/subjects/subjects.htm#socsci

Final Notes and Other Helpful Hints

Handouts on searching ALADIN and other databases are available at the Reference and Information Desk.

User aids on topics related to research in international affairs can be found in the racks near the Reference and Information Desk.

You may also wish to consult "A Selected List of Indexes and Abstracts Available in the Gelman Library," a topical listing of bibliographic resources, which can be found in a binder on the Reference and Information Desk.

The Slavic, East European, and Asian Reading Room on the 7th floor of the library contains materials related to countries in these areas.

Take advantage of local resources in the area (e.g., other university libraries, the Library of Congress, think tanks, associations, private and non-profit organizations, government offices, embassies, etc.). If you are having problems using any of the databases or locating materials, consult a Reference Librarian.

For additional individual assistance, you may set up a research assistance appointment with a librarian. Inquire at the Reference and Information Desk.
 
 
 
 

This page was last updated in July 2002.