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A comprehensive and systematic literature search is a fundamental aspect of the review process. It uncovers all relevant knowledge and research methods related to a topic or research question (McCabe & Timmins, "How to Conduct an Effective Literature Search").
Initial topic exploration can provide background information, point to core sources and experts, and/or be a springboard for more in-depth research. In addition, what you learn from the literature may help you broaden or narrow your research topic. The following multidisciplinary resources are good places to being exploring your topic.
Provides full-text coverage of magazine, newspaper, and scholarly journal articles for most academic disciplines.
This multi-disciplinary database provides full-text for more than 4,500 journals, including full text for more than 3,700 peer-reviewed titles. PDF backfiles to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.
Explore a research question or topic by locating and reading review articles. Use the "Document or Publication Type" field available in most databases to limit your search to review articles or add the phrase "literature review" or "review article" to a search.
Below are some general resources that provide public policy/affairs specific information; however, you topics most likely will be interdisciplinary and you may need to consult the Research tab on the IUB Libraries' website.
We are focusing on scholarly journal literature here, but policy literature encompasses many types of sources.
PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) indexes articles, books, studies, selected official documents and other resources on public policy issues, public administration, law, politics and government.
Includes journal articles, books, government documents, pamphlets and the reports of public and private bodies. Also indexes publications in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Print source: PAIS bulletin (1915-1990), PAIS Foreign Language Index (1968-1990), PAIS International in Print (1991-)
Access to political science, public policy, and international relations journals. Also includes thousands of recent full-text doctoral dissertations on political science topics, together with working papers, conference proceedings, country reports, policy papers and other sources.
Citation involves properly crediting the authors of information sources used in a paper or presentation. You will need to cite if sources are directly quoted and/or paraphrased or if reading a source contributed to the ideas presented. Citation can also be used to follow the scholarly conversation or progression of an idea through the literature. Use the works cited/bibliography (works cited within a paper) and cited references (publications that have cited the original) for assistance.
Trying to locate an identified publication from a citation? Find Online Journals link to determine what database(s) index or house the full-text of a journal. If electronic access is not available, search IUCAT to see if there is a print subscription. If there is no print or electronic subscription currently available, individual articles can be requested through InterLibrary Loan.