political science

When information is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, the source of that information must be documented. Otherwise, you are guilty of plagiarism. To help you in avoiding plagiarism, see this tutorial.

There are many WWW sites relating to Political Science. To locate authoritative sites look for those created by professional organizations, academic institutions, research agencies, and government departments. Evaluate the sites with a view to accuracy and currency.

Government documents can be useful in researching many Political Science topics. At the Robertson Library, some government documents are catalogued; use the Library Catalogue to locate these. For those government documents which are not catalogued, check Finding Government Information for sites which may be useful in identifying relevant documents.

Organizations and associations may supply specialized information on a topic. DIRECTORIES can be useful for identifying these, and provide information such as personnel, addresses, telephone numbers, and publications. To locate information about political organizations and associations, use directories such as:

Dictionary of Political Quotations on Ireland 1886-1987 Phrases Make History Here
"The quotations in this book have been selected to give a chronology of the remembered and the telling phrases of the last hundred years, touching on the great issues and arguments of the day, the political and social pre-occupations and the passing distractions" (Introduction). Begins with an historical summary and is followed by a chronological arrangement of the quotations. Includes an Index to Speakers and a Subject Index.
REF: DA959.O25 1987

Information about people can be found in books, journals, and websites.

Information about political parties and political movements can be located in books and journal articles. A number of political parties will also have a website.

Canadian Party Platforms 1867-1968 Provides a compilation of the platforms and policy statements issued by Canadian political parties or their leaders for federal elections from 1867-1968. Also includes a breakdown of the election results for each province.
REF: JL195.C3 1968b

Canada | United States | International

Canada

Establishing the date an event occurred or locating a summary of a current event can be a useful starting point for researching a topic. The most recent information is available in publications that are designed to provide up-to date coverage of new events in a timely fashion.

The most current research on any academic topic is usually found in journal articles.

Use databases to find articles on a particular topic.

Robertson Library licenses databases for the campus community and they can be accessed directly through the campus network or if you are off campus you will be prompted for your UPEI credentials.

Print indexes can be found in the Reference area on the Main Level, shelved alphabetically by title [note: some indexes are also shelved in compact storage].

Specialized bibliographies on a specific topic consolidate information from various sources including: books, journals, newspapers, and theses. To locate subject bibliographies search the subject file of the Library Catalogue, i.e. Genocide - Bibliography.

When you are doing research on a topic, you will often encounter unfamiliar terms, or familiar ones used in a specialized way. DICTIONARIES can provide a quick definition and often some elaboration on the uses of the term. ENCYCLOPEDIAS provide background information on unfamiliar subjects, leading you quickly to key ideas and sources in developing your topic. Many encyclopedia articles will also include brief bibliographies which will lead you to further sources of information. Dictionaries and encyclopedias covering political science topics include:

• Finding Background Information: Political Science
• Finding Books: Political Science
• Finding Subject Bibliographies: Political Science
• Finding Journal Articles: Political Science
• Finding Information About Current Affairs: Political Science
• Findi