Databases to help get you started
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowAn archive of core, scholarly journals from a variety of subject areas. Coverage begins with the very first issue through all but recent years.
- PAIS Index This link opens in a new windowA key source for starting political science research. Database includes scholarly articles, books, government publications, and more.
- Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new windowOne of the most comprehensive databases in the social sciences, Sociological Abstracts includes coverage of fields including anthropology, economics, education, medicine, community development, philosophy, demography, political science, and social psychology. Includes abstracts of journal articles, conference papers, dissertations, books, and book reviews.
- Research Library This link opens in a new windowCitations of newspaper and periodical articles covering a broad range of subjects, including arts, business, humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- Global Issues (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new windowAn excellent resource for beginning to develop a topic, GIC organizes its content around specific topics. "Browse Issues and Topics" to access multimedia portal pages on some of the world's most important issues.
- Annual Review of Political ScienceWorldCat link (BU only): Comprehensive review of the literature in political science. Can help students identify major tends in the field as well as find general overviews of research in specific subject areas of politics.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowGoogle Scholar searches for scholarly materials in journals, books, and other sources. Will also display Bucknell's full-text access if Library Link is enabled.
Generating Keywords for Your Search
1) Think carefully about your topic. Write it out in a sentence or two.
2) Circle the key concepts in your topic sentences.
3) Brainstorm synonyms or related terms for your key concepts. One approach to brainstorming is to create a concept map. You can do this with simple pen and paper or via free online programs such as Coggle (you will need to sign in with a Google account to use Coggle) or Bubbl.us.
4) The terms you came up with in step 3 are your search terms. Experiment with different combinations of the terms using AND/OR.
5) When you successfully find sources that are relevant to your search, pay attention to the keywords and subject terms in the database record and the source itself. This may lead you to additional sources.
