Research Guides: Government & International Studies Subject Guide: Background Info & Books

Reference sources

Finding background information

When you are new to a topic, library-subscribed reference sources can help you define key terms and gain a general understanding. These are similar to Wikipedia, except that they are more authoritative. You can use such sources in your assignments with confidence.

Here are some reference sources that are particularly relevant to Government and International Studies:

Oxford Bibliographies Online - Political Science
These guides are a fantastic place to start your research! Developed jointly by scholars and librarians, they point you to the very best research in a given field of study. Provides annotated bibliographies on hundreds of different subjects within political science.
Oxford Bibliographies Online - International relations
This collection of annotated bibliographies does the same for hundreds of topics in International Relations. The Cold War, China's foreign policy, and Realism are just some of the topics covered.

The Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought by Roger Scruton
ISBN: 9781403989529
Publication Date: 2007
Covering every aspect of political thought, this useful reference source provides brief definitions and summaries of ideologies, as well as short histories of political institutions.

Great for quickly looking up concepts that you're not familiar with. For example, not sure what "absolutism" means? This resource explains it in two brief paragraphs.
Oxford dictionary of political biography by Dennis Kavanagh & Christopher Riches
ISBN: 9780191751080
Publication Date: 2016
Search 1,000 political biographies! Each entry includes the background, career, and achievements of the individual. Great for finding out more about famous politicians (and far more reliable than Wikipedia!)

Encyclopedia Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Articles in the Encyclopedia Britannica are written by notable experts, providing balanced, global perspectives and unique insights. Also includes Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus.
Dates covered: Various
Concurrent users: Unlimited
Provider: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
Full-text: Yes

More Library-subscribed reference works

Sage Video

Sage Video - Politics & International Relations

Prefer to multimedia to text? This collection of over 300 videos features experts on subjects such as international migration, political philosophy, and the international relations of China.

In the example below, Prof. Keith Dowding of the Australian National University explains the concept of political power. Check out the full collection for similar videos!

Books

The Library has hundreds of thousands of books, both online and in print. They range from introductory texts to in-depth scholarly studies of specialized topics. Search our vast collection with OneSearch.

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Tips for using OneSearch to find books:

Filter your results so that only books appear in the results list
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Detailed Guide to OneSearch

Recommended books

Here are some highlights from the Library's book collection relevant to Government & International Studies:

Political science: An introduction by Michael Roskin
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781292156286
Publication Date: 2017
Now in its fourteenth edition, this text introduces students to the fundamentals of political science.
Theories of International Politics and Zombies by Daniel W. Drezner
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9780691163703
Publication Date: 2015
This fun and easy read introduces major theories of international relations theories through the lens of a zombie apocalypse. A great overview of the subject for the undergraduate student.