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Finding Books
- WebCat will help you find books in the Shenandoah University Libraries.
If we do not owe the book you need, you can try WorldCat which provides access
to the holdings of 60,000 libraries world wide.
Finding Articles
-
Shenandoah University Libraries have contractual agreements
with various publishers and others to provide you with the citations, abstracts,
and in many cases, the fulltext of
over 30,000 journals, magazines and newspapers. These databases include
materials which are authoritative and accurate, and have search interfaces
designed by experts to make your search for information easier. Using
these databases will generally provide more accurate information, more quickly
and easily, than using "free" Internet sources. They are for the exclusive use of
University students and faculty and are password protected.
Click here for information
about passwords and off campus access.
Journal Locator - once you have a specific article in mind you are ready to use Journal Locator. It is a comprehensive list (over 30,000) of all the journals, magazines, and newspapers to which University Libraries provide fulltext access electronically or in print. It is searchable and you can browse it by subject.
Free Internet Sites - most resources listed here are provided by non-profit or government entities, and have been carefully selected for their authority and stability. Although these web sites are "free" for anyone to use, they have been selected as reliable sources that provide accurate information. As always, carefully evaluate all information found at free Internet sites.
Researcher Services -
click for help with
Ask a Librarian - Get Help with Research Projects or Any
Question - Large or Small
Off-Campus - Distance Education Support Faculty Guide to Library Services
WebCat - the database used to locate books and all other materials owned by the Shenandoah University Libraries. Don't forget that "ink on paper" resources are generally authoritative and are still the easiest to use for many questions. Remember too, that "Power Search" allows you to limit to by item type (journals and magazines for example), by language, publication date(s) etc.
WorldCat - contains records of over 95 million items in over 400 languages from 60,000 participating libraries from around the world. As you might expect, most records are of books, but you will find records of any conceivable item a library might own including audio and video recordings, computer programs, archival materials, maps, musical scores and more. Some items in this database date to before 1,000 B.C. Approximately one million items are being added annually, and WorldCat is updated daily. (remote access requires username and password)
Finding Articles in Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers
Databases Helpful to Political Science Students
JSTOR - an archive of scholarly journals providing the fulltext (PDF files) of hundreds of journals from all disciplines. Coverage extends back decades for many titles, but most have a "moving wall" which blocks access to the most recent articles.
Academic OneFile - provides indexing to more than 11,000 scholarly journals in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. The fulltext of articles is available for approximately 3,500 of the titles indexed. Some of the journals indexed may be available in the University Libraries. (remote access requires username and password)
General OneFile - provides indexing to more than 10,000 periodicals and scholarly journals in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. The fulltext of articles is available for approximately 4,000 of the titles indexed. Some of the journals indexed may be available in the University Libraries. (remote access requires username and password)
Wilson Omnifile - provides access to indexing and abstracting for approximately 3,500 journals and magazines from the humanities, social sciences, and science and engineering, with fulltext available for about 1,750 titles. Coverage for some titles begins as early as 1982. (remote access requires username and password)
Academic Search - is really fun to use. In "Today's News," which is updated several times daily, you can read leading American and world newspapers. Coverage includes access to fulltext of nearly 5,000 publications ranging from general news to business, legal, medical and reference information. Coverage of state and federal law and the judiciary is especially strong. Coverage of some publications begins as early as 1980. (remote access requires username and password)
Congressional Quarterly Researcher - weekly issues of CQ Researcher cover a topic of current interest to the American public and to Congress. Reading one of these 20 to 25 page articles will provide one with the history of an issue as well as providing current context. Congresswomen and their staffers likely use these to prepare themselves for hearings; the nuts and bolts information provided here, while not making one an expert will certainly allow one to ask intelligent questions and prepare one for more in depth study
Congress Collection: Making Sense of Representative Democracy -
"This collection is a powerful research and reference tool
for analyzing the history and development, legislation, powers, and
personalities of the U.S. Congress.
This wealth of data is presented with nonbiased commentary and includes vital
biographical and voting data for members of Congress, legislative information
organized by topic, key votes, legislative analysis, interest group scores of
members, encyclopedic information on Congress, and Supreme Court case summaries
relating to the structure and powers of Congress"
PAIS International - this international index to government and public policy "contains references to more than 553,300 journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more"
Alternative Press Index - provides indexing of non-mainstream media publications
Miscellaneous Databases and Research Related Digitized Tools
Dissertation Abstracts - Indexed doctoral dissertations and theses from universities in the U.S. and abroad. Over 1,560,000 items from all fields of study, dating back to 1861. Abstracts provided for records since 1980 - thesis abstracts since 1988. This database can be accessed both on-campus and off-campus through remote proxy access. (remote access requires username and password)
Journal Locator
- is an alphabetical list of journals
and magazines to which the University Libraries provide access. This title
list will, in most cases, tell you the dates available for a particular
electronic title, and you can connect to the appropriate database. You can
then search the database for the title you need.
If we subscribe to a title in print format, "SU Journal
Collection" will be stated and you can connect to the catalog record
which will show our subscription holdings. The catalog record will tell
you whether a title is available in paper or on microfilm.
Over 30,000 titles are now listed.
Search Journal Locator - Find Both Print and Electronic Journals Available Through University Libraries
RefWorks
- a bibliographic citation manager which allows users toImport citations
from online databases to create your own personal bibliographic database.
Off-campus Requires separate password - see Dr. Jacobs for access information
InterLibrary Loan Forms - just click here to bring up the forms for books and journals. Remember, you must make sure that we do not have access to what you need in our local collection, BEFORE you make a request.
Remember to read on-screen
instructions; some systems are actually quite friendly.
Use online help features
for more detailed explanations of how to search each particular
database.
Tell Us About Your Project - Research Project Consultation
Undergraduates can call: David McKinney at 540-665-5444 or Cindy Thomas at 540-665-5421
Graduate students call: Rosemary Green at 540-665-4634
Always
feel free to ask a librarian for help!!
We want to save you time, help you find the best materials, and help you learn
to become a more efficient researcher.
As always, carefully evaluate all
information found at free Internet sites.
Metasites
Political
Science Resources on the Web - a subset of the Government Documents
metasite at the University of Michigan. Browsable and searchable, this
comprehensive site is organized by Grace York, the political science librarian
General Sources
Center
for American Women and Politics - wants "to promote greater understanding
and knowledge about women's participation in politics and government and
to enhance women's influence and leadership in public life." Women
candidates, officeholders, PACs and more. Courtesy of Rutgers University
Governments
on the WWW - links to national and international government web sites
American
Civil Liberties Union - claims to be "the nation's foremost advocate
of individual rights -- litigating, legislating, and educating the public
on a broad array of issues affecting individual freedom in the United States."
Site provides discussion of issues ranging from assisted suicide and affirmative
action to same sex marriages. This site is easily browsable and also
has a search engine.
Center
on Budget and Policy Priorities - " a national authority on policy
issues impacting primarily lower-income individuals and families."
This non-profit, non-partisan organization was formed in response to federal
budget cuts for domestic programs during the 1980s
National
Archives and Records Administration - a federal agency charged with
the preservation and access to historical documents provides this browsable,
searchable site which has over 83,000 digitized copies. Examples
include the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation
State
and Local Government on the Net - "The State and Local
Government Internet directory provides convenient one-stop access to the
websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments."
The
Brookings Institution - a think tank dedicated to improving government
policies in economics, foreign policy, and other areas
The Presidency
POTUS:
Presidents of the United States - links to information on all 43 presidents.
Includes election results, cabinet members, notable events, links to biographies
and more. Courtesy of the Internet Public Library and Robert Summers
at the University of Michigan School of Information
President
- working in conjunction with the National Archives and Records Administration
and the Presidential Libraries, the goal of this site is to place "presidential
libraries materials onto the Internet for improved public access."
Courtesy of the University of North Carolina. Browsable and Searchable
The White House - the official White House web site
Congress
THOMAS:
Legislative Information on the Internet - full text of bills beginning
with the 103rd Congress, hearings schedules, floor activities, committee
activities, bill summaries and current status, historical documents, fulltext
of recent Congressional Records and much more. Particularly helpful
to students may be guides to the legislative process in both the
House and Senate. Courtesy of Library of Congress
Biographical
Directory of the United States Congress: 1774 to Present - an
online version of this longstanding government document, it provides short
biographical sketches, including pictures of some
more prominent members
The
United States Senate - the official United States Senate web site
U.S.
House of Representatives - the official United States House of Representatives
web site
United
States Statutes at Large - "The seventeen volumes presented in this
online collection cover the laws of the first forty-two Congresses, 1789-1873"
Courtesy Library of Congress
The
Public and Private Laws - "database is a collection of laws enacted
during the 107th Congress (2001-2002), 106th Congress (1999-2000),
105th Congress (1997-1998) and 104th Congress (1995-1996) and is prepared
and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives
and Records Administration"
The
United States Code - courtesy of Cornell University
Code of
Federal Regulations - "The Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the
Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal
Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to
Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year
and is issued on a quarterly basis."
The Federal Register -
"Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication
for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as
well as executive orders and other presidential documents"
Law and the Courts
FindLaw:
Internet Legal Resources - "An extremely powerful Internet guide to
US case law, law codes, law review articles, legal news, lawyers..."
Likely the best free legal resource on the Internet
Web Guide to U.S.
Supreme Court Research
Supreme Court of the
United States
FedLaw
- "was developed to see if legal resources on the Internet could be a useful
and cost-effective research tool for Federal lawyers and other Federal
employees." Topic and title indexes help one go directly to a specific
law or regulation. Courtesy of the Government Services Administration
History
of the Federal Judiciary - includes judges biographies, important judicial
legislation, selected topics in judicial history, and a photographic exhibit.
Courtesy of the Federal Judicial Center
Campaigns, Elections, Voting and Polls
The
Center for Responsive Politics - "is a non-partisan, non-profit research
group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics, and its
effect on elections and public policy... The Center’s work is
aimed at creating a more
educated voter, an involved citizenry, and a more responsive government."
Commission
on Presidential Debates - offers fulltext of most Presidential debates
of the last 50 years
Project
Vote Smart - excellent source of non-partisan information on issues
and candidates on the national, regional, and local levels, particularly
non-encumbents in local and region campaigns
Roper
Center - "located at the University of Connecticut, the Roper Center
is the largest library of
public opinion data in the
world. The Center's mission focuses on data preservation and access, education
and research."
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International Affairs and Comparative Politics
Amnesty
International Online - "Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning
movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and other
international standards."
European
Union Internet Resources - an excellent metasite for European Union
(EU) web resources, it was created by Andrea Sevetson, a librarian and
EU specialist at the University of California - Berkeley
Europa
- the European Union's official website
The
U.S. State Department Official Site - provides information ranging
from arms control, to Latin America to tourism