Strategies
Browse the Reference Collection by Library of Congress Call number classification.
Find a Subject Guide (created by reference staff)
Selected background sources
See below for a sample of reference sources that may be useful for this course:
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Dictionaries of Terms
Concise definitions of terms and concepts |
Country Information
Geographic, political, economic |
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Specialized Subject Encyclopedias
Signed articles by subject specialists |
Yearbooks, Handbooks, & Compendia
Fact, figures, current issues |
Gale Virtual Reference Library. [Cornell subscription database]
Provides the full text of many encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and directories
Dictionaries of terms/concepts
Bealey, F., & Johnson, A. G., eds.
The Blackwell Dictionary of Political Science. Oxford, UK ; Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers, 1999. [Cornell Networked Resource; Also available in print: Olin Reference, JA 61.B43 1999z
Explanations for 1,000 words and phrases in political science. Many entries include bibliographies. Extensive cross-references.
McLean, Iain and Alistair McMillan, eds. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. 2nd ed. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2003. [Cornell Networked Resource; Also available in print: Uris Library Reference, JA61 .C665x 2003]
"Covering political institutions, concepts, leaders, and thinkers, the second edition of this best-selling dictionary of political terms has been fully revised and updated with over 200 new entries. New entries include commentary on the Middle East, ethnic cleansing, NGOs, and direct action. With an international and wide-ranging scope, the dictionary encompasses issues such as voting theory and feminism, to Chinese and Muslim political thought." [publisher]
Krieger, Joel. ed-in-chief. Oxford Companion to Politics of the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
672 articles, including events such as the Rwandan Genocide and the war in Kosovo; and coverage of international trade developments such as NAFTA and the World Trade Organization.
This edition also features a substantial new set of articles, a dozen essays on critical isssues written by influential figures. Recognizing the importance of including varying viewpoints, the editors have commissioned these essays to provide an informed and often passionate debate on controversial topics. Discussions include Lani Guinier and Glenn Loury on Affirmative Action; Francis Fukuyama and Milton Fisk on the Limits of Liberal Democracy; and Lloyd Axworthy and John Bolton on the United Nations. [preface]
Anderson, Sean K. and Stephen Sloan. Historical Dictionary of Terrorism. 2nd ed. Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2002.
Includes an excellent introduction to the study of terrorism, a chronology of terrorist events, and hundreds of concise entries on terrorist activities, organizations, and concepts. An extensive bibliography completes the volume.
Specialized Subject Encyclopedias
US POLICY:
DeConde, Alexander, Richard Dean Burns, and Fredrik Logevall, editors-in-chief. Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy. 2nd ed. Thomson/Gale, c2002. [Cornell Networked Resource; Also available in print: Olin Library Reference E183.7 .E52x 2002 + ]
Treats concepts and doctrines, policymaking, commerce and science, human rights and arms control, with specific articles on topics ranging from anti-imperialism to environmental diplomacy, from refugee policies to terrorism and countermeasures. Also includes a chronology.
Jentleson Bruce W. and Thomas G. Paterson, senior editors. Encyclopedia of U.S. Foreign Relations. 4 vols. New York : Oxford University Press, 1997. [Olin Library Reference, E183.7 .E56 1997 ]
Prepared under the auspices of the Council on Foreign Relations, this 4-volume set offers 1,024 articles covering the history of US foreign relations since 1776.
LexisNexis Congressional Publications.
Includes Congressional Research Service reports, an excellent resource for up-to-date summaries and background information. Tip: Choose the Advanced Search. Limit your search to CRS Reports. LexisNexis Congressional Publications is also a great resource for primary source documents (bills, reports, etc.),
Congressional Quarterly Almanac. Annual. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. 1948 - .[ Olin Library Reference, JK1 .C66 + ]
Summarizes the major legislative action of each annual session of Congress. Grouped under broad subject headings, each summary gives an overview of the legislation, pointing to relevant bills, reports, and amendments. Includes key votes, roll call votes and vote studies. Highly recommended.
CQ weekly (Online). Washington, D.C. : Congressional Quarterly, Inc. [Cornell Networked Resource]
Highly recommended as a starting point for legislative research. Articles summarize the work of the U.S. Congress, including the status of bills, votes and amendments, floor and committee activity, backroom maneuvering, etc.
Hall, Kermit L., ed. The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. 2nd ed. New York : Oxford University Press, 2005.
Includes entries on key cases and full treatment of crucial areas of constitutional law, such as abortion, freedom of religion, school desegregation, freedom of speech, voting rights, military tribunals, and the rights of the accused.
INTERNATIONAL
Kurtz, Lester, editor-in-chief. Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Amsterdam ; Boston ; London : Elsevier, c2008. [Olin Library Reference, HM 291.E6252 2008]
"Covering topics as diverse as Arms Control, Peace Movements, Child Abuse, Folklore, Terrorism and Political Assassinations, the Encyclopedia comprehensively addresses an extensive information area in 225 multi-disciplinary, cross-referenced and authoritatively authored articles." [excerpt from publisher]
Osmacyzk, Edmund Jan. Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements. Edited and revised by Anthony Mango. 4 vols. 3rd ed. New York : Routledge, 2003. [ Olin Library Reference, KZ4968 .O84x 2003 + ]
This 4-volume work offers a comprehensive overview of the United Nations and the UN system, including entries on intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations with connections to the work of the UN. Also included are the texts of 50 declarations of the UN General Assembly and the texts of major human rights instruments. Articles are arranged alphabetically and most entries conclude with a list of sources for further reading.
Maddex, Robert L. International Encyclopedia of Human Rights : Freedoms, Abuses, and Remedies. Washington, D.C. : CQ Press, c2000. [Olin Library Reference, JC571 .M3243x 2000 + ]
"Giving the broadest scope to the terms human rights and freedoms, this reference encompasses constitutional rights and freedoms as well as those addressed in international and regional agreements."
World Encyclopedia of Peace. New York: Oceana Publications; Seoul, Korea: Seoul Press, 1999. 2nd ed. 8 v. [Olin Library Reference, +JX1905 W92 1999; also Law Ref]
Some of the subjects covered [in volumes 1-5] are: Theories of conflict, aggression, and war; Modern states system and attempts to regulate it; International conflict; North-South conflict; World order and internationalism; Integration; Disarmament and arms control; Peace movement; Pacifism; Religions and peace; Feminism and peace; Nonviolence; Human rights and social justice; Peace research; Peace education. Volume 6 is composed of the past and current 20th-Century treaties which have been signed in an effort to define the acceptable limits of war. Volume 7 provides a Chronology of the Peace Movement, the Profiles of the United Nations Secretary-Generals, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, Nobel Prize Awardees, the Specialized Agencies of the UN, and the International Peace Institutes and Organizations. Volume 8 provides a Bibliography; List of Journals; List of Contributors; and comprehensive Name and Subject Indexes. [publisher description]
Annual Review of Global Peace Operations: A project of the Center on International Cooperation. Boulder, CO : Lynne Rienner Publishers, c2006- [Olin JZ 6374.A56+ 2008; latest volume in Reference]
A compilation of data on both UN and non-UN peace operations. "Features of the 2008 volume include:
Brownlie, Ian. ed. Basic Documents in International Law. 5th ed. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002. [Olin Library Reference, KZ64 .B37 2002]
A concise collection of some of the key documents in international law. Includes introductory annotations with suggestions for further reading. [Table-of Contents, OUP]
SIPRI Yearbook / SIPRI, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Stockholm : Almqvist & Wiksell, 1972- . [Latest volume in Olin Library Reference, JX1974 .S84]
- Security and conflicts
- Military spending and armaments
- Non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament
The SIPRI Yearbook contains extensive annexes on the implementation of arms control and disarmament agreements and a chronology of events during the year in the area of security and arms control. The annual accounts and analyses are extensively footnoted, providing a comprehensive bibliography in each subject area. [OUP]
Strategic Survey: the Annual Review of World Affairs. London, International Institute for Strategic Studies, 1966 - . [ Olin Library, UA15.L84 S8. Latest volume in Reference ]
"...provides essential analysis of key events and issues in international affairs over the past year. It includes a series of detailed maps highlighting topics and trends of particular interest or relevance. " [publisher web site]
The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook. New York, United Nations, 1976 -. [Olin Library, JX1974 .U48. Latest volume in Reference]
Produced by the Office of Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations, covering international activities in the field of disarmament. It discusses the activities of the Conference on Disarmament 2006, International Atomic Energy Agency verification and safeguard activities, and other nuclear safety and security trends and issues. Significant coverage of chemical, biological, and conventional weapons issues is included and disarmament and arms regulation at regional levels is also discussed. Further, Governmental expert studies and United Nations research for 2006 are reviewed. (©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR)
Yearbook of the United Nations.
The Yearbook is the principal reference work of the United Nations and provides a detailed overview of the Organization's activities. Each Yearbook is fully indexed and includes all major General Assembly, Security Council and Economic and Social Council resolutions.
CIA World Factbook. Washington, D.C. : Central Intelligence Agency, 1981 -.[Cornell Networked Resource]
"The CIA World Factbook is produced by the Central Intelligence Agency to provide comprehensive basic intelligence for the US Government. It contains extensive information on all the countries of the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, including hundreds of maps and flags. The CIA World Factbook in Credo Reference also contains dynamic tables and detailed Appendices." [publisher]
Europa World. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. [Cornell Networked Resource]
Europa World is the online version of the Europa World Year Book. Both the print version and the online version provide political and economic information on countries and territories throughout the world as well as international organizations. An interesting feature of the online version is the database of comparative statistics. Although the data is fairly basic, the ability to quickly create tables and charts comparing data across countries may be useful.
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