Database or the Web?
You may be accustomed to finding journal articles simply by searching the web.
If you are simply searching the web, I recommend installing Passkey, and searching scholar.google.com. When you are searching from an off-campus location, Passkey will give you access to articles in the journals the library buys (not just what happens to be freely available).
On the other hand, the library databases will lead you to articles that you won't necessarily find on the web. In databases, you can execute complex searches, follow subject headings (descriptor terms) and narrow your search results in a variety of ways.
Don't get lulled into the web search trap. There's so much more available to you through the library.
Recommended databases
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Peace Research AbstractsCovers essential areas related to peace research, including conflict resolution, international affairs, peace psychology, and other areas of key relevance to the discipline.
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Historical AbstractsIdentifies articles, essays, books chapters and monographs on history worldwide (except the US and Canada. See above),
Strong coverage of political history, from pre-history to the present.
Note: Use the Advanced Search to search by historical period (era). -
Worldwide Political Science AbstractsCovers political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, public administration, and public policy.
For best results, select the Advanced Search. Place "quotation marks" around phrases. -
CIAOColumbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) covering theory and research in international relations, from 1991 on.