Research Guides @ Fordham: Political Science: Background Research

The Value of Background Research

Conducting background research on a topic before searching for books, articles, or primary sources saves time and generates much better results.

Gathering background information about a research topic should include:

Scanning reference sources listed on this page (as well as Wikipedia or Google).
Taking notes about the topic i.e. key events or ideas, the people involved, dates, names of places, and/or any specific terminology.

These notes will become the search terms used to find research materials in library databases & catalogs.

Reference Databases & Online Tools for Background Research

The following reference databases & online tools provide authoritative background information on a range of topics relating to Political Science.

Research Reports:

CQ Researcher
Offers in-depth, authoritative reports in the areas of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Includes archive with content from 1923 - present.

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) produces various types of research to support Congress.

Reference Databases with Electronic Encyclopedia & Dictionaries:

Credo Reference - Academic Core
Provides notable subject encyclopedias, handbooks, guides, companions and readers covering over 80 major subject disciplines and more than 6 million research concepts.

Oxford Reference Premium
Over 300 dictionaries, encyclopedias and subject reference books published by Oxford University Press. Limited to 5 Simultaneous Users.

Salem Press Reference
In its History section, Salem Press Reference offers a range of reference sources and historical document collections on American history and politics.

Individual Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Handbooks, Primers, etc.

Search one of the library catalogs (Library Catalog or Classic Library Catalog) to locate reference books on a specific topic.

→ Find other reference works on topic pages of this guide.

Examples:

The Routledge Handbook to Religion and Political Parties by Jeffrey Haynes (Editor)
Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group, 2020.
The American Political Party System [electronic resource] : A Reference Handbook by Michael C. LeMay
ABC-CLIO, 2017.
Historical Dictionary of International Relations [electronic resource] by Peter Lamb; Fiona Robertson-Snape
Rowman and Littlefield, 2017.
American Political History : A Very Short Introduction by Donald T. Critchlow
Oxford University Press, 2015.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History, Vols. 1&2 by Timothy J. Lynch (Editor-In-Chief)
Oxford University Press, 2013.

Reference & Instruction Department

Reference & Instruction Department
Fordham University Libraries

Walsh Library ♦ Rose Hill Campus ♦ 718-817-3586
Quinn Library ♦ Lincoln Center Campus ♦ 212-636-6050
Fordham Westchester Library ♦ Fordham Westchester Campus ♦ 914-367-3061
library@fordham.edu ♦ text 71-TXTX-1284 ♦ Ask a Librarian (Chat)