Are databases asking you for a password? Are you off-campus?
The Library now uses OpenAthens as a proxy server!
Be sure to use a library provided link to the database you wish to use. You should be prompted for your Juniata username and password. After entering those you will be authenticated as a Juniata user for the remainder of your browser session.
For more details see the Off Campus Access guide.
Our library uses the Library of Congress Classification system.
To get started searching our physical collection, we recommend starting here:
If you are still unsure of where to look, please visit the info desk to ask for library student assistance.
Welcome to the Politics Research Guide!
The purpose of a Research Guide is to help get you started on your research projects. On this page, you will find our librarian's recommendations for best resources for your subject. This includes relevant resources, such as specific Databases, citation format guidance, search tips, and contact information of the subject librarian.
Require further assistance? Reach out to your subject librarian! We are always happy to help.
Unsure of which Databases to use for Politics?
Here is where we recommend starting:
A database produced by the National Agricultural Library (NAL), consists of two subsets of records. The first contains citations for journal articles that include abstracts. The second consists of bibliographic records describing monographs, serials, audiovisual materials and online content from around the world. AGRICOLA includes but is not limited to resources available in the library. The database contains 5,200,000+ records and includes printed works from as far back as the 15th century.
The Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy.
Type Juniata as the Institution to search Politics, Law, Government at the state and federal levels
Irish Newspaper Archives contains electronic versions of Irish newspapers from the 1700's to current day.
Nexis Uni Political Science allows finding and tracking state and federal legislation, political news, and featured political publications.
Nexis Uni Criminal Justice provides access to state and federal statutes, cases, law reviews, and news.
Alternate Name(s) Oxford University Press
16000+ scholarly books in 20 subjects with an estimated 1000 additional titles per year
Alternate Name(s) Washington Post, WaPo
The Washington Post is an excellent source for news on current events, national politics, and global issues.
To access freely from anywhere, create an account with your Juniata email and navigate to "Subscription & Billing"
So, how do you organize all of that information to ensure you're giving credit to the author(s)?
For online resources, we recommend Purdue Owl at: https://owl.purdue.edu/ to get started.
Remember - this to get started, you do not want to copy and paste! It is a tool to help you build the bones of your citation - always edit before turning your work in!
For a book or eBook, we recommend:
To get access, please search our library catalog and request through InterLibrary Loan (ILL services) - do not procrastinate using this service - it will take time to arrive.
Getting Started:
When searching in any search engine, (databases, library catalog, google scholar, etc.) it is best to use keywords rather than typing the full question or topic. For example, if your question is:
"How has the water gate scandal shaped modern American politics?"
Remover the filler words such as "how", "has", "the", "shaped". Break the question down into categories like this:
| Who? | |
| What? | |
| Where? |
Next, brainstorm synonyms OR related key words. You may type words such as these in the search bar:
Advanced Search Tips:
Using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT)
Boolean operators are used to either refine or expand your search. They are placed in between your keywords to yield more specific search results.
| Too Few Results |
| Use: AND |
| For example: |
| Too Many Results |
| Use OR, NOT |
| For example: |
Visual Brainstorming:
If you prefer to draw when brainstorming, you may want to draw a concept map. You can do this on paper, a white board, or a smart board. For online resources focused on concept mapping, we recommend Canva.
Have you ever wondered if the author of a source is legitimate? Or have you ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of information you collected and start to wonder if all of your sources relate to your research topic? Does the website you found information on seem outdated or sketchy?
Check out this nifty acronym - CRAAP. Oh CRAAP! I can't tell if this source is credible...
The CRAAP Test exists to help you identify credibility and relevance of source. The purpose of the test is to sort through sources and determine whether or not some choices are appropriate for your research.
Juniata College
1700 Moore Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652
Juniata College
1815 Moore Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652
