University of Guelph Library
Search Strategies
To develop a search strategy on finding information on the United Kingdom depends primarily on the type of information required.
- Primary source material on government action is usually best sourced from the legislative materials themselves.
- Journal databases, such as those listed below, guide the researcher to articles which assess the conditions within the country.
- Use guides (such as those found on the research tools section of the Legislatures page) as a starting point in understanding the basic concepts of government procedure.
Search Tools
- Her Majesty's Stationary Office
Search for government publications. Recent publications may be available in full text. - Columbia International Affairs Online
The most comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs. It publishes a wide range that includes working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals, and policy briefs. CIAO is also a widely-recognized source for teaching materials including original case studies written by leading international affairs experts, course packs of background readings for history and political science classes, and special features like the analysis of a bin Laden recruitment tape with video. - PAIS International
Contains abstracts of journal articles, books, statistical yearbooks, directories, conference proceedings, research reports, and government documents from all over the world. It covers the public and social policy literature of business, economics, finance, law, international relations, public administration, government, political science, and other social sciences - with emphasis on issues that are or might become the subjects of legislation. - PARLIT
A derivative of Parliaments and Literature, it is a unique database of bibliographic references on the role, structure and working methods of national parliaments, and on electoral systems, constitutional law, history, and political science. PARLIT is regularly updated by the Inter-Parliamentary Union for the benefit of those who research for references on books and articles dealing with parliamentary law and legislative elections throughout the world. PARLIT currently includes references to over 7,000 books and studies as well as 30,000 articles taken from 160 periodicals used as information sources. - Political Science A Sage Full Text Collection
SAGE Full-Text Collection includes the full-text of 19 journals published by SAGE and participating societies, some journals going back twenty years, encompassing over 6,700 articles. It covers such subjects as General Political Science, American Government and Politics, Political Sociology, Comparative Politics, Policy Studies, Political Communication, Peace / Conflict Studies, Presidential Studies, Political Theory / Philosophy, International Relations, and Area Studies. - Social Sciences Index
A bibliographic database that indexes articles of at least one column in length from English-language periodicals published in the United States and elsewhere. Coverage includes a wide range of interdisciplinary fields covered in a broad array of social sciences journals. - Worldwide Political Science Abstracts Supplies up-to-date bibliographic information and research within the political science discipline and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration/policy. The database, published since 1967 (but only 1975-present is currently loaded), covers over 1000 journals drawn from the international serials literature.
