WISER Social Sciences: Politics

1
WISER Social SciencesPolitics International
Relations

• Gillian Beattie
• (Social Science Library)
• Jane Rawson
• (Vere Harmsworth Library)

2
In this session

• General overview of the electronic resources
  available for Politics International Relations
• Demonstrations of some key bibliographic, news,
  and full-text resources

3
Accessing e-resources

• All Oxfords e-resources can be accessed via
  OxLIP http//www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip/
• On campus
• Simply click on the link to the resource, or use
  ATHENS password as required
• Off campus
• Use ATHENS password, or connect to Oxford network
  (departmental server, college server, or VPN)

4
E-resources for Politics and IR

• Bibliographic databases
• International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
  (IBSS)
• Social Science Citation Index (Web of Knowledge)
• PAIS International and Worldwide Political
  Science Abstracts (both available via CSA
  Illumina)
• News sources
• Ethnic News Watch
• LexisNexis News Service
• New York Times Archive
• Times Digital Archive

5
E-resources for Politics and IR

• Full text (articles, reports, official documents)
• E-journals and e-books
• BOPCAS (British Official Publications)
• Columbia International Affairs Online
• Declassified Documents Reference System (US)
• Digital National Security Archive (US)
• Resources are listed on OxLIP both by Subject and
  by Title.

6
CSA Illumina

• Access to a wide range of bibliographic
  databases, including
• PAIS International (Public Affairs Information
  Service)
• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
• Search across a general subject area (e.g. social
  sciences), or within specific database(s)

7
Searching CSA

• Quick search
• Use for truncation
• Multiple words will be treated as a phrase
• Advanced search
• Allows combined searching across a number of
  fields
• Limit to latest updates, journal articles only,
  or English language only
• Specify how your results are presented

8
Working with your search results

• Use the tabs to see results by type, or click the
  to see results broken down by database
• From any individual record
• Check electronic and print availability in Oxford
• View the complete reference, including abstract
• Run a new search using one or more of the article
  descriptors

9
Working with your search results

• Search tools
• Combine searches
• Search history
• Alerts
• Outputting your results
• Sort by date or relevance
• Select results to save, print or email
• Results can be imported into reference management
  software (e.g. EndNote, RefWorks)

10
LexisNexis News Service

• News coverage from approximately 12,000
  publications worldwide, including
• National and local newspapers
• Press releases
• Transcripts of TV broadcasts
• Newswires
• Statistical bulletins
• Magazines and trade journals

11
Searching LexisNexis

• News search
• Keyword searching
• Restrict by indexes to certain types of
  publication
• Select sources to search (language and place of
  publication)
• Choose timeframe

12
Working with your search results

• Sort by relevance or publication date
• Select by source
• Narrow the search by adding another search term
• Use the Next Steps menu to edit the search,
  perform a new search, or retrieve original
  results
• Print, email or download (save as Word Doc, HTML,
  pdf) selected results
• Click through to see the full text

13
Other search functions

• Search particular types of information other than
  news
• General search provides more flexibility
• Power search with Boolean operators or natural
  language
• Easy search (but doesnt allow you to select
  sources)
• Search for particular sources (browse or find)
  and perform searches within those alone

14
United States declassified documents

• Two full text databases of declassified United
  States government documents
• Digital National Security Archive
• Declassified Documents Reference System
• DNSA has fewer documents but more functionality

15
Digital National Security Archive

• Published by the National Security Archive, an
  independent non-governmental research institute
  and library which collects and publishes
  declassified government documents obtained
  through the US Freedom of Information Act
• Over 60,000 documents arranged in 27 collections

16
Searching the DNSA

• Quick search across all collections
• Document search
• Variety of search options
• Restrict by classification or type of document
  (lists provided)
• Search particular collections
• Look for specific documents if you know the
  reference number, creator or recipient

17
Working with your search results

• Click through for more information or to access
  the full text as pdf
• Full record provides links to background
  information from the Archives glossary or to
  subject searches
• Select items and view as marked list
• Email, print, download (as plain text or to
  export to bibliographic software such as EndNote
  and RefWorks), or save to My Archive
  (personalised area where you can save records
  within the DNSA for the future)

18
Background Searches

• Bibliography search
• Searches the bibliography of materials used by
  the Archives researchers when compiling the
  collections
• Chronology search
• Provides summaries of key events pertaining to
  your search
• Glossary search
• Allows you to search for basic descriptive
  information about individuals or terms

19
Declassified Documents Reference System

• Online access to over 500,000 pages of previously
  classified government documents

20
Searching DDRS

• Basic search
• Keyword or full-text
• Advanced search
• Combine search terms
• Limit by various criteria

21
Working with your search results

• Click through for full-text (scans of documents)
• Sort by date issued or relevancy
• Revise search if unhappy with results
• Select records and view marked list (but no
  options for exporting)
• View and review search history

22
Further help

• Mark Janes (Social Sciences Subject Consultant)
  mark.janes_at_ouls.ox.ac.uk
• Gillian Beattie (Research Support, Social Science
  Library) gillian.beattie_at_ssl.ox.ac.uk