PLCY 581 & 581H: Research Design for Public Policy
We've made changes in response to COVID-19. Here’s what to know about campus libraries for summer 2021.
Remote research support & in-person library services
Keep up to date with the University Libraries Spring 2021 plans at the link above.
Remote services for students: https://library.unc.edu/what-to-know/remote-services-for-students/. I am providing remote research meetings via Zoom or phone.
If you are hitting a paywall when trying to read an article...
- Try using our link builder. This adds a proxy to the URL that will prompt you for your onyen and password. https://library.unc.edu/support/reserves/link-builder/
- Try clearing the cache in the web browser you are using. Close the browser completely and then open it back up to try the URL again.
- Send me an email at shawgo@email.unc.edu or chat with a librarian at https://library.unc.edu/ask
Scholarly Articles
Is the article scholarly?
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Ulrichs Web OnlineUlrich's Periodicals Directory is a bibliographic database providing detailed, comprehensive, and authoritative information on serials published throughout the world.
Databases & Journals
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Academic Search PremierFind information on academic areas of business, social sciences, humanities, general academic, general science, education and multi-cultural topics; resource provides access to major popular and scholarly journals with many full-text articles.
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GenderWatchFull-text collection of international journals, magazines, newsletters, regional publications, special reports and conference proceedings devoted to women's and gender issues.
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Google ScholarEnables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research.
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PAIS IndexA bibliographic index to the literature of public policy, social policy, and the social sciences in general. Includes full-text articles.
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PubMedDatabase of biomedical literature from the National Library of Medicine covering journal articles about medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, biology and public health from 1950 to the present; multiple mobile apps available, provides access to MEDLINE, etc. Includes links to full text of UNC-CH's electronic journal subscriptions.
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Sociological AbstractsDatabase covering over 2500 journals in sociology, both theoretical and applied, and related disciplines including anthropology, economics, education, medicine, community development, philosophy, demography, political science, and social psychology. Articles in 30 different languages from about 55 countries.
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Web of Science (ISI)Articles, books and conference proceedings covering the Sciences (primary focus on database), Social Sciences & Arts & Humanities.
Think Tank Reports
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Google Think Tank Search EngineCustomized Google search of 700 of the most important US and international think tanks. Think tanks are institutions affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses that generate public policy research and analysis.
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American Institutes for Research"AIR’s mission is to conduct and apply the best behavioral and social science research and evaluation towards improving people's lives, with a special emphasis on the disadvantaged."
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Brookings Institution"Nonprofit public policy organization. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level."
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Council on Foreign RelationsContains daily briefs, background and analysis.
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The National Bureau of Economic ResearchPrivate, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works.
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PolicyArchiveComprehensive, searchable, open access, online archive of public policy research. Developed as partnership of the Center for Governmental Studies, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Library and Communication Consortium Media Center in Washington, D.C.
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RAND Publication DatabasePapers and reports on topics of current public policy interest, including criminal justice, education, health, national security and international affairs, energy, environment, and science and technology. Contains indexing records for all of RAND's publicly available documents, many with links to full text reports.
Find Policies
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National Conference of State LegislaturesFind state policies by issue area.
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ProQuest CongressionalComprehensive source of current and historical U.S. Congressional material, including bills, testimony, reports, documents, selected prints, the Congressional Record, the U.S. Code, Federal Register, and the Code of Federal Regulations.
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Congress.govProvides access to legislative information, including the full text of the Congressional Record, a directory of congressional committees and members of Congress, the weekly floor schedule for the House, and a schedule of daily committee hearings.
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White House - IssuesLink to White House/President's stand on policy issues.
Research Design
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SAGE Research MethodsResearch methods toolset designed to help researchers develop research projects, understand or identify particular methods, conduct research and write up their findings; library of more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos including Sages Little Green Book and Little Blue Book series focusing on quantitative and qualitative methods
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Concept MappingBrainstorming technique that helps you visualize your topic, narrow it down, and think about the relationships between your concepts. Print and video tutorial from Appalachian State University Library, plus an interactive concept mapping tool.
Social Sciences Librarian
Library Presentation Slides
Selecting a policy issue
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Issues and Controversies on FileContains full text articles on current topics of interest, arranged in opposing points of view. It is intended to give users a quick grasp of the essentials of more than 250 controversial news topics. It also contains chronologies, illustrations, maps, tables, sidebars, bibliographies and contact information.
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CQ ResearcherThe CQ Researcher is the perfect answer for people beginning research on current topics. It covers the most current and controversial issues of the day. From Abortion to War, each issue gives you a comprehensive review of the controversies, historical background, chronology of important events, opposing views from experts on the subject, and extensive bibliographies for additional research.
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Oxford Bibliographies OnlineHelps you identify the core authors, works, ideas, and debates that have shaped the scholarly conversation so you can find the key literature. All the bibliographic essays have been peer-reviewed, and the specific entries are linked to full-text content available through the web or the UNC-CH University Libraries.
Writing & Citing
Writing
UNC Writing Center Offers online consultations. Check out their tips on writing a policy brief, literature reviews and conciseness.
What Makes a Good Research Question? Handout from Duke University's (yes, Duke) Thompson Writing Program Writing Studio. Has good guidelines for and examples of research questions in the social sciences, but much applies to the humanities as well.
Citing
APA Citations - UNC Library Guide and Purdue OWL
- Last Updated: Jun 11, 2021 1:36 PM
- URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/PLCY581
