PLS 201: Introduction to Political Science Methods

1. PLS 201: Introduction to Political Science Methods Beth Kaylor

2. Topics for the Sessions • Selecting the right information sources • Selecting the right finding aids • Accessing resources • Creating better searches • Locating full-text

3. Your Current Research Skills • How would you rate your current research skills? • Strong? • Satisfactory? • Needs improvement? • Poor? • What causes you the most anxiety/confusion/frustration?

4. Where to get Help! • Learning Commons Help Desk • In person • Telephone • Email • Chat • Text • By appointment • Contact me directly: kaylorj@uncw.edu

5. Where do you Search? • What are your favorite finding aids (search engines) for: • Background information? • News/Opinion data? • Scholarly Analysis/Theory? • Primary Source? • Data?

6. My Favorites (for PLS) • Background Information • CQ Electronic Library • CQ Political Reference Suite • World FactBook • Library Catalog • WorldCat • News/Opinion sources • Lexis Nexis Academic • Points of View Reference Center

7. My Favorites (for PLS) • Scholarly Analysis/Theory • Academic Search Complete • Jstor • Public Affairs Information Service • Worldwide Political Science Abstracts • Google Scholar • CIAO (International Affairs) • Library Catalog • Worldcat

8. My Favorites (for PLS) • Primary Sources • Hein Online • Lexis Nexis Congressional • Library Catalog • WorldCat • FDSys • Data • ICPSR • Statistical Abstract of the United States • Polling the Nations

9. Selecting the Right Finding Aids • Database Scope • Bibliographic or Data? • Publication Types and Numbers • Subjects • Time period (publication or subject) • Search Engine/Structure • Abstract or Full-text search • Special Limit features

10. Subject Pages • Each discipline has a subject page • Place to start • Suggestions for resources • Not sure where to go • Provides ideas for the next steps • Several ways to search • Contact information for a librarian • Library Home Page • Click on More eResources by subject • Choose PIA

11. Finding Books • Library Catalog • Local and UNCP/FSU • WorldCat • 9,000 libraries / @1.3 billion items • Google Books (@12 million/ @ 7million full-text) • Project Gutenberg (@ 42,000 free books) • Some databases lead to books • Cited Directly • Book reviews

12. Searching the Catalog • What exactly does the catalog search? • What we own • What we have access to • What is not in the catalog? • Articles

13. Let’s try a Search! • Where? Library Catalog • Topic? • DREAM Act • Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors • Key words? • Synonyms?

14. Finding Articles • Integrated Search (home page article search) • 10 databases out of @ 200 • Databases A-Z • Individual databases • Details Page • Databases by subject • Quick Search (integrated Search) • Individual Databases (Best, More, All) • Citation Searching (Bibliographies)

15. Let’s try a Search! • Database • Academic Search Complete • Research topic? • DREAM Act • Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors

16. Making our Searches Better • Using AND, OR and NOT • AND Narrows • OR expands • NOT eliminates a word

17. PLS 201 Part 2

18. Improving a Search • AND - All terms are present. AND is the best way to narrow down your search by  limiting your results to only those resources (articles or books) which deal with your chosen words. • “political parties” AND polarization “political parties” polarization

19. Improving a Search • OR - Any one of the terms are present (more than one term may be present). • republican OR democrat republican democrat

20. Improving a Search • Truncation • Typically use * • Polari* = polarization, polarizing polarity • Use judiciously • Does not always help: • Part* = part, party, participation • (Party OR Parties) is better in this situation • Phrase Searching • Political Parties = political AND parties • “Political Parties” = Political [next to] parties

21. Putting it all together… • Politic* OR Parties OR Party • AND Congress • AND polari* OR partisan* • One line strategy: (Politic* OR Parties OR Party) AND (polari* OR partisan*) AND Congress

22. Choosing the Correct Database • Library home page • More eResources/Databases by • Name A-Z • Subject • Type • More… • Details links

23. Saving/Sending • Ebsco • Add to folder – don’t forget to save or send results • PDFs sent as email attachments • ProQuest • Check box to mark for emailing/printing/saving • Jstor • Email citation • Save PDF

24. Availability of Resources • PDF full text, linked full text, HTML full text • Get it From UNCW • Looking for a journal, newspaper, or magazine? Already have a citation? • Library Catalog and WorldCat • Interlibrary Loan

25. Do we have…? • Beckman, M. N. & Mcgann, A. J. 2008. “Navigating the Legislative Divide: Polarization, Presidents and Policymaking in the United States.” Journal of Theoretical Politics, 20: 201-220. • Where to search? • How?

26. Do we have…? • Theriault, Sean M. 2008. Party Polarization in Congress. New York: Cambridge University Press. • Where to search? • How?

27. Do we have…? • Karol, David. 2010. “Party Polarization in Congress.” Perspectives on Politics, 8: 1242-1243. • Where to search? • How?

28. Do we have…? • Sinclair. Barbara. 2006. Party Wars: Polarization and the Politics of National Policy Making. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. • Where to search? • How?

29. Do we have…? • Forgette, Richard and Marvin King. 2009. “Electoral Cycles in Racial Polarization and the 2006 Senate Elections.” In Beyond the Boundaries: A New Structure of Ambition in African American Politics, ed. Georgia A. Pearsons. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 111-122. • Where to search? • How?

30. Government Documents • Widely varied collection • By law have to be made available • Agencies, subagencies • Subscription Databases • Proquest Congressional • Hein Online • Catalog of Government Publications

31. Government Documents • Much of the data we use comes from government sources. • Primary sources for political science research • FDSys • Code of Federal Regulations • Compilation of Presidential Documents • Congressional Bills • Congressional Documents • Congressional Hearings • Congressional Record • Congressional Reports • Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation • Economic Indicators • Federal Register • Public and Private Laws • United States Code • United States Courts Opinions

32. Interlibrary Loan • Randall Library can borrow materials from other libraries for you. • Articles – a few days • Books – week to two weeks • Brief tutorial on how to use ILLiad

33. Specialized Resources

34. Specialized Resources for: • Statistics • Data • Congressional Votes • Congressional Documents • Country Profiles/International Relations • Polling Data • Statutes • See the Research Guide

35. Statistics • Statistical Abstract of the United States • The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. • FedStats.gov • FedStats provides access to the full range of official statistical information produced by the Federal Government without having to know in advance which Federal agency produces which particular statistic.

36. Data • ICPSR • Inter University Consortium for Political and Social Research • An international consortium of about 700 academic institutions and research organizations, ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for the social science research community. • ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction. • maintains a data archive of more than 500,000 files of research in the social sciences. It hosts 16 specialized collections of data in education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields. • Currently only available on campus

37. Congressional Votes • CQ Almanac Online • Navigate with ease through 60 years of congressional coverage • Access tables, graphs, and charts that help explain the issues • Browse by subject, decade, or by a particular year's table of contents • Use Policy Tracker to explore a specific policy topic and see how it has changed over the years • Save useful documents or frequent searches for future consultation • Automatically generate citations in four styles with CQ Press's CiteNow! Feature • Date Coverage: 1945 - 2010

38. Congressional Documents • Hearings • Lexis Nexis Congressional • Library Catalog – print and online • Debate on the Floor • Hein Online • FDSys – Congressional Record

39. Country Profiles/International Relations • World Fact Book • Statesman’s Yearbook • CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) • PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) • Randall Library • Find • Research Guides • Country Information • Country Studies – Profiles • Country Studies – Statistics

40. Polling Data • Polling the Nations • a unique compilation of questions and responses from more than 12,000 national, state, local and special surveys, conducted by 700 polling organizations in the United States and 70 other countries from 1986 through the present. • covers over 4,000 subjects, from social and political concerns to economic issues. Information is gathered from professional polling organizations, television networks, universities, newspapers, businesses and associations. • PollingReport.com • An independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion.

41. Statutes • Lexis Nexis Academic • Use the US Legal search box • Federal Statutes, Codes and Regulations • Searchable by keyword • FDsys.gov • Randall Library • General Statutes • Statutes at Large

42. Evaluating Information

43. Evaluating Information • One of the most important components of research • Better information = better product • Not all information is timely, accurate or appropriate

44. Be a CRITIC • C – claim of the author • R – role of the claimant • I – information backing the claim • T – test the claim • I – intent/intended audience • C – your conclusion about the item

45. Questions? • Need help? • Library home page – get help • Email me! kaylorj@uncw.edu • Drop by! RL 1043

46. Thank you!