Research Guides: Political Science: Reference & Background Sources

Congressional Research Service Reports

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a branch of the Library of Congress which produces non-partisan reports on any issue a member of Congress requests. These are known as CRS reports and can be a great way to quickly get the background on a large issue that may have come before Congress in one form or another. CRS reports will include a history of legislation and administrative policy on an issue, as well as an overview of the issue itself.

ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Congressional includes the full-text of all CRS reports from 2004-present. Use the Advanced search to limit your search to only CRS reports.

CRS Reports
The Congressional Research Service is a nonpartisan agency that produces research reports and briefs on major policy issues and any topic requested by a member of Congress. This official site is publicly available and includes recent reports. SLU database ProQuest Congressional includes historical reports going back to 1914.

Digital Reference Collections

Subject specific encyclopedias, handbooks and dictionaries are a good way to build foundational knowledge at the beginning of a project. They will give you a general overview of a topic or subject.

The library has access to hundreds of online encyclopedias and dictionaries. You will find them along side their print counterparts in the SLU Libraries' catalog. The items below represent large collections of encyclopedia and reference materials. You can use them to search acorss many titles at once.

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Gale Virtual Reference Library is a collection of over 500 reference books that are searchable together or title by title. Subjects covered include, but are not limited to political science, history, philosophy, religion, science, business, law, careers, and biography.
SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window
Currently consists of 173 encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries. Subjects covered are primarily in the social sciences.

Country Information

Europa World Yearbook Online This link opens in a new window
Provides detailed country surveys containing the latest analytical, statistical and directory data available for over 250 countries and territories.

CIA World Factbook
Central Intelligence Agency source for basic information, statistics and maps on all internationally recognized countries and territories.
List of Foreign Government Web Sites
Northwestern University list of foreign government websites. Links go to pages in English where available.

Get the Books You Need

SLU Libraries Catalog - Find books from Pius, Law and Medical Center Libraries, as well as the Libraries' Locust Street Facility. You'll also find journals, government publications, audio books, DVDs, and ebooks and other online resources.

MOBIUS Catalog - This union catalog includes most university and college libraries in the state of Missouri, as well as several public libraries. If SLU doesn't have the book you need, requesting it from MOBIUS is the fastest way to get your hands on it. You can also visit MOBIUS libraries in person to check out books.

WorldCat - The world is your oyster! Well, at least North America. Search WorldCat to find & borrow books from all over North America (and occaisionally farther afield). Books requested through WorldCat can take 6-14 days, so plan ahead!