Research Guides: Politics and International Relations: Think About Your Topic

Finding literature on a specific topic is one of the most important skills to learn, and it's more an art than a science. It requires persistence and creativity. You need to know about the appropriate tools and databases, and know how to use them effectively. This is much more than just "googling" some words!

Whether you have an assigned topic, and you need to narrow down to a manageable research question or start forming a hypothesis, or you are free to choose any topic you want, the first step in narrowing that topic is researching sources for background information.

First, you can search news sources for topics or background information. Here are some suggestions:

U.S. Newsstream
The best source for U.S. news content. Includes newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites in active full-text format. Titles in this database include: The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, and Chicago Tribune, all searchable on the ProQuest platform.
New York Times
For an experience more like reading the daily news, try this version of the New York Times. Provides access to both current and historical content dating back to 1850. Viewable online and through mobile app. First time users must register. For more info, visit: https://wheaton.libanswers.com/faq/266295.

Another option is to explore CQ Researcher, which contains reporting and analysis on current news topics such as gun control, immigration, and defense spending. You can look at the most recent reports to see what's current, or browse all material on a topic.

CQ Reseacher
Each report provides an introductory overview, which poses and addresses relevant questions; a background and chronology on the topic; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; a pro/con debate by representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources.

You can also browse through scholarly journals when looking for a topic. This will help you refine your topic and find sources that you can use in your project. Here are some links that will help you find relevant journals:

As you browse through these sources, be sure to note:

Topics that interest you and/or intersect with what you are learning in class; engaging with a topic is a key to success.
Keywords and subject terms for main concepts; using these terms will help you find information more effectively in the databases or websites
Where authors disagree (usually in the introduction) or areas for more research (usually at the end of an article); these are subjects you can explore.
Sources in the text and the reference section that may be useful to you.
The names of key researchers so you can find more of their works; key researchers are those names you may observe several times.