Find Articles in Databases & Journals
Use databases to search multiple online journals at the same time. Find articles about a specific topic by using keywords, subject headings, authors, and more.
- CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online)
- CQ Press Public Affairs
- CQ Voting and Elections
- EIU Country Report
- PAIS International
- Policy Commons
- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
- More: Political Science Related Databases
- More: Databases by Subject
- More: Journal & Article Locator
Find Background Information
Reference sources, online or in print, include encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and directories and are great starting points for background information about a specific topic.
- Encyclopedia of Political Science
- Encyclopedia of Political Theory
- Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History
- Europa World Plus
- The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions
- The Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought
- Political Handbook of the World
- Supreme Court Yearbook
- The World Factbook (CIA)
Browse Useful Websites
Websites can provide statistics, data, articles, documents, and other information about a specific field of study.
- Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)
- Supreme Court Decisions
- U.S. Census Bureau Home Page
- Executive Branch Resources (Compiled by the Library of Congress)
- Legislative Branch Resources (Congress.gov)
- Judicial Branch Resources (Federal Judiciary Homepage)
Develop Research Skills
Political Science Research Guides
Research guides provide suggestions for finding and using information about a specific subject.
Class Guides
Class guides are created by librarians to provide guides to helpful sources for a particular class.
Use Additional Library Resources
Political Science Related Libraries and Library Services
- European Union Collections and Services
- Government Information Services, Access & Collections
- History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library (HPNL)
- International and Area Studies Library
- Law Library
Learn About Other Resources on Campus
Learn about political science resources, research, and services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
About the Political Science Collection
Political science materials have been collected by the University Library since 1867. Initially the political science collection was housed with the main collection. In 1964-65 the political science collection was separated from the History collection and merged with education, psychology, sociology, and social work to form the Education and Social Science Library. In 2012, the Education and Social Science Library merged with the Applied Health Sciences Library to form the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL). Currently the political science collection numbers approximately 185,000 volumes in areas such as American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, political behavior, and public policy. The political science collection is especially strong in the areas of international relations and conflict resolution.
Please direct all comments or requests for information to Cindy Ingold, Political Science Librarian, (217) 333-7998.