Library Resources: Political Science Research Guide (a.k.a. your new best friend)

Jennifer Horne, Business, Economics, and Government Information Librarian

Hello! I am the librarian assigned to the Department of Political Science (also the Martin School of Public Policy, the Patterson School of Diplomacy, and the Gatton College of Business). What does that mean exactly? Well, it means that I am your primary contact at the library, and you should feel free to contact me with any questions about finding resources for your assignments and research. This could include things like finding peer-reviewed journal articles provided by the library or government websites and data. I can also help you develop search strategies and suggest databases so you can find what you need!

Please contact me directly by email at jennifer.horne@uky.edu or schedule a one-on-one consultation to be held on Zoom or in person. I am here to help so don’t hesitate to reach out!

Tip: Every department on campus has a librarian assigned to it! If you have a question on a topic other than government, political science, or law and justice, here is a list of all UK librarians by subject.

As a comprehensive research library system, the UK Libraries have a LOT of resources – including millions of print and e-books, almost eight hundred databases, and over 200,000 journal subscriptions! Our main library is the William T. Young Library, and during semesters it is only closed on Friday and Saturday nights. We also have branches across campus, including the Education Library, Fine Arts Library, Science & Engineering Library, and Medical Center Library. You can find a list of all of the branches and their hours on the library website.

There are several important student support services in the basement of Young Library, including the Hemenway Writing Center, Presentation U, the Media Depot, and Tech Help.

Getting Started:

UK Libraries  – On the library web site, you can search the online catalog, access databases, find research guides for all of the subjects offered at UK, reserve study rooms, and get more information on printing, course reserves, and interlibrary loan. You can log in with your LinkBlue account to see what you have checked out and renew items. You can also request books be put on hold for you, so all you have to do is pick them up at either Young Library or another branch that is convenient for you.

InfoKat  – This is our library catalog, and you can search it to see the items that we own, including books, e-books, and streaming media.

Databases – This is the list of all of the databases UK Libraries provides access to – almost 800 of them! This is where you go if you know what database you want – you can either search by name or use the links on the right for our most commonly used databases.

Journals  – This is where you go to see the very long list of publications that UK Libraries subscribes to, including scholarly journals, newspapers, and magazines. You can search for individual publications or browse by topic. Check out all of these political science journals!

But this huge number of resources can be overwhelming! To help you, librarians in every subject make research guides to highlight the resources that are most helpful in their disciplines. The Political Science Research Guide is the best place to start when you are trying to find resources for your research assignments. Bookmark this page!

Key Databases:

To find scholarly research articles:

• Academic Search Ultimate – This is our biggest and broadest database! It has scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper and magazine articles, and more.
• ProQuest Political Science Database – This is a large database of political science and international relations journals.
• PAIS Index – This is a database focused on public affairs, including journal articles and books. It also includes what we call “grey literature” – information that is produced outside of traditional publishing channels, like government documents, white papers, think tank research reports, working papers, and conference proceedings.

To find statistics to support your arguments:

• Statista – Statista contains statistical data on over 80,000 topics from over 22,000 sources, providing you with easy access to trustworthy data on a wide range of topics, including politics, business, and media. Charts can be downloaded in various formats and are great to use in papers or presentations.

To find background information and context:

• CQ Researcher – CQ Researcher provides original, authoritative reports on newsworthy social and political issues. These reports cover topics in public policy, law, civil liberties, international affairs, economics, health, education, the environment, technology, and more. Each report contains an overview of the issue, a chronology of key events, a pro/con debate, and an extensive list of sources to find additional information.

To find legal information:

• Nexis Uni – Nexis Uni is a great database to find legal materials, including cases, statutes, law journals and other secondary law resources. It also has U.S. and international news coverage.
• HeinOnline – HeinOnline has scholarly and law journals, federal and state government documents, books, case law, international resources, and more.