Other useful websites
Web resources for Human Rights
In addition to Politics resources(below), see also the following for International Organisations and NGOs:
- Access to Law
Links to a variety of UK and international organisations. - Amnesty International
Publishes an annual human rights report, country reports and regular specialist reports on the death penalty, and women’s rights. - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Digital archive of all U.S. Department of State annual reports to Congress on the state of human rights in individual countries. Covers 1999 onwards. - Human Rights Documentation Initiative (HRDI)
Based at the University of Texas. This project provides access to documents and archived versions of key websites. They include a Rwandan Genocide Archive. - Human Rights Watch
Includes annual and country specific human rights reports. - Lawlinks: Human Rights
Links to a variety of organisations and HR resources. - University of Minnesota Human Rights Library
Specialist site for researchers proving free access to over 65,000 full text documents. includes sections for treaties and specialist search engines.
Web resources for Politics
Subject portals
- Eldis
A gateway to development, policy, practice and research information - WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs
Links to resources on international affairs, international relations and global studies
UK politics
- GOV.UK
Portal to UK Government information, documentation, services and departments - PoliticsHome
News resource monitoring and reporting on UK politics - The National Archives
Official national paper and digital archive of the UK government, and for England and Wales - UK Parliament
Official parliamentary information and papers, including modern day Hansards and committee reports
European and EU politics
- Council of Europe
Organisation promoting co-operation between member European states to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law - ESO (European Sources Online)
Wide range of information sources on EU affairs - EurActiv
Independent multilingual online network reporting and commenting on EU news and policy debates - Europa
Official EU portal, giving access to institutions, policies, laws, statistics and official publications - European Elections Database
Downloadable data on European national and EU elections since 1990, enabling comparative analysis - European Policy Forum
Reports, policy analysis, etc - The Parliament Magazine
News and commentary on contemporary EU issues and developments - POLITICO (Europe edition)
Online news resource reporting on developments in European politics
US politics
- Congress.gov
Official information and documentation relating to the activities of the US Federal legislature - POLITICO (US edition)
Online news resource reporting on developments in American politics - The White House
News, policies and pronouncements direct from the US executive branch of government
World politics and international relations
- E-International Relations
Includes articles, blogs, essays and interviews - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
News, articles and data on global security - Global Policy Forum
Scrutiny of UN and global policymaking on peace, security, social justice and international law - International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International financial organisation supporting global monetary cooperation, trade and poverty reduction - International Relations and Security Network
Wide range of resources in IR and security studies - Nato Encyclopedia
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Search for topics, countries, etc. - Political Science Network
Searchable bank of research papers from institutions around the world. See also the main PSN page for jobs and conferences - United Nations
News and documents of the lead body and agencies promoting global security and social progress - World Bank e-library
Searchable full-text books, reports, journal articles, working papers and statistics - World Economic Forum
Work of body engaging political and business leaders in jointly tackling global and regional issues - World Trade Organization
Documents and resources from the main institution regulating and resolving global trade matters
General resources
- ACE Electoral Knowledge Network
Information and commentary on electoral processes worldwide, including articles, comparative data and an online encyclopaedia - Avalon Project
Multi-disciplinary historical digital archive of documents relating to the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy and government - Global Peace Operations Review
Data on military peacekeeping and civilian political missions compiled by the New York University Center on International Cooperation - Global Terrorism Database
Details of individual terrorist events carried out from 1970 onwards, updated annually - PARLINE
Information on the structure, working methods and electoral systems of parliaments in countries where a national legislature exists - Polital Data Yearbook Interactive
Data on national election results, voter turnout and changes in the composition of government in 36 countries - SSRN (Social Science Research Network)
Elibrary of downloadable research - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Online philosophy reference work written and updated by academic experts, with entries on political theory and prominent thinkers - UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia
Information on armed conflicts, peace agreements and other aspects of organised violence globally, covering 1946 onwards - UK Data Service
International data sets. Particularly useful for economic aspects of politics - United Nations Research Guides
Guides to research documents and online resources on international relations topics - The World Factbook
Facts and figures on the countries of the world, compiled by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Research institutions and organisations
- Brookings Institution
American non-profit public policy research organisation - Chatham House
Royal Institute of International Affairs, a leading research body - IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies)
Body on peace, security and military conflict - IPSA (International Political Science Association)
Global political science network - PSA (Political Studies Association)
UK association developing and promoting the study of politics - RUSI (Royal United Services Institute
Independent think tank engaged in defence and security research
Web resources for Public Administration
- Association for Project Management
- The Case Centre
Search for free cases - CBR (Centre for Business Research Publications)
- Eldis
A gateway to development, policy, practice and research information - Europa - the official website of the European Union
Try searching under both public policy and public administration - European Policy Forum
Reports, policy analysis, etc. - Global Policy Forum
Independent policy watchdog - International Monetary Fund
Includes policy and working papers - LBS
Working papers on a number of areas. - OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
Search for topics, countries or data - Policy Network
International think tank. Many downloadable publications. Topics include globalisation and politics. - UK Data Service
International data sets. Particularly useful for economic aspects of politics - World Bank e-Library
Searchable full-text resources such as books, reports, journal articles, working papers and statistics - World Economic Forum
- World Health Organization
- World Trade Organization
Tips on evaluating websites
Before believing the information given on a web site, or quoting it in your essay or project, think about the following:
Authority
- Who is responsible for the page/site?
- Is it a reliable organisation (e.g. a well-known university) or a subject expert?
- Can you trust them?
Accuracy and reliability
- Is the information correct?
- Is the grammar and spelling correct?
- Is it complete, or are they just giving one point of view?
- Do they have their own agenda, e.g. political organisations?
- Is the information fact or opinion?
Currency
- Can you tell how up-to-date it is?
- Is it regularly updated?
- You don't want to quote out-of-date information
Audience / relevance
- Is the information of the right level to be quoted in your project? If it is aimed at the general public or school children it might not be!
Feel!
- Is the site well-structured and easy to navigate?
- Are the links from the page up-to-date and valid?
- If it is well designed and maintained then you can feel more confident about the information it provides
Other useful libraries
- SCONUL Access Member Libraries in London
- Other Libraries for Reference Access
The following are part of the SCONUL Access scheme. Please note: some libraries restrict access during exam periods. Please contact the library you wish to visit or check the blog before starting your journey.
- Birkbeck, University of London
Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7HX.
Tel. 020 7631 6063
Subject coverage: development studies, economics, management, and politics. - City University London
Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB.
Tel. 020 7040 8191
Subject coverage: economics and international politics. - Goldsmiths, University of London
Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW.
Tel. 020 7919 7189
Subject coverage: social sciences including politics, also history. - London South Bank University (Perry Library)
250 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 6NJ.
Tel. 020 7815 6607/6615
Subject coverage: development studies, European studies, management, and social and policy studies. - Middlesex University
Sheppard Library, Hendon Campus, The Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT.
Tel. 020 8411 5852
Subject coverage: most aspects of politics and international relations, including economic development, the European Union, history of Latin America, Africa and Asia, international trade, and international migration. - Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Library, 328 Mile End Road, London E1 4NS.
Tel. 020 7882 7311
Subject coverage: academic staff and postgraduate research students only. Restrictions on visits by taught postgraduate and undergraduate students only during vacations, see the website for details. - School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS), University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG.
Tel. 020 7898 4163
No access for Band R students (full-time undergraduates). See the website for details.
Subject coverage: many African, Asian and Middle Eastern topics, including international politics and diplomacy, development, migration, and terrorism. - University of East London (Docklands Campus)
Docklands Library and Learning Centre, Docklands Campus, University Way, London E16 2RD.
Tel. 020 8223 3434
Subject coverage: economics, International Development, NGO management, politics, refugee studies. - University of Westminster
Regent Library, 4-12 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW.
Tel. 020 7911 5000 Ext.2537
Subject coverage: politics, international relations, diplomatic studies.
Other Libraries for Reference Use
- British Library
96 Euston Road, London NW1.
Tel. 020 7412 7676
Access only to material unavailable elsewhere. Entry not always guaranteed. Two forms of I.D. needed to obtain a readers pass. See the website for details. - Chatham House Library
The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, 10 St James's Square, London SW1Y 4LE.
Tel. 020 7957 5723
Non-members of Chatham House can use the Library, subject to demonstration of a research need to consult their materials. Phone before you visit.
Subject coverage: Great for international relations topics with a particular focus on politics, economics, security and the environment. - Small Business Research and Enterprise Centre
Aldermanbury, London EC2V 7HH.
Tel. 020 7332 1812
Subject coverage: Largely business information, but also has a good collection of resources giving country information in the areas of economic policy, domestic economy, foreign trade, etc. UN, IMF & OECD publications are available, and access to a number of electronic resources is free. - International Institute of Strategic Studies
Arundel House, 13–15 Arundel Street, London WC2R 3DX
Tel. 020 7395 9122
Non-members may use the Library for a daily entrance fee.
Subject coverage: Covers a broad range of current international relations, security and defence topics. Contains very little historical material. - Senate House Library
Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU.
Tel. 020 7862 8500
There is a charge to use the library, please see the website for up-to-date visitor information.
Subject coverage: includes the libraries of the Institutes of Commonwealth Studies, Germanic Studies, and Latin American Studies. Sizeable collection of politics materials, including public policy. Good for Asia Pacific studies, development studies, peace and conflict studies, and public administration. - Trades Union Congress (TUC) Library Collections
16 Goulston Street, London E1 7TP.
Tel. 020 7320 3516
Subject coverage: The collection focuses largely on the trade union movement, with union publications from the UK and other countries, working conditions and industrial relations, and campaigns and policy areas in which the TUC has been involved. - UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) Library
16 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW
Tel. 020 7679 8701
Free reference access during UCL vacations only. Please see the website for further details.
Subject coverage: “one of the leading teaching and research collections in the UK for the study of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia”. All aspects including history and culture.