LibGuides: Subject Guide: Political Science: Reference Sources

Online Reference Materials

Statista
Statista is an online statistics portal providing access to data from market and opinion research institutions, as well as from business organizations and government institutions.
Social Progress Index
The Social Progress Index uses non-economic measures to gauge the well-being of a country's inhabitants. Covers 99 percent of the world's population. The index consists of 52 indicators, divided into three major categories: basic human needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunity.

ICPSR: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) was established in 1962 and is an integral part of the infrastructure of social science research. ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction, and offers training in quantitative methods to facilitate effective data use.
The World Factbook (CIA)
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.

Statistical Abstract
The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.

E-Books

Modern Conflict in the Greater Middle East: a Country-By-Country Guide by Spencer C. Tucker (Editor)
ISBN: 9781440843617

Publication Date: 2017

This reference work covers the history of Middle East nations, addressing military, political, diplomatic, and ideological trends in each respective country and enabling readers to better understand the factors behind the crises shaping the Middle East today.
International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, 2nd Ed. by William A. Darity
ISBN: 9780028659657

Publication Date: 2007

Covers scholarship and fields that have emerged and matured since the publication of the original international edition. Highlights the expanding influence of economics in social science research and features new articles and biographies contributed by scholars from around the world on a wide array of global topics in the social sciences. 9 volumes.
Legal Issues Across the Globe (Vol 1) by Mary Ruby (Editor)
ISBN: 9781410338402

Publication Date: 2017

Provides worldwide coverage of important legal topics of the day. Each chapter begins with an overview by a legal scholar, providing a framework for understanding the issue. Each overview is then followed by twelve essays on different countries around the world. The essays discuss laws in those countries, as well as the historical and cultural contexts in which those laws came about.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations
ISBN: 9780787673307

Publication Date: 2003

Presents easy-to-understand information on 200 countries and dependencies from around the world. Entries discuss a variety of topics in detail, from banking and securities to climate, from government data to demographic statistics. Also includes biographical essays on national leaders. 6 volumes.

Print (paper) Reference Materials

The links below will help you locate print resources for Political Science topics.

Reference Books - with a focus on Political Science Topics