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Online Reference Works
Most resources presented on this page are library subscription databases; a few federal government sources are included. Both types of materials are useful in developing a complete picture of a topic or issue.
- Almanac of American PoliticsProfiles of states, districts, and members of Congress.
- Supreme Court YearbookAvailable from 1989-1990 through the 2008-2009 term. Analysis of cases and terms. Part of the CQ Political Reference Suite.
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new windowAccess to the 'Oxford Reference Online: Premium Collection. Explore a variety of reference works on all aspects of the social sciences, including politics and government.
- International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Edition (2015) This link opens in a new windowBroad, deep and scholarly coverage of social and behavioral sciences reference material; articles signed by experts. Excellent source for background information on topics as varied as judicial independence, electoral systems, Presidential systems of government, and administrative law in the U.S. and beyond.
Articles
A number of library databases provide materials useful for government-related research. A few recommended sources are identified below.
Consider specialized databases like Criminal Justice Abstracts, PubMed, Web of Science, or ERIC (education) for subject-specific research.
- Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowAcademic Search Ultimate is a multidisciplinary database useful for searching a broad range of topics in the fields of criminology, public policy, and justice. Many full-text articles are available; click the PDF or the check for full-text link to locate them!
- Business Source Ultimate (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowScholarly, peer-reviewed articles and professional association news and information, the majority in full text. Some video.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowIn-depth, authoritative reports on political and social-policy issues extending back to 1923. Each report is footnoted and includes an overview, background section, chronology, bibliography and debate-style pro-con feature.
- Military and Government Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowCurrent scholarly journal and news information pertaining to all branches of the military. Links to full text.
- Social Sciences Premium Collection (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowIncludes PAIS, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Social Services Abstracts, and a number of full-text journal collections. Databases may be searched individually or as a group.
- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new windowWorldwide Political Science Abstracts provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science, international relations, law, and public administration / policy.
Historical Articles
- American Periodicals Series, 1741-1940 (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowDigitized images of the pages of 1000 American magazines and journals published between 1741 and 1940. Titles include Benjamin Franklin's General Magazine, the first American professional journals, and several consumer magazines still in publication, such as Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, and Ladies' Home Journal.
- Boston Globe (1872-present) (Proquest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new windowHistorical and current access to the Boston Globe, one of two major daily newspapers in Boston. Link to the most recent issue.
- Historical Newspapers (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowA curated selection of historical newspapers in facsimile and full text, including all titles in Historical Black Newspapers plus additional titles.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowOne of the most trusted sources for scholarly books and historical journal backfiles. Beginning in 2023, JSTOR also includes Artstor images of art and primary source artifacts.
Policy Resources
- Policy Commons This link opens in a new windowReports, working papers, policy briefs, data sources, and media drawn from a directory of more than 30,000 IGOs, NGOs, think tanks, and research centers.
- North American City Reports (Policy Commons) This link opens in a new windowThis module may be searched separately or as part of the larger Policy Commons database. North American City Reports includes the full text of surveys, budgets, statistical records, case studies, planning documents, training manuals, policy guidelines, reports, and news from the 600 largest cities and urban agencies in North America.
- PolicyFile This link opens in a new windowU.S. foreign and domestic policy papers and gray literature, PolicyFile is updated weekly with abstracts and links to the latest reports, papers, and documents from think tanks, research institutes, and agencies. Although a much smaller database than Policy Commons, PolicyFile offers some unique content, including a political leaning tag which may be helpful in determining a contributing organization's place on the political spectrum.
- Congressional Research Service (CRS)CRS is a non-partisan research branch of the U.S. Congress. Given the broad range of policy issues covered and the expertise of CRS staff, these reports can provide an excellent starting point for research.
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)GAO is a non-partisan agency which investigates government spending and advises Congress of its findings. GAO reports frequently provide insight into policy initiatives and policy failures. Check the Key Issues page.
Digital Newspaper Subscriptions
- Financial TimesLondon-based and international in scope, with extensive business, marketing, economic, political, news and trends worldwide. Also hosts subject-focused newsletters, podcasts, and live conferences. Access to the Financial Times requires registration with a Northeastern or NU London email address.
- New York Times via NYTimes.com This link opens in a new windowNortheastern offers current and archival access to the New York Times. Please use the link above to register with a Northeastern email address. Once registered, users can log in directly at https://www.nytimes.com or use the New York Times app on a smartphone or device.
- Nikkei Asia This link opens in a new windowCoverage of Asia's economic, political, business and technology news in English. Established with a goal to change the way the Asia is covered internationally and to enhance the world’s understanding of pan-Asian affairs.
Also includes data on financial markets and top companies in the region.
- Wall Street Journal This link opens in a new windowLeading economic, business, finance, and political news, information, commentary and analysis. For historic WSJ content dating back to 1985, please use Factiva (Opens in new window). Individual registration using a Northeastern email address is required.
- Washington PostWashington D.C.'s newspaper, with coverage of the city and region, national events, and coverage of federal government "inside-the-beltway" news. For off-campus access, please create an account and then follow these instructions (Opens in new window) to link our university subscription. Once registered, users can log in directly at www.washingtonpost.com.
Other Digital News Platforms
- AtlanticThe Atlantic covers a broad range of topics including politics, society, the arts, and culture. The site includes content from 1857 to the present and includes audio, video and podcast extras.
- E&E News (Politico Pro) This link opens in a new windowUp-to-date news on energy and the environment. Includes EnergyWire, ClimateWire, GreenWire, E&E Daily, and E&E News.
- Economist This link opens in a new windowWeekly international news and business publication. The online edition features content from 1997 to the present.
- Foreign Affairs This link opens in a new windowFeatures articles and current news covering the political, historical and economic impacts of American foreign policy and global affairs; includes the full archive of Foreign Affairs Magazine 1922-present plus online-only content. Published by the Council on Foreign Relations.
- Foreign Policy This link opens in a new windowGlobal news magazine providing insights and analysis as well as original reporting.
- Project Syndicate This link opens in a new windowA unique source of opinion pages from news outlets around the world. Good for debate and argument essays or to research a range of views on current events.