Welcome!
Welcome to a resource page to support international law research.
INTL 3400 - International Conflict and Negotiation
Gather and store/organize information - These suggestions are based on library collections and databases. You may have alternative resources in mind!
~~Explore reference works on international law.
~~Check News Sources box below - Examples of NU Library news resources are The Economist, Foreign Policy, and Access World News.
~~Search for statistics/data on topics of interest - economic indicators, including imports and exports, etc.
~~ Explore maps
~~Search for country information
~~Capture citations - As you gather materials, save the information you'll need for your bibliographies and works cited pages!!
~~Store your citations in a citation management software package like Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, or RefWorks. (If you've used EasyBib, NoodleTools, or a similar kind of software, you've used a citation manager.)
Background materials
- International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Opens in new window)Excellent source for topic overviews. Essays are written by experts in the field.
- Oxford Handbooks This link opens in a new windowIn-depth introductions to topics and a critical survey of the current state of scholarship. Please note that Northeastern users have access to a selection of handbooks only. The database link will take users to our licensed handbooks.
Country Information
These sources provide quick overviews of countries as well as country comparisons. Helpful when selecting similar or dissimilar countries for a project.
- Europa World Plus This link opens in a new windowAn encyclopedia with detailed entries covering political and economic information in more than 250 countries and territories. Not limited to Europe! Frequently updated.
Select the Countries/Territories link. Type a country name in the search box and press enter or select a country/territory from the alphabetical directory. NOTE: Coverage is also provided for sub-regions within a country (U.S. states, sub-units within the Russian Federation, Canadian provinces, etc.)
Select Recent History and other topics of interest from the menu at the left. The History section often provides detailed information about conflicts and other events that will have an impact on security, policy, and international relations.
Regional profiles often provide helpful context since neighboring countries affect and are affected by events in the country of interest. Select the Regions link and make your choice from the map or list of regions. The Topical Essays are of particular interest.
- EIU Viewpoint and Country Reports (Economist Intelligence Unit) This link opens in a new windowContains Country Reports, Country Finance, and Country Commerce, plus special reports on current international issues. Updated continuously. Terms of service
Country reports provide in-depth information about a nation's economy and political environment. All countries have what is called a One Click Report; the availability of additional reports on the regulatory environment, key industries, five-year forecasts, and the business environment varies by country. Here is a sample of Russia's One Click report.
The Political Handbook provides an overview of a nation's political landscape as well as coverage of government organization and structure and political parties, including extremist groups or ethnic parties, if relevant. Editions back to 2005-2006 are available.
View the screenshot below to see the contents of a typical country report, in the case, Ukraine.
The Handbook provides several special features, including a classification of countries by their type of political and electoral systems as shown below.
- 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.
Use the dashboard at the left of the results list to select a date range and choose the category Country Reports. In many instances, reports are available from the late 1990’s to present.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowBrings together data and graphs on every imaginable topic from business to government, surveys, sports, and scientific topics. Easy to use, exportable charts and data, recommended citations.
These are sample Country & Region and Politics & Society reports.
After examining the country reports, use the main search box to retrieve statistics and infographics on other relevant topics which can add detail to a profile, i.e., detailed demographics, education, crime, social media use, etc.
For additional statistical and data resources, try the Social Science Statistics and Data Guide.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowBrings together data and graphs on every imaginable topic from business to government, surveys, sports, and scientific topics. Easy to use, exportable charts and data, recommended citations.
- Statistical Abstract of the U.S. (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowUnited States statistical handbook, published annually. Available 2013 to the present. For earlier dates, see Bureau of the Census (free site)
- UN DataThis site provides access to 35 UN databases, covering a broad range of data from crime to industry to demographics. Offers links to statistical portals of the world's nations.
Selected country rankings and indicators provided by a variety of organizations.
Legal Resources - HeinOnline
- HeinOnline (provided courtesy of the Law School Library)HeinOnline provides extensive coverage of international law as well as U.S. and foreign law. See specific links below.
- Foreign and International Law Databases (HeinOnline)Includes many law yearbooks.
Additional Legal Resources
- GlobalexCollection of links to international, foreign, and comparative law sites.
- Westlaw Campus ResearchAlthough largely U.S. focused, a number of international materials are available.
News Sources
- EconomistThe Economist is a weekly international news and business publication, offering clear reporting, commentary and analysis on world current affairs, business, finance, science and technology, culture, society, media and the arts. The online edition features content from 1997 to the present. (Audio and Apps sections are not included in our subscription.)
- Access World NewsInternational and domestic news coverage. Use this resource to find some materials written from the home country perspective. Dates vary by title, but some sources go back to the late 1970’s.
Use the following links to view 2 minute videos on Access World News features.
- How to use the mapTwo-minute video. Use a world map to find media from a specific country, group of countries, or region.
Use Europa World to identify other potential news sources. Europa also provides detailed country histories and directories of government agencies, political parties, and broadcasting and communication outlets. Search Country profiles and consider reviewing Regional profiles to establish context around events in an individual country.
Country Statistics and Data
Research Tip! Statistics can lead you to datasets! When you find a relevant table or chart, look for its source.
Here's an example from Statista, one of the NU Library's major statistical databases. EIU Viewpoint is also a rich source of country statistics and data. Also, try the Data/Statistics/Polls tab on this Guide!
Maps
The NU Library does not maintain a map collection. However, we offer a robust suite of Geographic Information Systems services (GIS) supported by Senior Research Data Analyst, Bahare Sanaie-Movahed.
Some sources for maps include:
Nations Online Project - Offers maps for a variety of geographical areas.
Click the images below to retrieve the maps!
Other options include the Perry Castaneda Library Map Collection (University of Texas, Austin) and CIA Maps. Maps may be included in news stories and news magazines as well.
Sources for IGO/NGO/Think Tank Resources
Use these tools to find work published by NGOs, IGOs, and think tanks. Some of these reports may provide insight into the current state of the conflict and previous negotiations.
- Policy CommonsNU is now a member of Policy Commons! Use this resource to access reports and other materials from IGOs, NGOs, think tanks, government agencies, and academic research centers.
- PolicyFileIndexes and links to publications from 350 think tanks, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Domestic and international coverage.
Need more help?
Please e-mail Roxanne Palmatier, library contact for Political Science and International Affairs.