Welcome to a resource page to support international law research.
POLS 3406 - International Law
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.)
These sources provide quick overviews of countries as well as country comparisons. Helpful when selecting similar or dissimilar countries for a project.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Selected country rankings and indicators provided by a variety of organizations.
Use the following links to view 2 minute videos on Access World News features.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Please e-mail Roxanne Palmatier, library contact for Political Science and International Affairs.
A summary of a research article that appears at the beginning of the document. Reading the abstract may help you decide if you want to read the full article.
A note, comment, or explanation. Can be added to citations to create annotated bibliographies.
A geographic information system (GIS) software developed by Esri. ArcGIS enables you to analyze, visualize, and interpret spatial data for better decision-making.
Written content on a narrow subject and published in a periodical or website. In some contexts, academics may use article as a shortened form of journal article.
A detailed list of resources cited in an article, book, or other publication. Also called a List of References.
A group of libraries in New England that work together to share resources with students, faculty, and staff of member libraries. Northeastern University is a member of this group. Requesting a consortium library card is free to Northeastern students.
A free library available to people who work, live or attend school in Massachusetts. Boston Public Library's collection includes physical and digital access to books, journals, and films.
A label of letters and/or numbers that tell you where the resource can be found in the library. Call numbers are displayed on print books and physical resources and correspond with a topic or subject area.
A list of all the items in a library's physical collection. Modern catalogs are searchable databases. Catalogs include information about the item's:
Also called a catalogue, OPAC. Historically a card catalog.
Software that can help you collect, organize, and cite sources. The library provides training on five specific citation managers: BibTeX, EndNote, Mendeley, RefWorks, and Zotero. Also called citation management software, citation management tool or reference manager.
Physical materials assigned by an instructor and held at the library. These materials are generally restricted to in-building use for a limited period. At faculty discretion, some materials may be checked out overnight or for a few days.
A searchable collection of similar items. Library databases include resources for research. Examples include: a newspaper database, such as Access World News, or a humanities scholarly journal database, such as JSTOR.
A searchable online storage space for video files, images, and documents. Specialized digital repositories collect materials related to a theme or institution.
Northeastern University Library manages the Digital Repository Service (DRS). The DRS collects digital material related to Northeastern University's history and academic work.
The conversion of print or analog material to a digital format. Examples of digitization include:
A paper written to fulfill requirements for a degree containing original research on a narrow topic. Also called a thesis.
A unique number assigned to some digital content. DOIs do not change even if the online location or ownership of the resource changes.
A digital version of a thesis or dissertation produced by a master's or Ph.D. student. Most theses and dissertations written by Northeastern University students are ETDs. Interested researchers can find Northeastern ETDs in the Digital Repository Service. Theses and dissertations written before 2007 are only available in print format in the Northeastern University Archives.
A broad category of research in which existing research is reviewed to clarify what is known. Evidence synthesis uses explicit and reproducible methods. Common types of evidence synthesis include systematic reviews, scoping reviews, integrative reviews, and umbrella reviews.
A computer-based means of storing, analyzing, and displaying geographic data. Researchers use Geographic Information Systems to create maps and charts.
A way of examining and interpreting data about geographic locations, or spatial data. Geospatial analysis examines spatial data to gain insights and identify patterns or trends. Also called geospacial analysis.
A government document shared to inform and start discussion about proposed policy.
Research or reports circulated outside of a traditional publication process. Types of grey literature include:
Also called gray literature.
The system Northeastern’s library uses for interlibrary loan requests. The first time you request materials, you’ll need to set up your account.
A library service that allows you to request resources your library does not have. At Northeastern University, this service is free. Materials are delivered electronically when possible.
A unique number used to identify books. Many databases and search engines allow you to search for a book using an ISBN.
An ongoing publication focused on current developments in a field. Journal issues are released on a regular schedule.
A unit of Northeastern’s library with responsibility for services or systems. Some departments are referred to by their acronyms:
A search setting that removes search results based on source attributes. Limiters vary by database but often include publication date, material type, and language. Also called: filter or facet.
Notes, comments, annotations, sketches, added to the margins of a text. These can be typed or hand-written. Marginalia can include headers, footnotes, and sidenotes. In some cases, marginalia are written by the author of a text, but is often notes made by a reader.
Information associated with a resource, usually organized in a specific way. The word metadata means "data about data".
Metadata varies but often includes title, creator, and format. Descriptive metadata makes it possible to find and identify resources in a collection. When the metadata in a collection is standardized, the predefined structure is called a metadata schema.
Research or data available for free. Open access resources are sometimes labeled with an unlocked padlock symbol. These resources often have permissive licenses that support re-use and sharing.
What is Open Access?
Words used to connect multiple search terms to bring back targeted results. Operators can be used to reduce or expand the number of search results. Operators include:
Also called: Boolean Operator.
Well-regarded review process used by some academic journals. Relevant experts review articles for quality and originality before publication. Articles reviewed using this process are called peer reviewed articles. Less often, these articles are called refereed articles.
A newspaper, magazine or journal that is published on a regular schedule.
A free and open-source Geographic Information System (GIS) application. This tool set enables you to capture, analyze, visualize, and share geographic data. QGIS is a Mac-friendly alternative to ArcGIS.
Data defined by a grid of equally sized cells, akin to pixels.
To transfer information from one format to another. Example: Scanning a paper newspaper to create an online or PDF version. Reformatting includes digitization.
A webpage or pages created by librarians to guide your research in a field or course. Research guides include links to resources, tutorials, and other information.
The removal of a published article from a journal. A journal’s editors or editorial board can decide to retract an article when it has serious errors. Errors that can result in retraction include:
A book or article written by academic researchers and published by an academic press or journal. Scholarly sources contain original research and commentary.
Common filetype (.shp) for points, lines, or polygons. This filetype is widely used in Geographic Information Systems, specifically ArcGIS. Various free shapefiles are available online.
A library database that searches a broad range of resources. Material in Scholar OneSearch includes:
Scholar OneSearch also includes information about material held at Northeastern’s libraries. Researchers can use ScholarOne Search to organize their research and manage borrowed items. To best serve Northeastern University's widespread community, ScholarOne Search has different views:
Appropriate views for each global campus are included on their Global Campus Portal.
Information tied to specific geographic locations or positions on the Earth's surface. Also known as “geospatial data”, GeoData, or spacial data.
Library staff who have expertise in an academic subject. A subject librarian can offer advice on:
Subject librarians are available to work with individuals and small groups. They create guides and tutorials and teach workshops.
A source focused on sharing news and information of interest to an industry. Trade publications are often published by industry associations. Periodicals related to an industry are called trade journals.
An unrepeated string of numbers and letters used to recognize and differentiate material. Also called an identification number. Examples include American citizen's’ social security numbers or published books' ISBNs. A persistent identifier (PID) is a long-lasting type of unique identifier. Persistent identifiers allow you to locate a resource with a URL. Examples include electronic articles' Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) and digital materials' handles.
The precise address for a webpage. URL stands for the words uniform resource locator.
A spatial model using coordinates for representing points, lines, and polygons.
A concise, researched report about a complex issue. Readers should gain enough understanding to solve a related problem or make a choice.
An article or conference proposal draft shared to invite feedback.