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Embedded LibGuides by Jenny

Library Resources

 

Greetings from your librarian for PSCI 2200: I can help you find articles or answer any other question.  

I share office hours with an awesome team of librarians, so if you'd like some one-on-one help click here to book an appointment or let me know a time that works for you We're here for you!

Jenny Castel |  jcastel@jwu.edu  |  401-598-1887

Did you know you can also chat or text with one of our on-duty librarians?  It's anonymous, free, and super fast!

Journals 

 

Journals available through the library on the list below, are hyperlinked, and blue.

 

Click on the journal you'd like to search within. 

- You can search by topic or you can search within a specific year/volume/issue if you know what you are looking for. 

- If you run into problems when searching for articles within these journals, contact a librarian! We are here to help!

 

- To search for journals not on the list, go here

 

American Economic Review

American Ethnologist

American Journal of Political Science

American Political Science Review

American Sociological Review

Annual Review of Political Science

Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies

Ethnic and Racial Studies

Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power

International Migration Review

Journal of Black Studies

Journal of Human Resources

Journal of Negro Education

Journal of Politics

Journal of Social Issues

Policy Studies Journal

Political Science Quarterly

PS: Perspectives on Politics

Race & Class

Review of Black Political Economy

Social Justice

Social Science Quarterly

Sociological Inquiry

Urban Affairs Review

Urban Geography

How to Start a Search: 

Step 1: Think about your topic/focus

Step 2: Extract the main keywords/concepts

Step 3: Open your database of choice (see "Databases" tab)

Step 4: Input each of the words into the search lines. Click 'Search'!

  • Example Research Question: How does social media affect mental health?
  • Search Terms: Social Media (and) Mental Health 

Bonus Step: Select search limiters (left side of screen)

  • Full Text
  • Scholarly/Peer Reviewed

Your search page will look similar to this .... 

Narrowing a Search / Preventing Information Overload 

improve your results by adding another term to your search 

Pro Tip 1:

  • Use the Database Thesaurus. Click "subject thesaurus," then click "show more"
  • It provides an extensive list of terms/themes that relate to your main topic.
  • Once you select a term, it will automatically be added to your search.  

Pro Tip 2:

  • Read the "subjects" terms listed under each result.  
  • Make a list of the keywords that relate to your research. You can individually input them as search terms. 

Your search page will look similar to this! .... 

How to Choose an Article

Step 1:
Read the title: titles typically reveal the main theory or variables being investigated in the article
Step 2:
Read the abstract (the summary at the beginning of the essay or in the article's record in the library database): the abstract will give you more information about the context of the theory and variable to see if it relates to your topic
 

How to Read a Scholarly/Academic Article 

Often, the contents of an academic article cannot be grasped by a single reading.

You have to engage with it several times, but in different ways.

Step 1: Skim the abstract, introduction paragraph, and conclusion paragraph. 
 
Step 2: Skim the whole article
 
Step 3: Determine your purpose for reading the article
 
Step 4: Read specific sections critically to fulfill your purpose