University Library > Research Guides > Political Science

Global Environmental Policy
Research Guide

Leslie Gray - Political Science 130

Search Strategy

Before you start your research, focus your topic.
  • Try writing your topic in one sentence.
  • For example: What is the effect of acid rain on forests?

Then, boil the statement down to keywords, or the most important elements of your issue.

  • For example: acid rain, forests

Then, separate the keywords with the connector and.
Use an asterisk(*) to find variations of a word.

  • For example: forest* will find forest, forests

Your search could now be something like this:

  • Acid rain and forest*

Finding Background Information on your Topic

Encyclopedia of Global Change
Ref GE149.E47 2002
Encyclopedia of World Environmental History
Ref GF10.E63 2004
Beacham's Guide to Environmental Issues and Sources
Ref GE115.B43 1993

Finding Books on your Topic

  • Go to Library Homepage http://www.scu.edu/library
  • Click on OSCAR (the Library's catalog).
  • Click on Keyword search.
  • Enter your keywords in the box.
  • Too many or too few citations retrieved, try narrowing or broadening the keywords you use.
  • To checkout books from the Library, you must have a valid ACCESS card and you must be in the library's patron file to check them out.
  • Or, if the books you want are not available at the Library, you can utilize LINK+ .
    For further information on LINK+, go to: http://www.scu.edu/library/services/bx/link_plus.html.

Finding Journal Articles on your Topic

The Library subscribes to a number of databases that will retrieve either citations/abstracts to or fulltext of journal articles on your topic.

  • Go to Library Homepage http://www.scu.edu/library
  • Click on Electronic Databases A-Z.
  • Click on a letter, then the name of a database that you want to search.
  • Enter your search, which should look very much like the search you entered into OSCAR.
  • Most databases use the connector and, as well as the asterisk.
  • You will need to input your name and barcode number off the back of your ACCESS card to access any of these databases from off-campus.

Some good databases to search for environmental policy topics are:

Academic Search Elite (click on "Peer Reviewed" before completing your search)
Provides full-text for around 2,050 publications, including 1,500 peer-reviewed scholarly journals. In addition, indexing and abstracts are given for a collection of nearly 3,400 journals covering a wide range of academic topics including business, education, social sciences, humanities, science & engineering. 1985–present.
Environmental Science and Pollution Management
This multidisciplinary database provides abstracts and references to the literature covering all areas of air, land, water, and noise pollution, as well as bacteriology, ecology, toxicology, risk assessment, environmental engineering, environmental biotechnology, waste management, and water resources. 1981–present. Updated monthly.
Human Population and Natural Resource Management
This database provides access to human population and demography topics, as well as societal issues involving natural resource management. Coverage includes relevant papers, reports, books and reviews from peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as conference proceedings and hard-to-find gray literature. 1995-present. Updated monthly.
PolicyFile
Indexes public policy research and analysis from think tanks, university research programs, research organizations and publishers. Provides links to fulltext where available.
Social Sciences Full Text
Indexes and abstracts articles at least one column in length from over 544 different English language periodicals in the social sciences, which includes anthropology, psychology, sociology, ethnic studies, political science, economics, geography, urban studies, and more. Fulltext of articles are available from about 175 of these periodicals. Indexing goes back to 1983. Abstracts began with January 1994. Fulltext availability varies title to title, but may go back to 1995. Updated daily. For indexing of articles appearing prior to 1983, use Humanities & Social Sciences Retrospective .
If your article is not available fulltext in the database you searched:
  • Go to Library Homepage http://www.scu.edu/library.
  • Click on Electronic and Print Journals list, then type the title of your journal (not the title of the article) in the box. You could retrieve:
    1. a list of other databases where your article is fulltext
    2. or a statement that your journal is in Orradre's print holdings
    3. or a statement that the journal title is not available at Orradre.
  • If the journal is available fulltext in another database, click on the name of the database.
  • If the journal is in Orradre print holdings, get the call number and come to the Library and photocopy the article.
  • If Orradre does not have the journal title either electronically or in print, you can fill out a Bronco Express request form online https://sculib.scu.edu/patroninfo/0/redirect=/illj and the article can be sent to your GroupWise email account.
  • Go to http://www.scu.edu/library/services/bx/illfaq.html for more information about Bronco Express.
  • You need a valid ACCESS card to place a Bronco Express request.

Some Good Websites on your Topic

Population Reference Bureau Country Statistics and Reports
This site provides information about “the population dimensions of social, economic, and political issues”. Click on the word Environment under Focus Areas.
World Resources Institute
Site has information on many global environmental problems. Includes a link to the fulltext of World Resources 2002-2004.
United Nations Environment Programme
From this great site, you can also access the fulltext publication Global Environment Outlook 2003
Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity
Covers a broad spectrum of topics. Searchable by keyword.
Collection on Critical Global Issues
This Website includes 210 ebooks in which the text is searchable.

Citation Guides

Citing an Internet Resource APA & MLA Style
Simplified guide to citing Internet resources done by Orradre Librarian, Gail Gradowski.
Citations Style Guides
From the Seattle Central Community College Library, this site shows you how to cite using examples from Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago (Turabian), American Psychological Association (APA), and American Anthropological Association (AAA) styles.

Ask a Librarian

  • Still don't know where to start with your research, or need help with your search strategy, try asking a librarian either:
  • In person by coming to the Reference Desk and talking to the Reference Librarian on duty. Reference hours are posted at http://www.scu.edu/library/info/hours/reference.
  • By phone: (408) 554-4658 (this is the Reference Desk number)
  • Electronically: via email or online at Ask a Librarian.

Created by Paula J. Popma 3/2/05