International/Transnational Relations

Databases, such as PAIS and Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) and Historical Abstracts are carefully selected, paid subscriptions that provide access to the literature of the discipline. Each database usually indexes and abstracts hundreds of journals, enabling you to identify scholarly articles. Choose the most appropriate databases for your paper by using the databases by subject page and clicking on the for information on each database's scope.

There are also a variety of think tanks, research institutes, non-profits, and other organizations that may publish analyses on your particular topic. Many can be identified with the Associations Unlimited database.

The Web can be a source of authoritative information, but you must use careful judgment in evaluating what you find there. (See UNC's Websites Checklist.) Searching the Web effectively is not as simple as typing words in the Google search box. It can be an exercise in frustration and overload, or a very useful strategy if done well. See Google's Cheat Sheet and Google Scholar to narrow your search, and remember: the billions of pages on the Web do not cover all the scholarly material on your topic--it is more likely to be found in academic databases, journals and books available through the university libraries.

See also the library's Globalization & Economic Competitiveness guide. 

Specific databases, organizations and web sites are recommended throughout this guide.