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PLSC 4380: Big Data and IR: Overview

Scholarly Reference Resources

Get an overview of the scholarship and find links to relevant citations.

Articles & Books

General Search Tools

Journals

Magazines

Books

Policy Papers

Policy briefs or policy papers summarize a policy issue and argue for a particular solution. Many policy briefs from think tanks, NGOs, and research institutes can be found online. Include the keywords "policy brief" or "policy paper" or "white paper" in your search.

Be sure to evaluate the organization. 

General Search Tools

Recommended Think Tanks

If a site's search function is not good, use a Google site search to find relevant pages within an organization's website.

Research Librarian

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Megan Heuer

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Evaluating Organizations

Being non-profit or even being humanitarian does not mean that an organization does not have a bias in favor or against a certain subject, industry or policy. Just because an organization has a bias does not mean that you would not use information from them.

  • Check the "About" page to understand the mission of the interest group.
  • Do some searching on Google to see what more you can find out.
  • Check to make sure that any research conducted was well done.
  • Look for other groups that may have different positions.
  • Look for citations to the organization from reputable news media, government bodies, etc.
  • Find out who funds the organization. Be aware that some think tanks are run by corporations as a way to generate positive public relations.