Subject Guides: Political Science: Encyclopedias

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Encyclopedias -- Online

21st Century Political Science: A Reference Handbook
Concise Encyclopedia of the United Nations
Encyclopedia of Global Studies
Encyclopedia of Governance
Encyclopedia of Nationalism: Fundamental Themes
Encyclopedia of Political Theory
Encyclopedia of Politics: the Left and the Right
Encyclopedia of Power
Encyclopedia of Public Choice
Encyclopedia of Terrorism
International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics
International Encyclopedia of Political Science
International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social and behavioural sciences, including related biological fields, such as evolutionary science, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, and health.

Statesman's Yearbook Online
Concise summaries of world political and economic events; histories, statistics and political institutions.

Description: The Statesmans Yearbook is a searchable, electronic reference tool, offering a concise introduction to the political and economic conditions in almost every nation in the world. The country-by-country summary of national institutions, constitutions, statistics, political histories, economic policies and social conditions are brief but detailed. The on-line version continues the print publication of the Statesmans Yearbook, which began in 1864.
Coverage and Currency: Continuously updated.
Type: E-books.
Access: Access limited to Grant MacEwan University IP addresses. Remote login with a MacEwan network user ID and password.
Conditions of Use: Use of this database is restricted to members of the MacEwan University community and to users physically present in the Library. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that they use this database for individual, non-commercial, educational or research purposes only, and do not systematically download or retain substantial portions of information.
Supplier: Palgrave MacMillan

Encyclopedias -- Print

General E-reference Sources

Credo Reference
Provides online access to dictionaries, encyclopedias and other reference materials.

Description: The collection features: over 2 million entries such as 180,000 audio pronunciation files; 66,000 art, science, and medical images; and 90,000 atlas images of places and geographic features throughout the world.
Type: E-books.
Access: Access limited to Grant MacEwan University IP addresses. Remote login with a MacEwan network user ID and password.
Conditions of Use: Use of this database is restricted to members of the MacEwan University community and to users physically present in the Library. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that they use this database for individual, non-commercial, educational or research purposes only, and do not systematically download or retain substantial portions of information.
Supplier: Xrefer
Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Online, searchable and browsable version of the well known Encyclopedia Britannica.

Description: Over 75,000 articles from the Encyclopdia Britannica, including 23,000 biographies, full-text articles from more than 700 magazines, over 27,000 images and maps, plus 3,300 animations, videos, and audio files, and 166,000 Web sites selected by Britannica editors for additional information.
Coverage and Currency: Historical to current events, people and places. Updated continuously.
Type: E-books.
Access: Access limited to Grant MacEwan University IP addresses. Remote Login with a MacEwan network user ID and password.
Conditions of Use: Use of this database is restricted to members of the MacEwan University community and to users physically present in the Library. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that they use this database for individual, non-commercial, educational or research purposes only, and do not systematically download or retain substantial portions of information.
Supplier: Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
A collection of electronic reference books, primarily related to English Literature, but also including titles from Science and History.

Description: Includes the entire series of Novels for Students, Drama for Students, Short Stories for Students, and Poetry for Students, in addition to encyclopedias from other subject areas.
Coverage and Currency: 1997+.
Type: E-books.
Access: Access limited to Grant MacEwan University IP addresses. Remote login with a MacEwan network user ID and password.
Conditions of Use: Use of this database is restricted to members of the MacEwan University community and to users physically present in the Library. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that they use this database for individual, non-commercial, educational or research purposes only, and do not systematically download or retain substantial portions of information.
Supplier: Thomson Gale.
Oxford Reference Online Premium
Fully-indexed, cross-searchable dictionary, language, and subject reference works, including detailed information across a broad subject range from titles in the Oxford Companions Series.

Description: Language and subject reference works from Oxford University Press.
Coverage and Currency: Updated at least three times a year with new titles, new editions, and additional features. All content is reviewed and updated regularly.
Type: E-books.
Access: Access limited to Grant MacEwan University IP addresses. Remote login with a MacEwan network user ID and password.
Conditions of Use: Use of this database is restricted to members of the MacEwan University community and to users physically present in the Library. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that they use this database for individual, non-commercial, educational or research purposes only, and do not systematically download or retain substantial portions of information.
Supplier: Oxford University Press, via OCLC Canada
Canadian Points of View Reference Centre
Full-text database designed to provide students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue and also offers guides to debating, developing arguments and writing position papers.

Description: 100 key topics of interest to Canadian researchers containing a balance of materials from all viewpoints, including 400 main essays, leading political magazines, newspapers, radio & TV news transcripts, primary source documents, and reference books.
Coverage and Currency: 20th century to current issues. Updated daily.
Type: Full text.
Access: Access limited to Grant MacEwan University IP addresses. Remote login with a MacEwan network user ID and password.
Conditions of Use: Use of this database is restricted to members of the MacEwan University community and to users physically present in the Library. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that they use this database for individual, non-commercial, educational or research purposes only, and do not systematically download or retain substantial portions of information.
Supplier: EBSCO Publishing

Why use Encyclopedias?

Encyclopedias can provide you with background information on your topic. Use them to help you define your topic for an assignment, to gain a better understanding of concepts, and to discover useful keywords for further searching.

*Note: Entries from encyclopedias are usually not appropriate sources for your research paper or annotated bibliography assignments. This is the research that do before you start your research!

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