V160: National & International Policy
Business/SPEA Information Commons
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to Midnight
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to Midnight
Need Research or Library Help?
E-mail: Christina Sheley: cmwilkin@indiana.edu or Melanie Groth: mgroth@indiana.edu
Call: 812.855.1957
Chat: Enter a question in the chat box below for immediate help.
POLICY brief assignment:
For this assignment, you're asked to locate two outside information sources to support the development of a policy brief related to a topic discussed in class. Since minimal research is required, where to search for information is less important than how you search and what you determine is appropriate to include in your analysis.
Where to Search?
The two library databases below can be utilized to find articles related to the topics discussed in V160. These resources can only be accessed through the IUB Libraries website or this class page.
|
Academic Search is a library database that provides access to full-text, news, trade, and scholary articles on a wide range of subjects and topics. |
Video |
|
Factiva |
Video |
|
Education: |
Climate Change & Energy: |
Health Care & Social Security: |
|
Immigration & Soft Power: |
Defense & Homeland Security: |
Global Poverty & Aid: |
The resources above are only a select list owned by the IUB Libraries. Additional suggestions can be found at the Business/SPEA Information Commons Public Affairs and Policy Research Guide or IUB Libraries Public Administration subject page.
How to Search?
Searching in large multidisciplinary/multi-publication databases requires efficient and effective strategies to obtain manageable and useful search results.
Keywords/Search Terms:
Library databases that provide access to research/information sources are different from search engines like Google or Yahoo. Each database may use different terms to describe the information available in them. You may need to come up with several different terms (keywords) that describe your topic in order to find appropriate articles. To create a list of keywords to use, start with the terms of your policy issue, then, try to think of synonyms and related words and phrases.
Search Techniques:
The topics covered in V160 are very broad, and if put in a database search box alone (e.g., health care), will yield thousands of results. You will need to put numerous keywords together in differing combinations using boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to obtain a smaller number of search results. Using truncation (*) and phrasing ("") can also help retrieve a more useful results list.
Which article to Use?
There are several factors to consider when choosing articles to use for your policy brief. First, look at the perspective and agenda of the journal where the article is published. Next, look at the author that has produced the information. Publications and authors have varying levels of expertise, bias, use, etc.--all of which have a great impact on the information included. The IUB Libraries Evaluating Information page can help you examine potential sources for use.
What to Cite?
You need to cite sources if they are directly quoted and/or paraphrased in your work. In addition, you should cite if reading a source contributed to the ideas presented in your paper. Citations allow readers to locate and further explore the sources you consulted, show the depth and scope of your research, and give credit to authors for his/her ideas. APA, Chicago, and MLA are the most frequently used documentation styles.
