Research Guides: Global and International Studies: Reference Resources

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Related Research Guides

UCI Librarians have created numerous research guides to help you discover the most useful resources to use in different disciplines. Here are some potentially useful guides:

Using reference resources

Reference sources are a great starting point for starting research on a new topic because they provide general information on a topic. They often include the following types of information to help you get started:

Get an overview of a new or complex topic
Find out the names of key players in a given area
Locate terms that you can use in your research
Help narrow (or expand) your topic
Locate a bibliography of sources to help you start your research

Reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and other sources like them. Some reference sources for global studies-related topics are listed below.

Highlighted resources

International Relations: A Very Short Introduction by Christian Reus-Smit
ISBN: 9780198850212
Publication Date: 2020
International relations affects the security, economic fortunes, rights and freedoms, and environmental well-being of all of us. The recent transformation from a world of empires to today’s sovereign states, meshed in a complex array of international institutions, has far-reaching consequences. This book untangles this constantly evolving subject, exploring the changing ways that political authority has been organized and maintained globally.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics and International Relations by Garrett W. Brown; Iain McLean; Alistair McMillan
ISBN: 9780199670840
Publication Date: 2018
Contains entries on all aspects of politics, international relations, and political theory, including political thinkers, history, institutions, theories, and schools of thought, as well as notable current affairs that have shaped attitudes to politics. It also includes a material in areas such as international institutions, peace building, human security, security studies, global governance, and open economy politics.
Globalization: A Very Short Introduction by Manfred B. Steger
ISBN: 9780198849452
Publication Date: 2020
looks at the interconnected and accelerated processes changing how we see and experience the world. Is globalization really a new phenomenon? Is increased connection between people and nations inevitable, or are we witnessing the beginning of an era of ‘deglobalization’ or ‘anti-globalization’? Updated with new developments including advancing climate change, the Trump presidency, and the Mexico–USA border, this VSI explores the history and impact of globalization.

Annual Reviews

Annual Review of Political Science
Pubilshed annually, this review covers significant developments in the field of Political Science including political theory and philosophy, international relations, political economy, political behavior, American and comparative politics, public administration and policy, and methodology.

Country information

CIA World Factbook
Overviews of the geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, transnational issues, and military of countries of the world. Website.

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
The UCI Libraries' subscription covers three modules. 1) Country Reports: examines and explains the important political and economic trends in a country. 2) Country Commerce: a practical guide to a country's business regulations and business practices. 3) Financial Services: detailed analysis and a five-year forecast for the financial services industry in a country.
Europa World
Europa World provides profiles for countries, territories, and regions. Profiles include political and economic information as well as statistics and information on religion, media and press.

Historical country information

Country Studies
This collection contains electronic versions of eighty books originally sponsored by the U.S. Army and written by researchers affiliated with the Library of Congress' Federal Research Division. The studies provide descriptions and analyses of lesser-known countries or regions where U.S. military forces might be deployed. The date range for these is 1988-2015.
Country Profiles
This collection, from the Library of Congress Federal Research Division, contains nearly fifty country profiles as part of the broader “Country Studies” series. Written between 2004 and 2008, the profiles offer brief summaries of a country’s history, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunications systems, government and political structures, and national security.

Social Sciences

Political Database of the Americas (PDBA)
A project of the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) at Georgetown University in collaboration with institutions like the Secretariat for Political Affairs of the Organization of American States and FLACSO-Chile, and also with the support of other organizations and entities in the region. It provides centralized and systematized information about institutions and political processes, national constitutions, branches of government, elections, political constitutional studies and other subjects related to the strengthening of democracy in the region.
Political Handbook of the World
Provides current political information and political controversies at the country level. Browse by country or by political and electoral systems. Annual publication allows you to read how political controversies were portrayed in recent history.
The Oxford Handbook of Global Studies (2018)
This handbook focuses on global studies more than on the phenomenon of globalization itself, although the various aspects of globalization are central to understanding how the field is currently being shaped.
The Global Turn: Theories, Research Designs, and Methods for Global Studies
The ability to deploy interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives that speak to interconnected global dimensions is critical if one's work is to be relevant and applicable to the emerging global-scale issues of our time. This book is a guide for students and scholars across all areas of the social sciences and humanities who wish to embark on global-studies research projects.

Reference sources focused on indigenous populations

A selection of digital and print reference resources, including encyclopedias, handbooks, and other types of overview information.

Native Land Digital
Native Land is an app to help map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages.
Oxford Bibliographies: Latin American Studies
Acts as a guide to the current scholarship on a this topic, and includes commentary and annotations. Available as ebook.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias: Latin American History, 2022
A continuously updated encyclopedia of scholarly work on Latin America's peoples and experiences from pre-Columbian to contemporary times. Available as ebook.
Ethnic Groups of the Americas: An Encyclopedia, 2013
Entries cover national groups, ethnicities, indigenous native peoples, and small immigrant populations of North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Entries include historical and cultural background, population estimates, language, and religion. Also included is a history of the group through the turn of the 19th century, with background on societal organization and culture and expanded information on language and religious beliefs, and information on the group in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
Endangered Languages Project
This project serves as an online resource for samples and research on endangered languages as well as a forum for advice and best practices for those working to strengthen linguistic diversity.