Doing research in POLS 23
Swarthmore resources for writing literature reviews and annotated bibliographies
Simon Elichko (they/them)
Social Sciences & Data Librarian
selichk1@swat • McCabe 114
Appointment sign-up bit.ly/selichk1
Doing research vs.
directionless tab overload
Practices that can help you actively build knowledge as you look for sources
See Organizing Sources on the POLS 23 Research Guide for more ideas
- Create a synthesis matrix to organize your sources and their key claims
- Consider setting up Zotero, which lets you tag your sources and add notes to them (also helps format citations)
- Brainstorm your research questions visually using a mind map
Resources for finding relevant academic research
Annotated reading lists
Help steer you through the literature on a topic and figure out how it has been discussed by researchers. Particularly useful for finding a few readings to start with.
These resources include:
- Oxford Bibliographies
- Oxford Handbooks
- Annual Reviews
Find links to these resources on the Scholarly Debate page in the research guide
Resources for finding relevant academic research
Databases of academic research papers
Searching these databases can help you find relevant research more directly than looking in Google etc.
These resources include:
- ProQuest Politics Collection
- Web of Science
- JSTOR
Find links to these resources on the Find Research Articles & Books page in the research guide
Sample search:
legacy AND slavery
AND (voting OR voters)
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Search Tripod for the article title. Look for a matching result and follow links to access. (example: Teaching South African History in a Digital Age)
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Can't find it in Tripod? Apply the search filter Include results without full text to see more results. (see this example)
Click on your article title if it appears in the results. Follow the prompt to login to Tripod, then click on Request via Interlibrary Loan.
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Still not seeing your article in Tripod? Go to Borrow Beyond TriCo, then choose the journal article request link.
Fill out the form to request a PDF of the article.
How to get access to an academic journal article
Develop your research skills
& get support with your projects
Meet with Simon
Schedule at bit.ly/selichk1
Or email them at selichk1@swarthmore.edu
Get peer support from Research & Information Associates (RIAs)
Stop by the McCabe Research & Info Desk
Use the chat in Tripod to get help from librarians and RIAs
POLS 23
By Swarthmore Reference
POLS 23
Doing research in POLS 23: Legacies of slavery for US politics
