Databases for Public Affairs Research
Send comments and questions to Mary Beth Minick, SPEA Subject Librarian
Go to the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA)
An excellent way to search the contents of journals and periodicals for the latest research and news…
General Content (A good place to begin your research)
Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Elite contains full text for more than 2,000 serials. More than 100 journals have PDF images back to 1985. The database includes PDF images for the great majority of journals; many of these PDFs are native (searchable) or scanned-in-color. Covers a wide range of academic areas including business, social sciences, humanities, general academic, general science, education and multi-cultural. Dates of coverage vary by publication.
Expanded Academic ASAP
Expanded Academic ASAP is designed to satisfy the broad needs of students, faculty and graduate researchers. Balanced coverage is available through 3,800 indexed and 2,200 full-text titles in a wide variety of disciplines including: social science journals, humanities journals, science and technology journals, medical journals, national news periodicals, general interest magazines, newswires, and many others. More than 2,500 journals are peer reviewed, and up to 25 years of backfile coverage is included.
InfoTrac OneFile
Use InfoTrac OneFile to access periodical and news content, as well as indexing from a variety of general and specialized journals – from the New York Times and Christian Science Monitor to refereed academic journals. It includes 5,156 full-text titles (more than 9,200 titles in all), full indexing of some of the world's greatest newspapers, 89 wire services covering worldwide current events, and backfile coverage from 1980 to the present.
LexisNexis Academic
This full-text database includes newspapers, wire services, transcripts of television and radio broadcasts, medical and health journals, trade journals, accounting literature, company financial reports, law reviews, statutory and case law, and public opinion polls. It is international in scope, and includes newspapers in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, and German. Dates of coverage vary depending upon the publication.
CQ Researcher
Founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, CQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Each single-themed, 12,000-word report is researched and written by a seasoned journalist. CQ Researcher provides researchers with an introductory overview; background and chronology on the topic; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources. CQ Researcher Online offers access to CQ Researcher reports dating back to 1991. PDF files are available for reports from January 1996; color PDFs are available for reports published after January 2001.
Policy File
Policy File is a unique database that indexes research and publication abstracts addessing the complete range of U.S. public policy research. If offers access to U.S. foreign and domestic policy papers and gray literature, and is updated weekly with abstracts and links to the latest reports, papers, and documents from think tanks, research institutes, and agencies.
WorldCat
WorldCat is many things and performs many functions, but of greatest immediate importance to the Public Affairs researcher is that it’s the world's largest bibliographic database--check here for books, dissertations, government reports, periodicals and more. The contents of the IU library system (and most other major library systems) are loaded into WorldCat, so it can tell you immediately if the materials you seek are available through IUPUI, or through most other libraries in Indiana and beyond.
Specific Topics (taking your research to greater depths)
PAIS International
The PAIS International database focuses on public affairs, public and social policies, and international relations. It contains references to more than 553,300 journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. Newspapers and newsletters are not indexed.
LexisNexis Congressional
U.S. legislative information: hearings; committee reports; bills, bill tracking; Congressional Indexes; Congressional Record; Federal Register; Code of Federal Regulations; U.S. Code; Public laws; National Journal, Congress Daily, & member info
GPO Access
GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted.
Guidestar
Guidestar’s goal is to support philanthropy in America by providing information that supports better donor decision-making, greater nonprofit operating effectiveness, and a more efficient allocation of resources to and within the nonprofit sector. To this end, PRI works to provide the public with a database of quality information about the programs and finances of U.S. nonprofit organizations. The GuideStar database contains records on more than 700,000 nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) by the IRS. Data is collected directly from the charities and from the IRS Business Master File, IRS Forms 990, and 990s EZ. IUPUI offers all authorized users the Premium level of service for this database.
Digital National Security Archive
The Digital National Security Archive contains the most comprehensive collection of primary documents available. The database includes more than 60,000 of the most important declassified documents regarding critical U.S. policy decisions. There are 27 complete collections, each offering specialized insights.
Hein Online
The “Modern Link to Legal History” includes full-text access to the complete contents of indexed legal journals. Multiple search capabilities, including an official citation search option, link to exact page images of journal issues..
Social Services Abstracts
Social Services Abstracts provides bibliographic coverage of current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development. The database abstracts and indexes over 1,300+ serials publications and includes abstracts of journal articles and dissertations, and citations to book reviews.
