Research Guides: Elections & Voting Information: Secondary Sources

What is a scholarly journal article?

What is a scholarly journal and how is it different from a magazine or newspaper? All three are called periodicals because they are published at periodic intervals throughout the year.

Newspapers are the first draft of history, but are not scholarly.
Magazines are good sources of information or opinions about popular culture or up-to-date information on current events.
Scholarly or peer-reviewed journals have collections of articles written by experts in academic or professional fields.
Such journals are excellent for finding out what has been studied or researched on a topic, and to find bibliographies that point to other relevant sources of information. Please note: the word "journal" is not necessarily in the title of a scholarly publication.

Political Science Databases

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good starting point when researching topics that intersect with multiple disciplines.
Content type: Scholarly articles, newspaper articles, magazine articles, trade journal articles
Coverage dates: 1887-present; varies by title
Language: English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, French, Chinese, Arabic etc.
Keywords: ASP
PAIS Index This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good for abstracts and citations of politcal science literature from a wide range of international and domestic sources.
Content type: Abstracts and citations for scholarly articles, monographs, government documents, statistical directories, research reports, conference papers, web content
Coverage dates: 1915-present
PAIS Index combines two databases: PAIS International and PAIS Archive. PAIS International is the electronic version and continuation of the print publications PAIS Bulletin and PAIS Foreign Language Index. PAIS Archive is the electronic version of the print publication PAIS Annual Cumulated Bulletin.
Language: English, German, French, Spanish
CQ Press Library This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good for finding information on bill profiles and congressional floor votes as well as on other American government, politics, and current affairs topics.
Content type: Primary sources, government reports, books, magazine articles, biographies, data
Coverage dates: 1789-present
CQ Press Library incudes the following resources: CQ Almanac; CQ Researcher Plus Archive; CQ Magazine; Politics in America; Supreme Court Yearbook; Voting and Elections Collection.
Language: English
Keywords: Congressional Quarterly
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Discover abstracts and citations from leading political science journals.
Content type: Abstracts and citations for scholarly articles, monographs, magazine articles, dissertations, theses
Coverage dates: 1975-present
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts is the electronic counterpart and continuation of the print publication Political Science Abstracts.
Language: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German

Vital Speeches of the Day
Link to texts of selected speeches of prominent people.From 1995 - current
List of databases from A to Z (or by subject)

Legal Databases

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Search here for comprehensive coverage of news and current events, government, business, medical, and legal topics, as well as general reference information.
Content type: Newspaper articles, trade journal articles, broadcast transcripts, financial reports, federal and state case law, medical abstracts, corporate profiles
Coverage dates: 1980-present
Language: English, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Portuguese
Keywords: Lexis Nexis
Westlaw Campus This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Main database for legal research with access to federal and state cases, statutes (laws), court rules, and regulations as well as federal administrative materials and U.S. Supreme Court briefs.
Content type: Primary sources, government reports, court case documents, statutes, briefs, reference materials, newspaper reports, data
Coverage dates: 1945-present
Language: English
Keywords: West law Thomson Reuters
HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good for legal research with access to articles from a large collection of law journals and legal sources.
Content type: Scholarly articles, government reports, primary sources, case studies
Coverage dates: 1776-present
HeinOnline includes access to law journals (back to the 19th century), international and US treaties (back to 1776), out-of-copyright legal classics, the federal register (back to 1936), and Supreme Court slip opinions from 2002. All material is fully searchable and in PDF format, including all charts, graphs, pictures, photographs, and footnotes.
Language: English
Keywords: Hein Online
Proquest Congressional This link opens in a new window
Why search here? Good for providing a unique perspective on all aspects of U.S. History through this large collection of congressional documents., which includes abstracts to Congressional hearings, committee reports, bill files, and more.
Content type: Primary sources, abstracts, government documents, committee reports, bill files, witness testimony, transcripts
Coverage dates: 1789-present
Full-text is available through 2010, later for some titles. Full-Text Hearings 1824-2010; (CRS) Reports 1916-present, committee prints from 1830-current; Serials Set documents from 1789; the Congressional Record (1969-1994 in print); and Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations, 1789-2017.
Language: English

List of databases from A to Z (or by subject)