Research Guides: POL 399: Politics of Reconciliation: Start

Welcome!

Hello! This guide is designed to support your research for your senior seminar. Use the resources on the tabs above to explore various ways and places to search.

Don't hesitate to ask if you've got questions! I enjoy helping you solve any research problems you have. Send me (Julie) an email or, if you'd like to meet in person (or virtual), make an appointment.
You can also find library and research help at the library's Information Desk or via Reference Services.
And new this year! You can submit your research question directly to a librarian using the Research Next Steps program.

If you need a refresher on using the library, consult our Library FAQs and an overview of the Library. We also have a guide on how to do research well - use it to brush up and expand your research skills!

You might find that your topic is discussed and has been researched in various fields. Here are guides to consult:

LibGuides - This link takes you to our main menu of guides to conducting research in other fields. Browse the list and see what strikes you as appropriate to explore. The guides will then point you to other sources and methods to conduct research in those fields.
You may want to consult these guides in particular:

Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies * Political Science * Sociology * Statistics * Religion * POL 200: Analyzing Politics

And you might also want to consult this resource:
- International Center for Transitional Justice

Competencies

We all come to this course from various backgrounds. You may be really familiar with using the library to conduct research. Or maybe you've forgotten a few things. No problem.

Here are some key skills you will need to do your research well - along with links in case you need to brush up on some skills. Some of the information is also duplicated in the tabs above but this gives you a quick reference point if needed.

In order to conduct research well for this course, you should be able to:

Find books on the shelf
Use ILL (More information can also be found in the Tracking Down Materials tab)
Search databases appropriate for your topic - this link takes you to our research guides for all subjects. Use whichever ones best apply.
Know who and when to ask for help

Library Guide Overview

Welcome to your library guide for POL 399: Politics and Reconciliation. Refer to it often, as it covers necessary information at different stages of research.

Please contact me (Julie Gilbert) with any questions you have and/or if you simply want to bat around some ideas about your topic and how you'd research it. There are multiple ways to contact me and they are listed beneath my photo to the right.

Here's a quick overview of what information you'll find on this guide:

Books: how to search and find books in our library (in case you've forgotten), as well as ways to search for and access books beyond our library.
Articles: recommended article databases. Please search these in addition to searching Google Scholar. :)
Search Tips: various ways to search, including idea mapping and common mistakes to avoid.
Source Types: contains tips on evaluating and working with sources.
Research as Conversation: outlines a more sophisticated way to think about research
Bibliographic Trace: a key technique for exploring the research conversation on your topic
Tracking Down Materials: info on ILL and other ways to find hard copies of materials.
Evaluating Sources: guidance on how to determine if you're finding the best sources for your project.

Librarian

Julie Gilbert

Email Me

Contact:

If you have any questions about research, an assignment, or the library in general, please contact me. I look forward to working with you!

Subjects: African/African Diaspora Studies, Communication Studies, Physics, Political Science, Scandinavian Studies

Class Slides

Here are the slides from our library session:

Class Slides