The purpose of this course research guide is to acquaint you with some of the resources in the University Library useful for finding information on the country you have chosen to research. Should you have questions, stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor. You may also call the Reference Desk at (334) 229-4110 during the hours the Library is open.

Basic Research on Your Country

These sources should provide you with much of the information required for your basic research paper. Keep in mind that you may need to consult more than one of these. Publication dates vary, so check to make certain that you get the most recent information on your country. Also try to determine the original source of the information to check for potential bias.

Country Information

• The Statesman's Yearbook
  Main Reference Desk: JA 51 .S7 2002
• Encyclopedia of the Third World
  Main Reference: HC 59.7 .K87 1992
• U.S. Department of State: Background Notes
• The World Factbook (from the CIA)
• Library of Congress Country Studies
• Virtual Library: Regional Studies
• Google: Regional
• Foreign Government Resources on the Web (from the University of Michigan)
• Clements' Encyclopedia of World Governments
  Main Reference Desk: JF 37 .C53 2002-03
• International Information Systems (from the University of Texas)
• Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments (from the CIA)
• Facts on File Facts.com

Maps

• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
• United Nations Cartographic Section Maps and Geographic Information Resources

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Empirical Research on Your Country

Information from the U.S. State Department

• U.S. State Department
• Countries and Regions
• International Topics and Issues
• Country Reports on Human Rights
• Country Reports on Economic Policy and Trade Practices
• Web Sites of U.S. Embassies and Other Diplomatic Missions
• United States Agency for International Development - independent federal agency receiving guidance on foreign policy from the U.S. State Department

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International Organizations

The organizations listed below are not the only international organizations you might want to explore. For a more complete list and descriptions of organizations, check The Statesman's Yearbook.

• Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
• International Monetary Fund
• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Organization of African Unity
• Organization of American States
• United Nations
• World Bank
• World Health Organization
• World Trade Organization

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• Statesmen's Yearbook
  Main Reference Desk: JA 51 .S7 2002
• World Development Indicator
  Main Reference: HC 59.7 .W67 1999
• International Marketing Data and Statistics
  Main Reference Desk: HA 42 .I56
• Demographic Yearbook (Annuaire Démographique)
  Main Reference: HA 17 .D45
• Gale Country & World Rankings Reporter
  Main Reference Desk: HA 155 .G35 1997
• Encyclopedia of Global Industries
  Main Reference Desk: HD 2324 .E53 1996

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Magazine, Newspaper, & Journal Articles & News Transcripts

To find both current and historical information on your country, you'll need to read articles from magazines, newspapers, and journals. You'll find citations, abstracts, and, in some cases, the full text of articles from these publications in the Library's online article databases. For additional information on the databases listed below and for others, explore our list of databases.

Some of the databases provide access to the entire text of articles. If the text of an article is not available in a database, check for the magazine, newspaper, or journal title in Serials Solutions (ASU) to determine if the article is available in another online database. Also check HORNetCat, our online catalog, for availability of thes publications in the Serials Department on the third floor. You may order those not available in the Library or via a full-text database through Interlibrary Loan.

Our databases are now easily accessible off campus by clicking on the database name and typing in the information requested. If you need additional assistance with accessing the databases, contact Randy Curtis (334 229-6968) or Cedric Davis (334 229-6998).

• Academic Search Premier (ASU)
• African Journals Online (ASU)
• Business Databases - select from the Library's business-related databases
• Expanded Academic ASAP (ASU)
• Ethnic News Watch Complete (ASU)
• GenderWatch (ASU)
• InfoTrac OneFile (ASU)
• Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe - news (includes newspapers and radio and television transcripts), business, legal, & medical sections (ASU)
• Newsbank NewsFile Collection (ASU)
• Newspaper Source (ASU)
• ProQuest Newspapers (ASU)

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Books

Because of their length, books provide a more in-depth look at topics than articles do.

• HORNetCat
• NetLibrary (ASU)

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CQ Researcher

Each CQ Researcher (ASU) report focuses on a single topic related to social, economic, political, or environmental issues. They provide a chronological overview and detail recent developments and opposing viewpoints. Each report includes a bibliography that can lead you to other sources of information on your country.

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World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is an outstanding but often bewildering source of information. Not everything you find will be authoritative, accurate, and valid. Try searching one of these databases to find more reliable Web sites on your country.

• INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
• Librarians' Index to the Internet
• Scout Report Archives

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Citing Your Sources

You will use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to cite your sources. A copy of the Manual is available at the Reference Desk on the first floor of the Library. Additional assistance with citing electronic publications is available from the APA online site.

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Your Comments

Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think about this guide. Has it helped with your research? Do you have any suggestions for improving the guide? You may e-mail Barbara Hightower (bhightower@alasu.edu) or call her at (334) 229-6839 with your comments and suggestions.

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