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Political Science Scope and Methods (POL2070): Home

A research guide for Dr. Lindsey Lupo's Poltical Science Scope and Methods (POL2070) course.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Political Science Scope and Methods (POL2070) Research Guide! This guide features resources available online and through Ryan Library, including ebooks, print books, journals, databases, websites, and primary sources. Some electronic content requires a PLNU username and password.  If you have any questions, contact librarian Robin Lang at rlang@pointloma.edu

Evaluating Sources for Authority

Consider Quality...

In academic research, use only high quality and authoritative sources. The authority of a source depends on the research question.

Authorship

Does the site/document have an author? What are the author's credentials? Why should you trust this author as an expert? 

Publisher/Sponsor

Who sponsors or publishes the source? What evidence demonstrates that the sponsor/publisher is credible? What purpose/perspective does the sponsor seem to promote?

Currency

How recently was the information posted or modified? Could it be outdated or obsolete?

Credibility

How do you know that the information itself is trustworthy? Are there links to other sites/sources to support factual claims?

 

These principles of web source evalution are drawn from The St. Martin's Handbook8th edition (p. 218-219).

 

Quick Search

Once you type in a search term, you can limit your results page to Print Books or eBooks by checking the box(es) on the left side of the page. 

 
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Looking for the full-text of a specific article? Use the box to search for the title of the journal containing your article:



 

Teaching Survey: Complete After Sept. 16th Library Session

If you participated in the research session on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Ryan Library, please take a minute to complete this teaching survey:

https://bit.ly/3RZdkDd

Thank you!