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Governments and Politics of Africa
Need help with your research? Contact:
Jen Jarson
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
phone: x3552
email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu
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Online Sunday-Thursday 2pm-10pm.
See Ask a Librarian for more information.
Selected Reference Materials
Arnold, Guy. Historical Dictionary of Civil Wars in Africa. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1999.
Reference 960 A752hEuropa World Year Book. London, England: Europa Publications Limited, 2008.
Ready Reference 341.1 E89
Note: Previous editions (1966- ) in Main Collection at same call number.Lipschutz, Mark R. and R. Kent Rasmussen. Dictionary of African Historical Biography, 2nd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986.
Reference 920.067 D554oOlson, James Stuart. The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996.
Reference 305.80096 O52pPolitical Handbook of the World. New York: Published for the Center for Comparative Political Research of the State University of New York at Binghamton and for the Council on Foreign Relations by McGraw-Hill Book Co., 2008.
Ready Reference 329 P769
Note: Earlier editions (1928-) are available in the Main Collection at the same call number.Reich, Bernard. Handbook of Political Science Research on the Middle East and North Africa. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.
Reference 956.0072 R347hShillington, Kevin, ed. Encyclopedia of African History. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.
Reference 960.03 56o v.1-3Yakan, Muhammad Zuhdi. Almanac of African Peoples and Nations. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction, 1999.
Reference 305.8096 Y15aZeleza, Paul Tiyambe and Dickson Eyoh, eds. Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History. New York: Routledge, 2003.
Reference 960.3103 E56oSpecific to North Africa
Mattar, Philip, ed. Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa, 2nd ed. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004.
Reference 956.003 E56o v.1-4Reich, Bernard, ed. Handbook of Political Science Research on the Middle East and North Africa. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.
Reference 956.0072 R347hSpecific to Sub-Saharan Africa
Middleton, John, ed. Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1997.
Reference 967.003 E56o v.1-4Statistics
Mitchell, B. R. International Historical Statistics, 1750-2000, 4th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
Statistics Reference 310 M681i v.1-3
Note: Volume 1 covers Africa, Asia & Oceania.United Nations Development Programme. Human Development Report. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Statistics Reference 338.9 H918d
Note: Previous two years also available in Statistics Reference. Previous years (2000-2003) in Main Collection at same call number.
Note: Also available online (1990-present). Search the Trexler Library catalog by title or go directly to http://hdr.undp.org/.United Nations. Statistical Office. Statistical Yearbook. New York: United Nations, 2007.
Reference 310 U58s
Note: Every 5th year (1965- ) in Main Collection at same call number.World Bank. World Development Indicators. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 2008.
Statistics Reference 330.91 W927d
Note: Previous editions in Reference Collection at same call number.World Bank. World Development Report. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Reference 330.91724 W927
Note: Previous editions (2000-2005) in Reference Collection at same call number. Previous editions (1974-1998/1999) in Main Collection at same call number.
Note: Also available online (1992-present). Search the Trexler Library catalog by title or go directly to http://econ.worldbank.org/wdr/.Online
The following online resources might be useful providing overviews, history, and data on individual countries.
CIA World Factbook
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
A standard source for current data on countries of the world.Library of Congress Country Portals to the World
http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html
A gateway to recommended sources on specific countries.
From the site: "Portals to the World contains selective links providing authoritative, in-depth information about the nations and other areas of the world. They are arranged by country or area with the links for each sorted into a wide range of broad categories. The links were selected by Area Specialists and other Library staff using Library of Congress selection criteria."Library of Congress Country Studies: Area Handbook Series
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/
From the site: "The Country Studies Series presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world." Note that some of the entries have not been updated in recent years. Check for currency.US Department of State: Background Notes
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn
Great for current information on specific countries, particularly relevant to U.S. foreign relations.
From the site: "These publications include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty. The Background Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from the Department's regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State website you are now using."
Finding Books
TREXLER LIBRARY
Search the Trexler Library Catalog to find out what books, government publications, journals, videos, etc. the library owns.
GETTING THERE: Use the shortcut search box on the Library Homepage or Library Homepage -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Trexler Library Catalog
For tips on searching the catalog, use the Help link above the search boxes.
OTHER LIBRARIES
WorldCat. To find books held by other libraries, search WorldCat, a database of over 60 million library records from around the country and world. Use the ILL button to request a book from another library. (ILL can take 10-14 days.)
GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Other Library Catalogs -- WorldCat
E-ZBorrow. For quick delivery of books from many Pennsylvania and area academic libraries (including University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, and many more), use E-ZBorrow. (E-ZBorrow takes 2-4 business days.)
GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Other Library Catalogs -- E-ZBorrow
TIP: Because E-ZBorrow books can arrive so quickly, check the E-ZBorrow catalog for any books you find in WorldCat. If not available there, then request via the ILL button in Worldcat.
LVAIC. You can borrow books directly from LVAIC (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) Libraries.
GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box) -- Regional Libraries -- LVAIC Libraries
For more information on Interlibrary Loan options, see http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/more/ill/index.html or ask for help.
GETTING THERE: Library Homepage -- ILL (in the Services & Forms box)
Finding Articles: Databases & Indexes
SEARCHING FOR ARTICLES
See a list of all databases at via the Library Homepage -- Articles A-Z (in the Find box).
Political Science and International Relations Databases
CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online)
Scholarly source for theory and research in international affairs since 1991. Includes working papers, conference proceedings, books, journals, policy briefs, maps and country data.PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
Top source for International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Public Affairs resources. Indexes select articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, statistical directories, 1972 to present. Especially useful for research on the environment, demographics, human rights, arms control, etc.Other Subject-Specific Databases
Anthropology Plus
Premier anthropology database. Useful in political science for finding articles about ethnic and tribal groups. Also, some articles on civil society, development issues, and related issues.EconLit (Economic Literature)
Journals, books, and working papers on economics.Historical Abstracts
The primary database for locating articles on world history.Sociological Abstracts (SocAbs)
Useful for researching social issues as they relate to the state. Also contains some of the development literature.Interdisciplinary Databases
Academic Search Premier
Large and diverse database that covers most academic disciplines, including International Relations and Comparative Politics. Contains both scholarly and non-academic resources. Includes many articles in full text.Lexis Nexis Academic
Indexes and provides full-text of major newspapers, nationally and internationally (English Language editions only). Also includes newswires, and select journals and magazines. Updated daily. Coverage from as early as 1980 to the present, but varies by publication.OmniFile (WilsonWeb)
Contains several databases, including the Social Sciences Abstracts database.World News Connection (Must use login and password.)
Excellent source, along with LexisNexis, for international newspapers. These are foreign language newspapers that have been translated to English.
GETTING THE ARTICLES
- When searching for articles, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.
- If not, you need to search the Trexler Library Catalog to see if we own the journal in which the article is published.
- Most databases have a Get It! link embedded. Click the link to check our holdings.
- Otherwise, search the catalog by journal title. Verify that we have online, print, or microform access to the year/volume you need.
- If we do not own the journal you need, request the article via Interlibrary Loan.
- Some databases have a Request on Interlibrary Loan link embedded. Click the link to fill out the form. Click Submit.
- Otherwise, use the Interlibrary Loan Journal Article Request Form (Library Homepage -- ILL (in the Services & Forms box) -- Articles request form). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.
Government Documents
Muhlenberg College receives about 25% of all materials published by the Federal Government. These items cover a wide range of subject areas--from legal materials and the records of Congress to health and education information and in-depth research conducted by the Smithsonian. All of the government documents that we receive have records in the Trexler Library Catalog.
Selected Websites
African Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/AS.htmlAfrican Studies Internet Resources, Columbia University
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/africa/cuvl/Selected Organizations
African Union
http://www.africa-union.org/International Monetary Fund: Country Information
http://www.imf.org/external/country/index.htmUnited Nations
http://www.un.org/english/Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (UN)
http://www.un.org/africa/osaa/Economic Commission for Africa (UN)
http://www.uneca.org/World Bank: Sub-Saharan Africa
http://www.worldbank.org/afr/World Bank: Middle East & North Africa
http://www.worldbank.org/menaWorld Trade Organization
http://www.wto.org/Regional Economic Organizations
CEN-SAD: Community of Sahel-Saharan States
http://www.cen-sad.org/COMESA: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
http://www.comesa.int/ECCAS: Economic Community of Central African States
http://www.ceeac-eccas.org/index.php?lang=en&pageId=0 (English)ECOWAS: Economic Community Of West African States
http://www.ecowas.int/IGAD: Intergovernmental Authority on Development
http://www.igad.org/SADC: Southern African Development Community
http://www.sadc.int/UMA: Union du Maghreb Arabe
http://www.maghrebarabe.org/
Citing Your Sources
For help using Chicago/Turabian Style, consult the following resources:
The Chicago manual of style, 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.027 C632m (at Reference Desk)Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Reference Desk Reserve 808 T929m 1996 (at Reference Desk)Trexler Library handout on using Chicago style: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/chicago_example.pdf
This and other style guide handouts available from the library website. Library Homepage -- Citation Guides (in the Research Help box).Writer's Handbook (Writing Center, University of Wisconsin--Madison)
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocChicago.html
© Muhlenberg College
Last modified: 8 September 2008