Research Guides: PADM 625: Public Policy Analysis: Recommended Sources

Search Term Examples

Most of your searches will initially be constructed this way:

1st line - [topic of your choice]

homeless*
education
"social services"
"pharmaceutical industry"
"economic development"
taxation

2nd line - policy

Select "peer-reviewed"

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Sample Research terms
(Include these if you have many peer-reviewed results):

Best practices
Evidence-based
Empirical
Longitudinal

PADM 625 - Search Tips
Examples and tips for searching the ProQuest and EBSCO database families, and VCU Libraries Search

POLICIES & ISSUES

PAIS Index
Abstracts from the international literature on public affairs, public and social policies, and international relations, 1915-present. Will have articles on virtually any area of public policy. (ProQuest)
Public Administration Abstracts
Similar to PAIS, but much smaller since coverage is 1978 forward. (EBSCO)
Social Services Abstracts
Current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development, 1979-present. (ProQuest)
Sociological Abstracts
Focuses on articles discussing a variety of topics within the context of their effect on the development, structure, and functioning of society. That context will often underlie policy and decision making. Name a policy, it is probably addressed here. 1952-present. (ProQuest)
ABI/INFORM Collection
Scholarly and trade publications including accounting, business, finance, international business, marketing, and management journals,1971-present. Includes a variety of materials on both narrow and broad public policy issues. Offers much material on private sector / public sector issues. (ProQuest)
Business Source Complete
Citation and full text content from scholarly business journals and other sources including peer-reviewed business publications. Addresses the same types of topics as ABI/INFORM Collection. (EBSCO)
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, economics, law, and public administration and policy. Can be especially valuable for comparing countries. (ProQuest)
Political Science Complete
Similar to Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, so good for comparing countries. The two databases complement each other. (EBSCO)
EconLit with Full Text
The American Economics Association's bibliography of economic literature. Economists discuss many social, political, health, and other issues in terms of economic policy and / or costs. (EBSCO)

BACKGROUND / HISTORY

VCU Libraries Search (Advanced Search)
Select Books as the Material Type
America: History and Life (EBSCO)
Historians have written on the history of many issues that inform public policy.