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Gov 230: Middle East Politics

Indexes for finding scholarly articles 

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Coverage: 1975-present
Index of articles on political science and related fields, including international relations, law, and public policy. An important source for locating scholarly sources on foreign affairs.
Historical Abstracts
Coverage: 1954-present
Database indexing journal articles, book reviews, and dissertations on history. Covers the history of the world (1450 to present) except for the U.S. and Canada.
PAIS International and PAIS Archive
Coverage: 1915-present
ndex of articles, books, government documents, and other materials on public affairs, public policy, and international relations..

Scholarly journals

When you're searching Worldwide Political Science Abstracts or other databases, be on the look out for articles from these scholarly journals, which the Lafayette Libraries subscribe to electronically.

  • International Journal of Middle East Studies
  • Israel Studies
  • Israel Studies Forum
  • Middle East Journal
  • Middle East Policy

Books in Skillman and Kirby

Books on the Middle East tend to be in the DS call number area in Kirby and in DS and 956 in Skillman. To find a listing of books available, use the Lafayette Library Catalog and begin with a keyword search or try subject searches for the following topics:

Reference sources

Encyclopedia Judaica
Second edition (2007) of a scholarly encyclopedia covering Jewish history and culture.
Encyclopedia of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Kirby Ref DS119.7 .E5653 2008
Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa
Skillman Ref DS43 .E53 2004
Oxford Islamic Studies Online
Collection of works on Islam and the Islamic world. Includes scholarly encyclopedia articles, Qur'anic materials, and primary sources.

Current awareness and news

Forward
Weekly newspaper from the U.S. covering items of interest to the Jewish community.
Ha'aretz
Hebrew newspaper from Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post
English daily newspaper from Israel
Jerusalem Report
Bi-weekly magazine with international coverage and commentary on issues and events pertaining to Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world.
LexisNexis Academic
A database of the full text of hundreds of newspapers, including many international titles. For international news sources, select News from the column on the left, then Foreign language. Or select News, then Newspapers & wires, and check the box for Non-U.S.
World News Connection
Database of news and information gathered from non-U.S. newspapers, wire services and news broadcasts and translated into English. Materials go back to about 1994. Older materials are available from a microfiche collection; ask a librarian for assistance.

Sources for locating primary materials

The Contemporary Middle East: A Documentary History
Skillman DS42 .F44 2008
Historic Documents (1972-2010)
Annual collection of primary sources covering significant events of the year. Includes materials such as speeches, international agreements, and reports from governments, NGOs, and other organizations. Each document is preceded by an introduction providing context and background.
Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict
Skillman DS119.7 .I8256 2008
Israel in the Middle East: Documents and Readings
Skillman DS126.5 .I784 2008
MEMRI: Middle East Media Research Institute
English translations of Middle Eastern media ("special dispatches") plus analysis of media reports ("inquiry and analysis").
The Middle East, 1914-1979
Skillman 956 M6274
MiddleEast Web: Middle East History and Resources
Collection of reports, policy statements, agreements, and other documents relating to the Israel/Palestine conflict from 1915 to the present day.
Primary Sources Guide
Skillman's guide to finding primary sources. Includes links for finding speeches, statistics, films, and many other types of primary sources.

Guides for citing sources

Chicago Style Citation Quick Guide
Examples of citations for various types of materials written in Chicago style.

Research assistance 

For assistance in finding research material for this course, contact:
Terese Heidenwolf
125 Skillman Library
610-330-5153
heidenwt@lafayette.edu

Or consult another reference librarian at Skillman.

Assignment

Word document of assignment.

Last updated: September 13, 2011