International Studies

Find Journal Articles & Working Papers

This guide showcases recommended resources for research, teaching and learning in International Studies.

Core Journal Article Databases

EconLit
EconLit, from the American Economic Association, provides bibliographic coverage of a wide range of economics-related literature. An expanded version of the Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) indexes of journals, books, and dissertations, EconLit covers both economic theory and application.
Historical Abstracts
Premier index of journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, and dissertations pertaining to the study of world history from 1450 to the present. Coverage is 1955-present.
International Political Science Abstracts
Indexes and abstracts articles from nearly 900 major political science journals. Covers theory, government, political process, international relations, and national and area studies.
PAIS International
An index to the literature of public policy, social policy, and the social sciences in general.
Philosopher's Index
This index includes citations and abstracts for journal articles, books, contributions to anthologies, and book reviews. Subjects indexed include aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics, as well as the philosophical aspects of related disciplines like education, political science, history, theology, and law.
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Includes citations and abstracts of the international serials literature in political science and its complimentary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration and policy.

Reports, Working Papers, & Policy

AccessUN
The premier index to United Nations documents including Official Records, masthead documents, draft resolutions, meeting records, UN Sales Publications, and the UN Treaty Series citations. Coverage runs from 1991 to present. Includes the full-text of several thousand UN documents.
Columbia International Affairs Online - CIAO
This resource for theory and research in international affairs includes policy briefs, working papers, conference proceedings and foundation-funded research projects. Economist Intelligence Unit data for over 200 countries is also available.

Center for International Development Working Papers
This Harvard University Research Center produces a number of working papers series, many of which are available full-text online.
International Relations and Security Network (ISN)
The International Relations and Security Network (ISN) is the world’s leading open access information service for international relations and security professionals.
Think Tank Search from Harvard Kennedy School
Search over 670 think tank websites for public policy research and analysis using one search.

NBER Working Papers
Reports of preliminary research findings from National Bureau of Economic Research economists.
OECD iLibrary
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development provides access to books, journals, working papers on multiple topics related to developing OECD member countries
Policy File Index
Offering access to U.S. foreign and domestic policy papers and gray literature, PolicyFile is updated weekly with abstracts and links to the latest reports, papers, and documents from think tanks, research institutes, and agencies.

UNiLibrary
Search and browse by theme and country to access available online publications from the UN.

World Bank eLibrary
World Bank eLibrary offers quick and easy access to the complete collection of World Bank publications since the 1990s. The World Bank is the world’s largest source of development assistance. In support of its mission—to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity—the World Bank conducts and publishes research on a broad range of global and regional issues affecting developing countries.

What are Scholarly Journal Articles?

Scholarly journal articles are written by expert scholars on a specific aspect of their field of study
The articles contain original research and analysis which contributes to knowledge in the field
Authors rely on evidence and the findings of other scholars to create the arguments and conclusions in their articles; many reference are cited by the author(s)
The articles are published in scholarly journals produced by university presses and academic publishers
Most articles undergo a peer-review process, where scholars assess the value, credibility and quality of the author's work to determine if it meets established standards for publication

Working papers

Why use working papers for research?

Working papers allow scholars and analysts to share and discuss new ideas and arguments with their peers
Scholars may produce a working paper as a precursor to publishing a scholarly journal article

Note: Working papers do not undergo the traditional publication process of a scholarly journal.

Other Important Databases

Google Scholar
Google Scholar helps you identify the sources across the world of scholarly research and provides links to resources at Boston College. To set up these links, go to Settings and enter Boston College in the Library Links area.
Scopus
Scopus is a large multidisciplinary database. Use it for author, subject and citation searching in a wide array of disciplines. Find H-Index information, compare journal impact data, and analyze publication and citation trends. Scopus provides comprehensive coverage of a large number of journals from 1996 - present, with added older content.
Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science)
The Social Sciences Citation Index is a multidisciplinary database, with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of the social sciences.
ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials PLUS
An index for finding essays, book reviews, and journal articles in all disciplines related to theological and religious studies. Coverage is international in scope and now includes access to over 50 full text journals via linked citations. Includes the contents of the Catholic Periodical and Literature Index.
American Bibliography of Slavic & East European Studies
This database provides information on East-Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. Sources indexed include journals, books, dissertations, online resources and selected government publications published in the U.S. and Canada. 1939-present.
Bibliography of Asian Studies
Contains titles on all subjects (especially humanities and social sciences) pertaining to East, Southeast, and South Asia published worldwide from 1971 to the present.
Business Source Complete
Contains 3,050 full text scholarly journals and business periodicals covering management, economics, finance, accounting, and international business.
Index to Legal Periodicals & Books (1908-present)
Coverage includes law reviews, bar association journals, university publications, yearbooks, institutes and government publications.
JSTOR
Backfile of scholarly journals in social sciences
Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
MECAS is a bibliographic index of research, policy and scholarly discourse on the countries and peoples of the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. 1900-current.
Proquest Political Science
Provides access to leading political science and international relations journals. This collection covers such topics as comparative politics, political economy, international development, environmental policy, and hundreds of related topics.
ProQuest Social Science Journals
ProQuest Social Science Journals provides access to a variety of interdisciplinary social science journal articles, many of which are available in full-text.
Women's Studies International
Covers the latest scholarship in feminist research. Coverage spans from 1972 to present.