Research Guides: POLS 330: Topics in Comparative Politics (HC): Background Information

Handbooks and Encyclopedias

Freedom in the World 2023
This is an annual survey of political rights and civil liberties for 195 countries and 15 territories done by the organization Freedom House.
Oxford Encyclopedia of African Politics
In over 100 peer-reviewed entries, readers will find authoritative overviews of the key methodologies and approaches, as well as all of the major topics in African politics, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic areas of political science.
Oxford Handbook of Atrocity Crimes
Editors and researchers provide analytic accounts on key issues involving war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Includes essays on transitional justice, truth commissions and other restorative efforts. Published in 2022. Available online.
Oxford Handbook of Global LGBT and Sexual Diversity Politics
Includes the essays "LGBTQ Politics in Anglo-American Democracies" by Miriam Smith and "Beyond Belief? The Rapid Expansion of Same-Sex Marriage" by Julie Hollar,
Oxford Handbook of the Radical Right
Takes a global view of issues while also providing case studies of countries including the U. S.
Oxford Handbook of Transnational Feminist Movements
Highlights the contributions of transnational feminisms in many areas including care work and sustainable livelihoods.
Political Handbook of the World, 2022-2023
This authoritative reference book provides detailed information on the major aspects of each country's government and political parties. it also profiles international organizations. Because the handbook is updated regularly it is a good source for information on current events, elections, political history, and more.
Routledge handbook of African politics
Routledge Handbook of African Security
Overview essays address issues concerning security, conflict, regionalism, and external influences.
Routledge handbook of democratization in Africa

Literature Reviews

Literature reviews are a very useful resource when doing research. They address the issues involved in a particular question and the debates among scholars. They map out the intellectual terrain succinctly and give you the major landmarks in terms of key authors and significant titles for greater understanding.

Annual Reviews
Analyzes scholarship in the field of social sciences including political science, law and society, sociology, and other social sciences as well as the natural sciences. Note the references in the narrative to individual articles and books cited in the column on the right.
Examples of relevant articles include:
Centering Survivors in Local Transitional Justice (2017) in the Annual Review of Law and Social Science
Examining Public Opinion About LGBTQ-Related Issues in the United States and Across Multiple Nations (2019) in the Annual Review of Sociology
Gender and International Migration: Contributions and Cross-Fertilizations (2013) in the Annual Review of Sociology
Law and Politics in Transitional Justice (2015) in the Annual Review of Political Science
The Mass Criminalization of Black Americans: A Historical Overview (2021) in the Annual Review of Criminology
The Origins and Consequences of Affective Polarization in the United States (2019) in the Annual Review of Political Science See the paragraph beginning "If people seek to socialize with people they are likely to agree with politically," for information about people relocating for political reasons.
The Scope of Comparative Political Theory (2015) in the Annual Review of Political Science
The (Un)Managed Heart: Racial Contours of Emotion Work in Gendered Occupations (2021) in the Annual Review of Sociology
Oxford Bibliographies Online
Extensive annotated bibliographies on specific topics written by scholars in the field. The different subject sections are under development with new essays added twice a year. Pertinent examples include:
"Conflict Management and Resolution" In the section African Studies
"Gender, Sexuality, and Migration" In the section Sociology
"LGBT Politics in the United States" In the section Political Science
"The Long Arm of Arizona's SB 1070: Antecedents and Far-Reaching Spillover Effects" See references to boycotts as well as the subsections Social Effects and Challenges and Resistance. In the section Latino Studies
"Post-Conflict and Transitional Justice" In the International Relations section
"Queering International Law" In the International Law section
"Women and Labor in 20th-Century Latin America" In the section Latin American Studies

Dissertations & Theses
Doctoral students go through an exhaustive research process and often include a literature review chapter in their dissertations. They also tend to work on new questions which may have received very little attention from scholars. You can obtain these dissertations and benefit from all the bibliographic treasures and new ideas. Check Dissertations & Theses to identify titles on your topic.
The database covers the Humanities and Social Sciences and offers over 2 million full-text dissertations. Theses not available full text can be checked on the Web or requested through Interlibrary loan.

Dissertations from Other Countries
Access dissertations from Britain, Europe, Mexico and other countries from this Tricollege guide.
For additional countries see the page put together by New York University.