LibGuides: MAT / UEP guide to research: Policy research & grey literature

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Public Policy

Policy research & grey literature

Grey literature exists outside of and is uncontrolled by the usual academic and commercial publishers. It includes conference proceedings, occasional and working papers, policy papers and briefs, hearings, reports, and more. Many of the below databases contain scholarly journal content as well.

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) This link opens in a new window
Locate working papers, policy briefs, and current analysis and commentary, as well as scholarly journal articles, ebooks, and videos relevant for research in international politics and related fields, 1991-present.
1991-present; designed to be the most comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs. Includes working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, books, journals, policy briefs, and proceedings from conferences.
International Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Discover articles in political science, including public law, and international relations, 1989-present.
1989-present; abstracts information from major journals in political science, including public law, and international relations.
ProQuest Politics Collection This link opens in a new window
Search for political science and international relations scholarship, policy, and grey literature in one place. Includes PAIS Index, Policy File Index, Political Science Database, and Worldwide Political Science Abstracts.
CQ Researcher Plus Archive This link opens in a new window
Offers in-depth reports on a single theme or issue from the news each week, 1923-present
1923-present; explores a single "hot" issue in the news in depth each week. Topics range from the environment, health, education and science, technology and social issues.

IssueLab
IssueLab gathers, indexes, and shares the collective intelligence of the social sector... [providing] free access to thousands of case studies, evaluations, white papers, and issue briefs addressing some of the world's most pressing social problems." From the Foundation Center.
NBER Working Papers (National Bureau of Economic Research)
The NBER working paper series includes over 1000 papers each year, authored by leading research economists, on a wide variety of topics. These papers are circulated prior to publication for comment and discussion. The working paper series began in 1973, and now includes more than 24,000 papers.

PAIS Index This link opens in a new window
Provides access to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference papers, web content, and more, 1914-present.
1914-present; includes periodicals, books, hearings, reports, gray literature, government publications, and Internet resources. Subjects include politics, public policy, government, international relations, law and ethics, human rights, economics, business, finance, and other social sciences.

PolicyArchive
A digital archive of global, non-partisan public policy research. It makes use of the power, efficiency, and economy of modern Internet technology to collect and disseminate summaries and full texts, videos, reports, briefs, and multimedia material of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research.

Policy File Index This link opens in a new window
Provides access to articles and reports for U.S. public policy research, 1900-present.
1900-present; Policy File Index is a unique resource for U.S. public policy research in that it grants users access to timely, updated information from over 350 public policy think tanks, nongovernmental organizations, research institutes, university centres, advocacy groups, and other entities. Over 75 public policy topics are covered, from foreign policy to domestic policy. The majority of Policy File Index records link directly to the full-text report, paper, document, or other source.