Need some help?
Librarian
Search the Libraries for books, journals, articles, media and more.
Materials from Zoom session (September 2020)
Developing your search strategy
Break down your search into major keywords. Use AND between keywords. Use OR between synonyms. Try many searches and try to narrow or expand your search until you find between 50 and 200 articles.
Example searches:
- voter participation or political participation
- voter turnout and minnesota
- elections and minnesota
- political representation
- (mandatory or compulsory) and voting
- proportional representation
- Social media or facebook or twitter or snapchat or tiktok
- Politics, Elections, voting, republican, democratic
- Fake news or misinformation
- Example of specific Issues - immigration, culture, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, age, education
- Identity politics
- Political advertising
- Contributions
- Political engagement
- Mail-in voting
- Democracy
- First amendment
Find Articles and search databases
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Academic Search PremierA great place to start your research on any topic, search multidisciplinary, scholarly research articles. This database provides access to scholarly and peer reviewed journals, popular magazines and other resources.
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Worldwide Political Science AbstractsThe database provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration & public policy from1975 to the present.
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Sociological AbstractsThis core database for the field of sociology contains information on sociology and social policy worldwide. Sociological Abstracts includes citations from the 1952-present. It provides abstracting and indexing of articles and book reviews drawn from thousands of journal publications, plus books, book chapters, dissertations, conference papers, and working papers.
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PAIS Index (Political Science and Public Policy)PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) searches journals and other sources on issues of political science and public policy. This includes government, politics, international relations, human rights and more.
Find Newspaper articles
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Star Tribune, 1986-currentThe Minneapolis Star Tribune, articles from 1986 to present.
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St. Paul Pioneer Press, April 2010-currentOnline access of St. Paul Pioneer Press from April 2010 to present newspapers.
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Ethnic NewsWatchEthnic NewsWatch is a current resource of full-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press from 1990, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives.
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New York Times (1980 - present)Full text of the New York Times, 1980 - present. Use other databases for New York Times Historical Archive back to 1851.
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U.S. NewsstreamSearch the most recent premium U.S. news content, as well as archives which stretch back into the 1980s featuring newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites in active full-text format.
Finding Voting Information
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CQ Press Voting and Elections CollectionA database of elections data, authoritative analyses, concise explanations, and historical materials to help researchers investigate and understand voting and elections in America from 1789-present.
Welcome to the University of Minnesota Libraries
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College in the Schools Library GuideThis page brings together information about library services and tools supporting the College in the Schools curriculum.
Do you have your UMN Email (also called Internet ID or x.500)?
Initiating or claiming your account will give you access to thousands of online journals, magazines, newspapers and ebooks at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Your teacher may need to provide information to complete this step. Ask them.
Setting up DUO
You also need to set up Duo Authentication to get access to things like your UMN email and to use many of the research tools on the U Library website. The IT Technology online help can answer questions on this.
Tip: If you are unable to initiate your account you can find scholarly articles with Academic Search Premier, find background information on your topic with Encyclopedia Britannica Academic Edition and find Pro/Con on current issues with Points of View Reference Center.
