The internet can be a great place for research. Google is quick and easy to use, links to vast amounts of free and current information, includes government sites, many research organisation, and specialist blogs.
The downside to Google is it does not discriminate and won't give the best results for academic information. Unlike the the Library's resources that are chosen for quality, you'll have to evaluate all information that you find on the Internet before you use it in your assignments.
When evaluating think about:
Google Search Engine Tools
Searches scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines from journal articles, eBooks to conference papers. Items are ranks by citations. Recent and popular items are often restricted behind Publishers' pay-walls.
Student can use citations found in Google Scholar to search Library Search and access the full text if available.
Provides a sophisticated search interface to retrieve more specific results similar to the functionality of the library databases. You can use search operators (AND, OR, NOT) and other punctuation to get limited resulted rather than the million plus, typical of Google.
You can search within specific domains e.g. .ac.uk or websites: www.gov.uk.
ACAS - Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law.
American National Security Archive - Founded in 1985 by journalists and scholars to check rising government secrecy, the National Security Archive combines a unique range of functions: investigative journalism center, research institute on international affairs, library and archive of declassified U.S. documents ("the world's largest nongovernmental collection" according to the Los Angeles Times), leading non-profit user of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, public interest law firm defending and expanding public access to government information, global advocate of open government, and indexer and publisher of former secrets.
British Academy Lectures - British Academy - For over 100 years the British Academy’s public lectures have communicated the best scholarship in the humanities and social sciences to both specialists and general audiences.
Critical Legal Thinking - The aim of Critical Legal Thinking (CLT) is to provide a platform for critical legal scholars and allied thinkers to publish theoretically informed comment and analysis on current events
PoliticsHome - A specialist online news source in Parliament. The value of PoliticsHome rests in the speed and quality of its coverage and the unrivalled connections you can make through the website.
Foreign Policy - Foreign Policy magazine was founded by Harvard professor Samuel Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel. The purpose and mission was to question commonplace views and groupthink and to give a voice to alternative views about American foreign policy.
Global Issues - The global issues web site looks into global issues that affect everyone and aims to show how most issues are inter-related.
International Labour Organisation - ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
International Socialist Review - The ISR is dedicated to advancing socialist theory and practice in the U.S. and internationally.
New Statesman Magazine - The New Statesman is a progressive political and cultural magazine in the United Kingdom.
OpenDemocracy - An independent global media platform publishing up to 60 articles a week and attracting over 8 million visits per year.
Politics, The Guardian - Politics section of the The Guardian newspaper, a British daily newspaper. Founded in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian and part of the Guardian Media Group, it is owned by the Scott Trust. The Scott Trust was created in 1936 "to secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of the Guardian free from commercial or political interference".
Prospect Magazine - Prospect is a must-read title with key figures in government, journalism, policy making and business. People turn to Prospect for the ideas and trends behind the headlines and for a contrarian view of topics.
The Nation - The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States, and the most widely read weekly journal of progressive political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis.
Border Criminologies - Border Criminologies brings together academics, practitioners, and those who have experienced border control from around the world to better understand the effects of border control and to explore alternatives.
ELDIS - Eldis aim is to share the best in development policy, practice and research. Browse more than 26,000 summarised documents from over 7,500 development organisations.
Global Transformations - Web-site to accompany text books Global Transformations & Global Transformations Reader by David Held & Anthony McGrew. Excellent site offering advice on researching globalisation and many useful links.
Globalissues.org - This site is maintained by one person not an organisation and contains a wealth of information and links relating to issues of global concern. As with all sites remember to be aware of possible bias.
IMF - IMF data website provides free access to some country and finance data.
Institute of Development Studies - The Institute of Development Studies is a leading global organisation for research, teaching and communications on international development.
Political Links - UK Political Info is a free, non-partisan, resource for voters, journalists, students, and anyone with an interest in UK electoral politics.
Political Resources on the Net - Listings of political sites available on the Internet sorted by country, with links to Parties, Organizations, Governments, Media and more from all around the world.
Science and Development Network - The overall aim of the Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) is to enhance the provision of reliable and authoritative information on science- and technology-related issues that impact on the economic and social development of developing countries.
UK Web Archive - Web Archive for Government, Law & Politics. Here you can see how sites have changed over time, locate information no longer available on the live Web and observe the unfolding history of a spectrum of UK activities represented online. Sites that no longer exist elsewhere are found here and those yet to be archived can be saved for the future by nominating them.
WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources - Peace, Conflict Resolution and International Security - An Internet directory of over 2000 annotated links to high-quality English-language sources of information and analysis in many international and global studies topics. Sites are carefully selected for their long-term value, favoring those with cost-free, authoritative information and analysis online.
10 Downing Street - Website of 10 Downing Street, the official residence and the office of the British Prime Minister. The office helps the Prime Minister to establish and deliver the government’s overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences.
Adam Smith Institute - The Adam Smith Institute is a think tanks, independent, non-profit and non-partisan, that work to promote neoliberal and free market ideas through research, publishing, media commentary, and educational programmes.
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service - Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law.
African Union - The main objectives AU are, inter alia, to rid the continent of the remaining vestiges of colonization and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and to promote international cooperation within the framework of the United Nations.
Amnesty International - Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a London-based non-governmental organization focused on human rights.
British International Studies Association - The British International Studies Association (BISA) promotes the study of international relations and related subjects through teaching, research, and facilitation of contact between scholars. BISA has an international membership of over 1,500 members, with over 80 countries represented.
British Library - Help for Researchers - Resources for the study of politics, economics, law, sociology and related subjects
Cabinet Office - The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Center for Global Development - CGD works to reduce global poverty and improve lives through innovative economic research that drives better policy and practice by the world’s top decision makers.
Columbia University International Affairs Online - Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) is the world’s largest online resource of documents and articles devoted to research, analysis, and scholarship on international politics and related fields,
Conservation International - Conservation International (CI) is an American nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Its goal is to protect nature as a source of food, fresh water, livelihoods and a stable climate. CI's work focuses on science, policy, and partnership with businesses and communities.
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs - The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Department for International Development - The Department for International Development (DFID) is a United Kingdom government department responsible for administering overseas aid. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty".
Development Gateway - An international nonprofit organization with experience across more than 70 countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Their clients and partners are key players in the data and international development space.
GOV.UK - The British government's digital service for people in the United Kingdom, which provided a single point of access to public sector information and services.
DrugWise - The UK's leading independent centre of expertise on drugs and the national membership organisation for the drug field. They aim to inform policy development and reduce drug-related harms - to individuals, families and communities.
Environment Agency - The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1995 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), with responsibilities relating to the protection and enhancement of the environment in England
European Council - The European Council is a collective body that defines the European Union's overall political direction and priorities. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.
European Court of Human Rights - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is a supranational or international court established by the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that a contracting state has breached one or more of the human rights provisions concerning civil and political rights set out in the Convention and its protocols.
European Parliament - The European Parliament (EP) is the only parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU) that is directly elected by EU citizens aged 18 or older. Together with the Council of the European Union (also known as the 'Council'), it exercises the legislative function of the EU.
European Union - Website of the European Union.
European University Institute - The European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy, is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute established by European Union member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences, in a European perspective.
Fabian Society - The Fabian Society is Britain’s oldest political think tank. Founded in 1884, the society has been at the forefront of developing political ideas and public policy on the left for over 130 years.
Foreign & Commonwealth Office - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), commonly called the Foreign Office, is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting and promoting British interests worldwide. It was created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.
Foreign Affairs Select Committee - The Foreign Affairs Select Committee is one of many select committees of the British House of Commons, which scrutinises the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Friends of the earth international - The world’s largest grassroots environmental network, uniting 75 national member groups and some 5,000 local activist groups on every continent. With over 2 million members and supporters around the world, they campaign on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues.
GDN - Gender and Disaster Network - The Gender and Disaster Network is an educational and advocacy project initiated by women and men interested in gender relations in disaster contexts.
Global Health Council Global Health Council - The Gender and Disaster Network is an educational and advocacy project initiated by women and men interested in gender relations in disaster contexts.
Global Issues - The global issues web site looks into global issues that affect everyone and aims to show how most issues are inter-related.
Global Policy Forum - Global Policy Forum is an independent policy watchdog that monitors the work of the United Nations and scrutinizes global policymaking.
Global Reporting Initiative - GRI helps businesses and governments worldwide understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, governance and social well-being.
Greenpeace International - The Global Health Council is a United States-based non-profit leading networking organization "supporting and connecting advocates, implementers and stakeholders around global health priorities worldwide"
Greenpeace International - Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over 39 countries and an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity"[5] and focuses its campaigning on worldwide issues such as climate change, deforestation, and overfishing,
Hansard - Hansard is a “substantially verbatim” report of what is said in Parliament. Members’ words are recorded, and then edited to remove repetitions and obvious mistakes, albeit without taking away from the meaning of what is said. Hansard also reports decisions taken during a sitting and records how Members voted to reach those decisions in Divisions.
Houses of Parliament - Website of the UK Parliament.
Human Rights Watch - Human Rights Watch is a nonprofit, nongovernmental human rights organization made up of roughly 400 staff members around the globe. Its staff consists of human rights professionals including country experts, lawyers, journalists, and academics of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
International Committee of the Red Cross - Established in 1863, the ICRC operates worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
International Labour Organisation - ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
International Maritime Organization - The International Maritime Organization is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.
NATO - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countrie
NGO Monitor - Founded in 2002, NGO Monitor is a globally recognized research institute promoting democratic values and good governance.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) iLIbrary - OECD iLibrary is OECD’s Online Library for books, papers and statistics and the gateway to OECD’s analysis and data.
Oxfam International - Oxfam is a confederation of 20 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty,
Policy Studies Institute - Based at the University of Westminster, is one of Britain's leading research institutes, conducting research to promote economic well-being and improve quality of life.
Political Studies Association - The Political Studies Association (PSA) is a learned society in the United Kingdom which exists to develop and promote the study of politics.
Social Policy Association - The SPA is a professional association open for membership to academics and practitioners working in social policy, and to others with an interest in UK and international social policy.
Sustainable Development Solutions Network - The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has been operating since 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development,
The Economic and Social Research Council - The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is one of the seven Research Councils in the United Kingdom. It receives most of its funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and provides funding and support for research and training work in the social sciences and economics, such as postgraduate degrees.
The Joseph Rowntreee Foundation - The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) funds a large, UK-wide research and development programme. Some publications are freely available online.
The King's Fund - The King's Fund is concerned with health care policy. A number of research reports and publications are freely available online.
Trades Union Congress - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, representing the majority of trade unions.
UN Climate Change - The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) was established in 1992 when countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
UNAIDS - UNAIDS is leading the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNISDR - UNISDR’s mandate has been defined by a number of United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, the most notable of which is “to serve as the focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations
UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - Established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention, UNODC operates in all regions of the world through an extensive network of field offices.
WHO - The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health.
FCO Bloggers: Global conversations - Foreign Office blogs provide a place for officials and Ministers to engage in a direct and informal dialogue with public audiences about international affairs and the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Global Development: Views from the Center - Updates from the Center for Global Development which is an independent, nonprofit policy research organization that is dedicated to reducing global poverty and inequality and to making globalization work for the poor. With links to many other blogs including "Crisis Talk - The World Bank Group", "From Poverty to Power" and
Guardian Politics News Blog - The Guardian's blog on politics, politicians and political news.
Huffington Post - Politics Daily - The latest political buzz from bloggers on both sides of the aisle.
Institute of Development Studies on Facebook - IDS: online communications, blogs, multimedia and a lot more..
International Sustainable Development Studies Institute Blog - Blog from the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI), a recognized leader in innovative study-abroad programs.
Noam Chomsky website - Regular updates on research with articles and access to audio and video files of lectures.
Overseas Development Institute Blog - The ODI Blog features the personal views of ODI experts on a range of current events and issues.
Politics and Government - The Caucus Blog - The New York Times Caucus is a blog that analyzes the latest news on politics and government from Washington and around the country.
Rough Type - Nicholas Carr's blog - Rough Type is an independent blog written and published by Nicholas Carr, formerly the executive editor of the Harvard Business Review. It’s mainly about technology, culture, and economics, though it wanders into other areas at times.
Rudolph J. Rummel's Power Kills - Website created by academic Rudolph J. Rummel, scholar contributioning to the Field of Genocide and Democide Studies and Prevention.
The Middle East Blog - Time Magazine's blog about life in "the hottest and holiest region in the world".
United Nations Blog - United Nations blog. Updates from the social media team.
US Department of State Official Blog - The "official" line.