Tertiary sources compile, summarize, index, or help identify scholarly sources on a topic. They are useful for background research or to get an overview of a topic before delving into secondary or primary sources. Common tertiary sources for public policy include issue reports, handbooks, and other reference sources.
From this page you can
Access key resources for background research in public policy
Resources for background research in public policy
The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes the reports of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently-researched information on important matters in science and health policy.
Oxford Handbooks Online brings together the world’s leading scholars to discuss research and the latest thinking on a range of major topics. Each Handbook offers thorough introductions to topics and a critical survey of the current state of scholarship. The library provides handbooks from the following subject areas: Business & Management, Economics & Finance, History, Law, Linguistics, Literature, Music, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
SAGE Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. SAGE Research Methods provides reference works, books, videos, case studies, and sample datasets to explore quantitative and qualitative research methods in social policy and public policy.
SAGE Research Methods has the answer for each user, from a quick dictionary definition, a case study example from a researcher in the field, a downloadable teaching dataset, a full-text title from the Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences series, or a video tutorial showing research in action.