Resource Guides: Public Policy: Background information

Using tertiary sources for background research

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

National Academies Press This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text online access to over 5000 books on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, health policy, environmental protection, technology and commerce.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
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 This link opens in a new window
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.

Newspapers and magazines at the Georgia Tech Library

Sometimes the quickest way to get a overview of a public policy topic is reading current reportage and editorial writings in the popular press. Use the following resources to access newspapers like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, along with international papers and popular magazines. Nexis Uni is a database that will allow you to search across many newspapers and magazines for current and historical articles.

New York Times Digital This link opens in a new window
Use VPN. Set up your free account to find current and past articles and most digital content on the NYT website back to 1851.
PressReader This link opens in a new window
Use VPN. Provides instant online access to today's newspapers from around the world in full-color, full-page format.
Flipster This link opens in a new window
A collection of popular magazines including Architectural Digest, The Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, Bust, Consumer Reports, Discover, ENR, Essence, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Out, and Time.
Access World News This link opens in a new window
Articles from local, national, and international newspapers, and news transcripts and video clips; date coverage varies by news source.
Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis) This link opens in a new window
U.S. and international newspapers, television and radio broadcasts, newswires, and blogs, as well as business profiles, patents, and legal research.

See all newspaper and magazine resources on the A-Z databases list.

Government document assistance at the GT Library

The Georgia Tech Library is a member of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) of the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO).

The vision of the FDLP is to provide government information when and where it is needed in order to create an informed citizenry and an improved quality of life. The Library selects all online material distributed by GPO and collects and retains documents relating to the Environmental Protection Agency, United States Patent and Trademark Office, and NASA as part of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries Center of Excellence.

INFODesk staff can handle many questions about government information; for more complex questions, the Government Documents Coordinator offers research consultations. Both in-service training to staff, as well as drop-in workshops for all users, are conducted periodically by the Government Documents Coordinator.