Research Guides: International Relations: Reference Materials

Using Academic Reference Materials

Please use NYU Libraries online resources as your first choice during the COVID situation. Physical reference materials located in the 1st Floor Reference Center are getting moved to Bobst 9th Floor now.

Encyclopedias and biographies are great resources to familiarize yourself with the background information on a given subject.

Hint: After you've read an encyclopedia or biography article to get a broad understanding of a subject, use the article bibliography to dive further into the scholarly literature on that topic.

See foe example, Credo Reference, an Online collection of dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical sources, quotations, bilingual dictionaries, and measurement conversions covering topics from the arts to the sciences.

International Relations Reference Materials Online

Greenwood Encyclopedia of International Relations
The book's primary focus is upon the rise of the Great Powers and the course of world civilizations, their formative wars and diplomatic, political and economic relations. But a serious effort is made to cover all of the smaller and less powerful regions and their local history, along with how progressive inclusion into the modern state system affected them, both for good and ill.
SHAFR Guide Online
"An Annotated Bibliography of U.S. Foreign Relations since 1600 is a 2.1 million-word online annotated bibliography of historical work covering the entire span of U.S. foreign relations."

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online collection of dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical sources, quotations, bilingual dictionaries, and measurement conversions covering topics from the arts to the sciences.

Political Science Reference Materials Online

21st Century Political Science: A Reference Handbook
Highlights the most important political science topics, issues, questions, and debates in the 21st Century. Includes basic institutions of government, political ideologies and cultures, public opinion, political parties and elections, political communication, political economy, international relations, and institutions.
The Palgrave-Macmillan Dictionary of Diplomacy
This dictionary covers the jargon of diplomacy as well as legal terms, political events, international organizations, e-Diplomacy, and major figures on the diplomatic scene.
Encyclopedia of Political Theory
Examines the ideas of the major political theorists from before Plato to our own times; the main schools of political thought; the concepts and issues that have captured the imagination and attention of political theorists; and some of the main institutions and practices inspired by political thought.

Economics Reference Materials Online

OECD Factbook 2010: Economic, Environmental, and Social Statistics
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Factbook is the most comprehensive statistical publication of the Organisation. It is a tool to evaluate the long-term trends in economic, environmental, and social developments in OECD countries using solid and comparable indicators.
21st Century Economics: A Reference Handbook
Amid rising unemployment, failures of major businesses and industries, and continued dependence on oil this book tackles the questions of the proper role of government in company bailouts, the effectiveness of tax cuts versus increased government spending, and the effects of deflation while also analyzing traditional and modern economic theory.
Collins Dictionary of Economics
The Collins Dictionary of Economics has been thoroughly revised for the new millennium and is a valuable reference book not just for students of economics, but for anyone studying economics as part of a business or social science course.
The Handbook of Economic Sociology
The Handbook brings together leading sociologists as well as representatives of other social sciences with a focus on international and global concerns, chapters on institutional analysis, the transition from socialist economies, organization and networks, and the economic sociology of the ancient world.

UIS.Stat (UNESCO Institute for Statistics) This link opens in a new window
UIS.Stat is a browser for viewing and downloading UIS data and indicators in tables. Data are organized in a tree view by topic and presented using a simple three-dimensional format (indicator, country or region, year). Users can build their own customized tables and export data in Excel format.

International Relations Reference Books in Bobst

Multilateralism under Challenge? by Edward Newman, Ramesh Chandra Thakur, John Tirman
Call Number: JZ1318 .M858 2006
Located in 6th Floor Reference - Government Documents

Multilateralism under Challenge? explores the performance and future of multilateral approaches and institutions with reference to major global problems such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, economic justice, human rights, and humanitarian assistance.
Encyclopedia of International Relations and Global Politics by Martin Griffiths (Editor)
Call Number: JV1160 .E53 2005
Written by a distinguished group of international scholars, the Encyclopedia is largely comprised of substantial entries of more than 1,000 words, with fifty major entries of 5,000 words on core contemporary topics. Each entry is fully cross-referenced and followed by a listing of complementary entries and a short bibliography for further reading.

Political Science Reference Books in Bobst

Doing Research in Political Science by Paul Pennings; Hans Keman; Jan Kleinnijenhuis
Call Number: JA71 .P395 2006
This thoroughly revised edition of the popular textbook offers an accessible but comprehensive introduction to comparative research methods and statistics for students of political science. Clearly organized around three parts, the text introduces the main theories and methodologies used in the discipline.
The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy by Michael Moran; Martin Rein; Robert E. Goodin
Call Number: H97 .O88 2006
The Oxford Handbook of Political Science offers authoritative and engaging critical overviews of the state of political science. Each volume focuses on a particular part of the discipline, with volumes on Public Policy, Political Theory, Political Economy, Contextual Political Analysis, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Law and Politics, Political Behavior, Political Institutions, and Political Methodology.
A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy by Robert E. Goodin; Philip Pettit; Thomas Pogge
Call Number: JA71 .C565 2007
Presents analysis of key political ideologies. Includes detailed discussions of major concepts in political philosophy, including virtue, power, human rights, and just war.

Economics Reference Books in Bobst

Understanding Economic Statistics by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Call Number: HB137 .U53 2008
Located on the 6th Floor - Reference International Documents

This book shows readers how to use statistics to understand the world economy. It provides an overview of the history, key concepts, and main providers of economic statistics. It explores the crucial issue of quality assurance and the implications for public trust.
The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics by Steven N. Durlauf; Lawrence E. Blume
Call Number: HB61 .N49 2008
Located in 5th Floor Reference.