Overview of Online Resources*

The Internet is a powerful research tool for investigating issues in public policy and administration. In order to get the most from your efforts, however, it is important to have a good understanding of how to search through the sea of material available as well as how to assess the quality of that information. Below you will find a variety of links to assist you in searching for material on any public administration topic. Included are links on finding and using "search engines," a guide to the array of materials you should search in acquiring your information, tips for assessing the quality of web-based information, and instructions on citing online material.

Steps to Take

Here is a shorthand version of the generic steps to follow in any research project. If you complete each of these steps, the quality of your research will be much higher:

1. Search for books on your subject matter on your library's web page (both Brockport holdings and those at other libraries)

2. Search for scholarly articles on your topic via your library's journal search pages (e.g., JSTOR, INFOTRAC, etc.)

3. Search for newspaper articles, government reports, etc., via your library's various full-text information databases (e.g., Lexis-Nexis)

4. Use one or two of your favorite search engines (e.g., www.google,com, www.dogpile.com) to find primary and secondary materials on your subject. Here your search should take you to a variety of sources - libraries, databases, polling organizations, government sites, lobbying organizations, individual home pages, academic and popular journals, and think tanks and policy institutes.

General Public Policy Sites

• Resources for PAD 680: Public Policy SUNY Brockport Library
• Public Policy and Administration Links Array of useful policy and administration links

Assessing the Quality of Internet Sources

• Assessing the Credibility of Online Sources St. Cloud State University, Minnesota.

Data

• Public Administration Journals No research project is complete without a thorough investigation of the cutting-edge scholarly literature available in academic journals. Not all journals are equal, however. For your convenience, I have included a hyperlink to a list ranking the top public administration journals. N.B. - Though this list contains hyperlinks to the editorial pages of many of these journals, the only way to access these journals' full-text articles is through the library's article databases (e.g., J-STOR, Academic ASAP, etc.)

Internet Search Engines and Search Tips

• Searchenginewatch.com General information on the how to use search engines.
• Academic Guide to the INTERNET
• E-TEXT Directories http://www.westciv.com.au/Etext_Pages/etext_main.html
• Search Engines A comprehensive list from SUNY Albany
• Checklist of Internet Research Tips
• Evaluating Internet Resources
• Conducting Internet Research
• Recommended Sites and Search Techniques

*Thanks to Thomas Birkland at University at Albany and to the SUNY Albany Libraries for providing several of the links included above.