UCR      Libraries

Introduction to Public Policy Analysis

Reference Desk Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9am-8pm; Friday, 9am-5pm; Sunday – 1pm-5pm. (See the UCR Libraries Hours page for more information (http://library.ucr.edu/hours/).

Finding Data:

• How to Cite Data (from Michigan State University)
• Statistical Abstract of the United States - "Stat Ab" is the starting point for finding statistics and guiding you to more detailed data.
• State of California Statistics
• Other California Statistics - (from Infomine)
• RAND California Statistics - focuses on "California public policy issues with an emphasis on statistics."
• Roper Center Public Opinion Archives - results from opinion surveys.
• To search, highlight the "Quick Links" menu and select "iPOLL Logon"
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Other Resources:

• Congressional Research Service - analyses of public policy issues, especially of legislative proposals, for use by Congress.
• PAIS International - Public Affairs Information Service - Journal articles, government publications and other materials about political science and public policy.

Off Campus Access to Databases:

For information on accessing Library resources from off campus, click the “Connect from Home” link on the left navigation bar, or load http://library.ucr.edu/view/help/remoteaccess/index.html. You should download and install the AnyConnect VPN software client. The newspaper database, Academic via LexisNexis, does not work well with Web access.

ASA Style Guide:

• Style Guide (American Sociological Association)
• ASA Citation Style Examples (from Wayne State College)

Sample Citations

Statistical Abstract:
U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2009. Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

Roper:
American Institute of Public Opinion. 1938a. “Gallup Poll no. 130.” Princeton, NJ: American Institute of Public Opinion [producer]. New Haven, CT: Roper Center for Public Opinion Research [distributor].

Getting Started:

The best time to start focus your project is at the beginning:

• Public Policy - The databases and web sites in the general section can help you audition and narrow your research question.

Finding Editorials:

• Newspapers - This subject page contains links to the wide variety of resources licensed by the UCR Libraries.

• Academic (via LexisNexis) provides full-text access to hundreds of newspapers. Once the database loads, limit your results to just editorials & opinions by:

Example 1	Click the News banner on the left navigation bar (Example 1) Click All News; The news search page will then load (Example 2 below): Select Editorials & Opinions in "Article Type;" Select Country in "Article Location" and limit to United States; Limit to Newspapers in "By Type" if necessary; Limit to recent editorials in "Specify Date" if necessary. Select Expanded List on the results page to see your search terms in context (Example 3 below).
Example 2
Example 3