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International Development Studies Guide

Reference Sources

When researching a new topic it is often necessary to get an overview, explanations of unfamiliar terms, or brief factual information.

UNB subscribes to a substantial collection of print and electronic reference tools (dictionaries, encyclopaedias, handbooks, guides, and standards) in the field of International Development Studies.

To find additional reference materials, check our Reference Materials database.

Key Resources

  • OECD iLibrary - Books, Papers and Statistics
    OECD iLibrary is the online library of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) featuring its books, papers and statistics and is the gateway to OECD's analysis and data. OECD Books and Papers covers all OECD’s published (ISBN/ISSN) monographs, journals, statistical annuals and periodicals available online in 17 subject themes. The main texts are accessed as PDFs, whilst related tables are in XLS, PDF or HTML.OECD Statistics provides online access to all OECD’s published data, irrespective of format. It includes the dynamic interactive databases, as well as the statistical annuals and periodicals in PDF format, and their related tables in XLS, PDF and HTML. OECD iLibrary Content items (April 2020): • 15 620 ebook titles • 81 600 chapters • 242 220 tables and graphs • 2 305 articles • 6 360 multilingual summaries • 6 620 working papers • 7 billion data points across 44 databases.

    IEA Statistical Databases are not included in this package.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.

  • UN iLibrary
    The United Nations iLibrary is the comprehensive global search, discovery, and viewing source for digital content created by the United Nations. Themes include Agriculture Rural Development and Forestry, Children and Youth, Democracy and Governance, Disarmament, Drugs, Crime and Terrorism, Economic and Social Development, Environment and Climate Change, Human Rights and Refugees, Human Settlements and Urban Issues, International Law and Justice, International Trade and Finance, Migration, Natural Resources, Water and Energy, Peacekeeping and Security, Population and Demography, Public Health, Transportation and Public Safety, United Nations, and Women and Gender Issues.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Encyclopedia of international development [HIL-REF HD82 .E547 2005]

    "The Encyclopedia of International Development provides definitions and discussions of the key concepts, controversies, and actors associated with international development for a readership of development workers, teachers and students. With 600 entries ranging in length from shorter factual studies to more in-depth essays, a comprehensive system of cross references and a full index, it is the most definitive guide to international development yet published." "This encyclopedia will provide crucial information for universities, students and professional organizations involved with international development, or those interested in related topics such as international studies or other studies of social and economic change today."--BOOK JACKET. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

  • International Development Dictionary, The [HIL-REF HF1359 .F79 1991]
  • Encyclopedia of global studies [HIL-REF JZ1318 .E626 2012]
    The Encyclopedia of Global Studies is the reference work for the emerging field of global studies. It covers both transnational topics and intellectual approaches to the study of global themes, including: the globalization of economies and technologies; the diaspora of cultures and dispersion of peoples; the transnational aspects of social and political change; the global impact of environmental, technological and health changes; and the organizations and issues related to global civil society.
  • Europa World Year Book [HIL-REFDSK JN1 .E85]

    The most current edition (2016) is available from the Research Help Desk in the Harriet Irving Library. HIL-REFDSK

    Second latest edition is shelved in HIL-REF.

    Older editions (30th ed. 1989 - third latest edition) are shelved in HIL-STACKS.


  • Encyclopedia of globalization [HIL-REF JZ1318 .E63 2007]
    "Globalization: much discussed but little understood. The term has catapulted from obscurity to the headlines in just a few years. Globalization, anti-globalization: what does it all mean; and what should we do about it? Everyone has a stake in globalization, but most people are unclear and uncertain about what, more precisely, their stake is. Although a great deal has been written about globalization, surprisingly little has aimed specifically to inform and educate students and general readers. The Encyclopedia of Globalization provides a thorough understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of globalization as well as the various historical and analytical interpretations of globalization. Consisting of over 400 entries, coverage includes key cultural, ecological, economic, geographical, historical, political, psychological and social aspects of globalization. Compiled by a cross-disciplinary editorial team of leading academics on the subject, the Encyclopedia presents the latest research in terms that are accessible to the general reader, student, scholar, or researcher. The Encyclopedia addresses the empirical, theoretical and policy aspects of globalization. In empirical terms, the entries examine the substantive conditions of globalization such as climate change, human rights, the Internet, religious revivalism, and the World Trade Organization. With regard to theory, the entries clarify concepts and approaches that can be used to understand globalization including comparative advantage, cultural imperialism, and sovereignty. Concerning policy, entries in the encyclopedia cover measures (both existing and proposed) that can be used to shape the course of globalization: for example, neoliberalism, sustainable development, and the Tobin tax. In practice, of course, the substantive, conceptual and political aspects are deeply interrelated, so that each entry includes something of all three. Entries in the Encyclopedia vary in length from 500 to 3500 words, depending on the scope of the topic and its relative prominence in studies and politics of globalization. All entries provide bibliographical references for further reading and research. From the advances in nanotechnology to the controversies surrounding humanitarian intervention, the Encyclopedia of Globalization is a key inter-disciplinary resource to all aspects of globalization.
  • Cambridge Encyclopedia of Latin America and the Caribbean, The [HIL-REF F1406 .C36 1992]

    Discusses the region's past and present culture, society, history, economics and politics.

  • Dictionary of Third World Terms [HIL-REF HC59.7 .H274 1992]

    Many terms concerned with Third World issues have uncertain, ambiguous or varying definitions. This book seeks to define terms as they are understood in the Third World and provides their historical context. The entries range from concise definitions to extended essays.

  • Dictionary of Development: Third World Economy, Environment, Society [HIL-REF HC59.7 .D513 1990]
  • Global Links: A Guide to Key People and Institutions Worldwide [HIL-REF JF20 .G58 1998]

    Developed to serve as a vital link in the global chain of information, this convenient directory contains the most comprehensive list of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of government, judicial, and legislative leaders worldwide. Contact information is provided for nearly 10,000 key people in 191 countries. Web sites are also included in a separate index for quick reference. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Additional Resources

  • Global Development: A Reference Handbook [HIL-REF HC59.7 .S283 1995]

    Includes a comprehensive overview of ideas and issues in global development, biographical sketches of people working in their own countries and internationally, a list of governmental and private development organizations, facts and figures organized by topic, along with a detailed chronology mapping the milestones of global development since WWII. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

  • New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics
    The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics is the key scholarly reference tool for economics. It offers access to over 3,000 articles written by leading figures in the field and is updated on a continual basis.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (2nd Ed.)
    see also [HIL-REF H41 .I58 2001 vols. 1-26]
    Fully revised and updated, the second edition of the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, first published in 2001, offers a source of social and behavioral sciences reference material that is broader and deeper than any other. Available in both print and online editions, it comprises over 3,900 articles, commissioned by 71 Section Editors, and includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.

    UNB has online access to the 2001 edition as well as owning print volumes of the earlier edition.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Human Rights: A Compilation of International Instruments

     United Nations Centre for Human Rights.

  • Encyclopedia of stateless nations : ethnic and national groups around the world [HIL-REF D860 .M563 2016]

    "This volume represents the culmination of over a decade of research, planning, organization, and implementation as an updated and expanded sequel to the Encyclopedia of Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups around the World, which was published in 2002. ... This encyclopedia was prepared to provide readers with an easy-to-use guide to the ethnic and national groups seeking recognition, autonomy, or independence in our complicated contemporary world. The encyclopedia is presented as a quick reference to the confusing issues of national identity, religious and ethnic relations, regional conflicts, and immigration that are important factors in all levels of national and international politics."--Preface, page xi.

  • New Core International Human Rights Treaties, The
    see also [HIL-GOV TU17 ST HR HIL N532ci]

    This publication reproduces the new core universal human rights treaties in pocket-size. By issuing the latest core instruments in this format, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights wishes to make them more accessible, in particular to government officials, civil society, human rights defenders, legal practitioners, scholars, individual citizens and others with an interest in human rights norms and standards

  • Handbook of international trade. Vol. 1
    This title is part of the Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online e-book collection available through the Wiley Online Library.
    Unlimited simultaneous users
  • Handbook of international trade. Vol. 2, Economic and legal analyses of trade policy and institutions
    This title is part of the Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online e-book collection available through the Wiley Online Library.
    Unlimited simultaneous users
  • UNdata
    The UNdata database (formerly the United Nations Common Database (UNCDB)) provides access to selected statistical sources from a wide range of UN organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, the UNCDB features databases from other international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online
    Wiley/Blackwell Reference Online "is a vast new online library giving instant access to the most authoritative and up-to-date scholarship across the humanities and social sciences. With more than 350 reference volumes to be published in Blackwell Reference Online by the end of 2008, it is the largest academic reference collection available online and includes the critically-acclaimed Blackwell Companions and Handbooks, major reference works such as the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management and the Companion to Syntax, and a whole host of other valuable reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and concise companions."
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Kanopy (moderated access)

    On June 1, 2019, UNB Libraries’ transitioned to a mediated access model for Kanopy online streaming, shifting from automatic purchase of titles (receiving four plays or more) to mediated purchases requiring a prior patron request.

    Kanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that provides access to more than 26,000 films each year. Kanopy works directly with filmmakers and film distribution companies to offer award-winning collections including titles from PBS, BBC, Criterion Collection, Media Education Foundation and more.


    Unlimited simultaneous users per leased title.
  • Films on Demand
    UNB Libraries subscribes to the Master Academic Collection, along with access to FMG Archival Films & Newsreels Collection and the Entertainment Collection. Includes 42,000+ full-length videos and over 323,000 video segments licensed for use in Canada, covering a broad range of subjects including business, social sciences, education, health and medicine, humanities, sciences, and guidance, and including archival films and newsreels. UNB subscribed Collections The Master Academic Collection (over 35,000 titles) The FM Archival Films & Newsreels (5,000+ titles) Entertainment Collection (500+ titles)
    Subscribed multi-user unlimited access per title

 

Find Articles

When searching for journal articles, an indexing and abstracting database is usually the best place to begin. Below are some recommended databases for research in International Development. For other databases, check the Article Databases page of the library website.

Key Resources

  • Worldwide Political Science Abstracts (ProQuest)
    Worldwide Political Science Abstracts provides "citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration / policy."
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) International and Archive (ProQuest)
    The PAIS International database contains references to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. Newspapers and newsletters are not indexed. Also included in PAIS are the PAIS Archive and ProQuest Deep Indexing: Public Administration and Policy databases.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • EconLit (EBSCO)
    Produced by the American Economic Association, EconLit is a bibliographic database that indexes and abstracts more than 700 international economic journals back to 1969. The database contains over one million records and is considered the foremost source for journal articles, books, dissertations. book reviews, and working papers in the field of Economics.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • OECD iLibrary - Books, Papers and Statistics
    OECD iLibrary is the online library of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) featuring its books, papers and statistics and is the gateway to OECD's analysis and data. OECD Books and Papers covers all OECD’s published (ISBN/ISSN) monographs, journals, statistical annuals and periodicals available online in 17 subject themes. The main texts are accessed as PDFs, whilst related tables are in XLS, PDF or HTML.OECD Statistics provides online access to all OECD’s published data, irrespective of format. It includes the dynamic interactive databases, as well as the statistical annuals and periodicals in PDF format, and their related tables in XLS, PDF and HTML. OECD iLibrary Content items (April 2020): • 15 620 ebook titles • 81 600 chapters • 242 220 tables and graphs • 2 305 articles • 6 360 multilingual summaries • 6 620 working papers • 7 billion data points across 44 databases.

    IEA Statistical Databases are not included in this package.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.

  • Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest)
    Sociological Abstracts "covers the world's literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behaviorial sciences."
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • SocINDEX with Full Text (EBSCO)
    SocINDEX with Full Text is the world's most comprehensive and highest-quality sociology research database. Its extensive scope and content provide users with a wealth of extremely useful information encompassing the broad spectrum of sociological study. The database features more than 2.1 million records with subject headings from a 20,000+ term sociological thesaurus designed by subject experts and expert lexicographers. SocINDEX with Full Text contains full text for 890 journals dating back to 1908. This database also includes full text for more than 850 books and monographs, and full text for over 16,800 conference papers.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)
    Academic Search Premier is a multidisciplinary resource that "provides journal coverage for most academic areas of studies."
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • UN iLibrary
    The United Nations iLibrary is the comprehensive global search, discovery, and viewing source for digital content created by the United Nations. Themes include Agriculture Rural Development and Forestry, Children and Youth, Democracy and Governance, Disarmament, Drugs, Crime and Terrorism, Economic and Social Development, Environment and Climate Change, Human Rights and Refugees, Human Settlements and Urban Issues, International Law and Justice, International Trade and Finance, Migration, Natural Resources, Water and Energy, Peacekeeping and Security, Population and Demography, Public Health, Transportation and Public Safety, United Nations, and Women and Gender Issues.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Statista
    Statista is a multidisciplinary database that aggregates information covering 80,000 topics. Access to data from over 18,000 sources covering 1.5 million statistics. All statistics can be directly downloaded in PNG, PDF, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. Data prepared according to academic citation standards, with a citation tool (APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, and Bluebook) and links to the original source for further research. Statista also covers industry reports, studies, forecasts, dossiers, digital market outlook , aesthetically pleasing infographics, and more.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Annual Reviews
    Annual Reviews publishes "authoritative, analytic reviews in 29 focused disciplines within the Biomedical, Physical, and Social Sciences."
    Unlimited simultaneous users.

Additional Resources

  • HeinOnline - World Constitutions Illustrated
    All the world's current constitutions in their original languages and English translations are gathered into this single database, which also includes full-text historical legal and political treatises and scholarly articles. Bibliographies of and links to a multitude of secondary resources are also provided. Researchers can use the advanced search screen to perform cross-jurisdictional searches, but users focusing on one particular country might want to use the "browse by country" option and then search within that jurisdiction.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • ProQuest Politics Collection
    This collection allows users to easily conduct in-depth political science research, discovering more of the most relevant full-text and A&I records. It offers consolidated access for the bibliographic records contained in Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service), and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) and combines these with the full-text articles in ProQuest Political Science.

    The collection also contains full-text dissertations, thousands of working papers, country reports, and government documents, offering an international perspective from leading and emerging academics, policy makers, and think tanks.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • ProQuest Political Science
    ProQuest Political Science gives users access to hundreds of leading political science and international relations journals, providing full-text of many core titles indexed in Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. In addition, over a thousand recent full-text doctoral dissertations on political science topics are included, together with working papers, conference proceedings, country profiles, political news and other sources.

    ProQuest Political Science covers the literature of political science and international relations, including such topics as comparative politics, political economy, international development, environmental policy, and hundreds of related topics.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.
  • Scopus
    Scopus, a multidisciplinary online resource, will be invaluable to students and faculty in various fields of study within the sciences, health sciences and the social sciences. Scopus offers full-text linking, abstracting-and-indexing information including peer-reviewed titles from international publishers, Open Access journals, conference proceedings, trade publications, quality web sources.
    Unlimited simultaneous users.

Find Books

UNB WorldCat is our catalogue for searching UNB Libraries' collections.  It is useful when you don't have a particular title in mind and are instead searching by topic or keyword(s) to see what is available.  Note that UNB WorldCat also includes links to selected article records by default.  After an initial search you can limit results to books, if desired.

Search UNB WorldCat:
Limit to: 

When searching our catalogue for print/electronic resources, try the following examples of subject headings:

  • development studies
  • developing countries economic conditions
  • developing countries politics and government
  • developing countries social conditions
  • economic assistance
  • globalization
  • income distribution developing countries
  • international economic integration
  • peace
  • political development
  • poverty
  • women developing countries

To focus your search on a particular country, try the following examples (substituting your country):

  • Chile Economic conditions
  • Chile Social conditions
  • Chile Politics and government

Bibliographies list publications that have been written about a particular subject, including books, journals, government publications, etc. Annotated bibliographies provide concise summaries of what has been published in a given area.

  • Latin America and the Caribbean: A Critical Guide to Research Sources
    HIL-REF F1408 .L37 1992
  • Women and Work in Developing Countries: An Annotated Bibliography
    HIL-REF HD6223 .G46 1994
  • Social Science Reference Sources: A Practical Guide
    HIL-REF H61 .L512 2000
  • Latin American Studies: A Basic Guide to Sources
    HIL-REF F1408 .L3854 1990
  • Caribbean Women Novelists: An Annotated Critical Bibliography
    HIL-REF PN849 .C32 P37 1993
  • Gender in the Third World: A Geographical Bibliography of Recent Work
    HIL-REF HQ1870.9 .R33 19

Government Documents

Our Government Documents, Data, and Maps Department website also provides access to a variety of materials. This web site includes a list of Internet sites of federal, provincial and international governments which provide information sources and publications for downloading, to supplement the collection found in UNB WorldCat.

UNB Libraries is a depository library for the federal Depository Services Program (including Statistics Canada publications), the European Union, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations. Contact the Government Documents Information desk for help.

Document Delivery

Books and other materials not available at UNB may be available for loan from another institution through our document delivery service. To search for materials not held by UNB Libraries, search UNB WorldCat, and change the default UNB Libraries to Libraries Worldwide.Once you have identified a title that is not locally held, select the red Request Item button and follow the screens. You can also access the document delivery request form directly.

Find Internet Sites

While there is a wealth of information freely available on the internet, not all sites are created equal. Careful evaluation is a critical part of doing research on the Internet. Below are some recommended sites:

Citing Your Sources

Citing Your Sources

Accurate, properly formatted references and bibliographies are hallmarks of good academic research. Through citing, you acknowledge the source of any ideas you mention in your writing, document your research, and provide the information your readers need to track down your sources.

The standard citation style for International Development is American Psychological Association (APA) style, but your instructor may require or recommend that you use another.  Always check your course syllabus or ask your instructor to be sure you are using the correct citation style.

IMPORTANT NOTE: APA has published a new 7th edition. ​ There are a number of changes.  For details on referencing using APA style, students should refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) or the links below.

For a list of major changes from the 6th to the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual please watch this short video from Scribbr:

Quick Reference Guide from APA (citing a book, article, book chapter only)

Key Resources

APA Style Resources

 

Zotero is a software program that collects, manages, and cites research sources. It's easy to use, works with your web browser where you do your work, and best of all it's free.

  • Zotero
    (https://lib.unb.ca/guides/view/index.php/683)

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Subject Specialties:
Business & Finance, Competitive Intelligence, Corporate Law, Intellectual Property, Leadership Studies