SOC 4950: Peace Studies Guide
Overview
This class guide provides a starting place for students to find books, articles and useful Web sites on the subject of peace studies.
Finding Books
Classic Library Catalog
WMU's Classic online catalog (also known as WestCat), is used to identify books (including electronic books), government documents, journals, audio and video, slides and other items in the University Libraries' collections. The catalog can be searched by title, author, subject heading, keyword, call number, and more.
Advanced Search
This is an option for searching WestCat. Multiple words or phrases that are "your language," not known to be from the official subject heading list, can be entered. However, the system only finds books that use the same word or words in their catalog entries. As a result, no book in our collection may contain all of the words and phrases that you enter. If no titles appear, try synonyms or fewer headings--or select a heading(s) from the Library of Congress Subject Headings. When a list of titles appears, review them and then select those that might contain relevant information. On the screens that appear after clicking on a title, there are official Library of Congress subject headings that are linked to other books on the same topic.
WorldCat Comprehensive catalog of books and other materials in libraries around the world. Contains millions of records in hundreds of languages. Nonbook materials include (among other publication formats) the titles of journals and magazines, manuscripts, maps, electronic resources, websites, computer programs, musical scores, films, slides, sound recordings, conference proceedings, and videotapes. Items located through WorldCat must be requested through Interlibrary Loan unless they are also listed in the WMU libraries catalog, WestCat.
Finding Books
How to locate books (print and electronic) in the WMU Libraries and elsewhere.
Finding Articles
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts An index with abstracts to articles from over 1,100 international journals in political science and related disciplines. Includes book reviews. Based on the Political Science Abstracts from Plenum and ABC POL SCI from ABC-CLIO. Coverage: 1975 to the present. Updated monthly.
PAIS International (Public Affairs Information Service) Indexes articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, research reports, statistical directories, and more about public affairs worldwide. Coverage is from 1972 and is updated monthly.
Alternative Press Index Indexes and selectively abstracts international and interdisciplinary alternative (mostly radical and left) periodicals, newspapers, and magazines covering cultural, economic, political, and social change. Coverage 1991-present. For 1969-90, see the Alternative Press Index Archive. Updated quarterly.
CQ Researcher Explores a current news issue in-depth each week. Articles typically include an overview and background of the issue, pro-con essays on a question in the issue, a chronology, and lengthy bibliography. Coverage from October 1991 to present.
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LexisNexis Academic Indexes thousands of domestic and foreign newspapers, as well as journals, and other publications in News, Business company reports and articles, Legal Research, Medical and Reference. The legal research category includes law reviews, law news, federal and state laws and cases. Mostly full text. Includes Hoover's full text. Coverage dates vary.
Social Sciences Abstracts Indexes over 600 periodicals in anthropology, economics, ethnic studies, feminist studies, geography, human services, international relations, law and criminology, police science, political science, population studies, psychology, public administration, public health, social work, sociology, urban studies, and related social science subjects. Coverage: indexing from 1983 and abstracts from 1994. Updated weekly.
Details
Sociological Abstracts Indexes an international selection of publications in sociology and related disciplines from over 1,800 journals, serials, books, conference papers, and dissertations. Indexing and abstracting from 1952, and cited references with links from 2001. Updated monthly.
Finding Articles in the Library
For additional help in finding articles in the WMU Libraries, please see this brief "how to" guide.
Web Resources
Abolition 2000
A global network to eliminate nuclear weapons; lists over 1,000 organizations across the globe involved in the effort; good links to other organizations under Abolition 2000 Links.
American Friends Service Committee
A Quaker organization which includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. It has around a million members and supporters in 162 countries and territories.
Bread for the World
A nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers.
Center for Defense Information
A private, non-governmental, research organization that believes that strong social, economic, political, and military components and a healthy environment contribute equally to the nation's security. CDI seeks realistic and cost effective military spending without excess expenditures for weapons and policies that increase the danger of war.
Center for the Advancement of Nonviolence
Housed in Los Angeles, the mission of this organization is to build a culture of nonviolence and peace through education, research, advocacy and institutional transformation. Click on the Nonviolence Links on the left-hand side of the screen to find hundreds of useful Web sites related to nonviolence and peace issues.
Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors
Founded in 1948 to protect and promote the rights of conscientious objectors to war; long-term goals include demilitarizing schools and communities, improving conditions for military personnel who come to realize their objections to war, and eliminating the Selective Service System.
Citizens for Global Solutions
A U.S. national grassroots organization working to abolish war, protect citizen rights and freedoms, and help solve the problems facing humanity, with the help of the other nations in the world.
Fourth Freedom Forum
The mission of this organization is to encourage discussion, development, and dissemination of ideas that will free humanity from the fear of war. The emphasis is on barring armed aggression and eliminating nuclear and other weapons of mass murder through enforceable international law. The site features links to articles, press releases and a host of related Web sites.
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
FCNL is a Quaker lobby in the public interest that seeks to bring the concerns, experiences, and testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends to bear on public policy decisions in Washington, DC. One of the issues they promote is nonviolent dispute resolution and the peaceful prevention of armed conflict and genocide, through the United Nations and appropriate governmental groups and NGOs.
Global Issues That Affect Everyone
An independent site maintained by Anup Shah, an Indian man living in England, that looks into global issues that affect the entire world and aims to show how most issues are interrelated. It contains over 4,000 links to external articles, Web sites, reports and analyses that are used to provide credence to the arguments made on this site. The issue categories range from trade, poverty, arms trade and globalization, to human rights, geopolitics and the environment.
Institute for Global Communications
A nonprofit organization that provides alternative sources of information, along with access to PeaceNet, EcoNet, WomensNet and AntiRacismNet.
Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
An institute housed at the University of Notre Dame whose objectives are not only to educate a growing number of U.S. and international experts to prevent violence and to promote peace, but also to operate as a multifaceted training, research, and policy institute in which each activity supports the other.
National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund
Advocates for legislation enabling conscientious objectors to war to have their federal income taxes directed to a special fund which could be used for non-military purposes only.
Pax World Funds, Inc
A socially responsible group of mutual funds that serve individuals and institutions who wish to invest in keeping with their ethical beliefs. The Funds evaluate their holdings from both financial and social perspectives, selecting only those that treat their employees, their environment, and their communities with respect.
Peace Action
Peace Action, formerly known as SANE/Freeze, works through national and grassroots citizens' action to promote global nuclear disarmament, cut military spending, end the international arms trade and promote nonviolent means to settle international conflicts.
Peace and Conflict Studies: Yahoo
This page on Yahoo contains links to many sites on conflict resolution, human rights, war reporting, education, and conferences and organizations related to peace studies. Many links contain brief summaries of the site's content.
Peace Brigades International
This is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that protects human rights and promotes nonviolent transformation of conflicts. When invited, they send teams of volunteers into areas of repression and conflict to work alongside human rights defenders.
Peace Resource Center Hosted by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center, this site offers documents and links to further the peace movement around the world through action, education, and information.
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Is working to create a world free of nuclear weapons, global environmental pollution, and gun violence. The active conscience of American medicine, PSR uses its members' expertise and professional leadership, influence within the medical community and strong links to policy makers to address this century's greatest threats to human welfare and survival.
Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA)
An American Buddhist organization whose mission is to contribute to peace, culture and education based on the philosophy and ideals of the Buddhism of Nichiren.
United Nations/NGO Link
Provides links to many of the activities of the United Nations' NGOs; includes excellent weekly press briefings and press releases.
United States Institute of Peace
An independent institution, funded by Congress, aimed at strengthening the nation's capacity to promote peaceful resolution to international conflict. This Web site includes full text articles. The Institute's Library is building a digital collection of peace agreements, and has a collection of international peace agreements from the past eleven years, accessible online.
Veterans for Peace
This is a nonprofit, educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to the abolishment of war. VFP was founded in 1985 by ex-service men and women committed to sharing the horrors they experienced. It includes pieces written by veterans along with published articles and press releases.
WagingPeace.org
The mission of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is to advance initiatives to eliminate the nuclear weapons threat to humankind, to foster the global rule of law, and to build a legacy of peace through education and advocacy. It covers such issues as the abolition of nuclear weapons, peace education, international law and security, missile defense, and science and sustainable technology.
Style Guides for Citing Sources
American Sociological Association Style Guide
HM 73 .A54x 1997 (Reference Desk Collection)
The ASA Style Guide (now in its 2nd edition) is designed to aid authors in preparing manuscripts for all ASA journals and publications. The 39-page guide provides complete information and is the authoritative statement on style, format, and other specifications for manuscript submissions.
The Chicago Manual of Style
Z 253 .C57 15th 2003 (Reference Desk Collection)
This a detailed and comprehensive guide to papers, articles, theses, and dissertations used by WMU's Department of Political Science. Consult this for the proper format for your research paper references. Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term papers, Theses, and Dissertations (LB 2369.T8 1996 Ref Desk Coll) is a condensation of this source. WMU Libraries has compiled the following concise guide: Turabian Style Guide that you may consult for citation tips.
Publication Manual of the American Psychology Association
BF 76.7 .P83 2001 (Reference Desk Collection)
The single, most used guide to preparing papers and citing sources in the field of psychology. Click here to see the APA and other Style Guide links on the Libraries' Web site.
NOTE: For tips on citing Web resources, visit the Citation Styles Web site. There are examples of how to cite electronic sources in the APA, Chicago, and MLA styles.
Ask A Librarian
Maria A. Perez-Stable, E-mail: maria.perez-stable@wmich.edu
Phone: 269-387-5322
Last updated: August 2009