Hoover Library and the McDaniel Archives Reading Room will be closing for construction from Monday, 12/16/24, reopening Tuesday, 1/21/25. The librarians and all virtual resources and services will be available throughout the closure. For specific questions, contact Elizabeth Davidson. For information on holiday hours, please see our hours page.
*Military Science (ROTC): Political Science
Political Science Research Guide
This research guide is intended to support students in the Political Science program and those who are taking courses in Political Science.
The library also maintains guides and web pages on a number of basic topics: library research, writing, and citing. Click the Help tab to go to these general resources. If you need additional help using library resources, stop by the Research Desk in the library or make an appointment with me using the "Schedule an appointment" button below my picture.
Interpreting Polling Results
Polling is used in a variety of disciplines, and perhaps most heavily in politics. Therefore it is very important to know how to interpret polling results and how a poll is conducted. The National Council on Public Polls has a guide that is "designed to help working journalists do a thorough, professional job covering polls. It is not a primer on how to conduct a public opinion survey." This guide is also very useful for students in interpreting polling results as presented in news articles: 20 Questions A Journalist Should Ask About Poll Results
Pro/Con Resources
Use these resources to find analytical articles and reports written by experts on pro/con issues of the day. These reports often provide links to news, analysis, commentary, and primary source materials that put the facts in context.
PolitiFact is a nonpartisan fact-checking website to sort out the truth in American politics. PolitiFact was created by the Tampa Bay Times, a Florida newspaper, in 2007. In 2018, PolitiFact was acquired by the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit school for journalists, as was PunditFact, a site devoted to fact-checking pundits.
Nonpartisan, unbiased resources to help you think through a difficult issue in alternative ways, weighing and evaluating values, priorities, pros, cons and tradeoffs. The Guides can also be used as discussion starters for community and group conversations and in classes.