Social science information sources (including Area studies)

Academic Liaison Librarians: Sue Cumberpatch, Vanya Gallimore, Kirstyn Radford

Electronic journals

  • Electronic Journals at York
    Provides links to an alphabetical list of full text electronic journals available at York, subject lists of full text and other electronic journals, publishers' collections of electronic journals, online newspapers and news services and directories of electronic journals.

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Databases and datasets, survey/statistics agencies

  • MetaLib (York users only)
    A gateway to bibliographic databases, statistical datasets, electronic journals and other Web resources available to members of the University. Includes guides and links to help. Also allows cross-searching of resources, and Alerts. Login with your University username and password to access all of these features.
  • Internet for Social Statistics - "a free teach-yourself tutorial on Internet information skills for social statistics", written by Robin Rice of the Edinburgh University Data Library, for the UK Virtual Training Suite. Provides a tour of some of the most important/useful sites, guides to key search tools and techniques, and a review of the critical evaluation skills necessary to identify the most appropriate resources.

Sources of UK data:

    • UK Data Archive - "a resource centre that acquires, disseminates, preserves, and promotes the largest collection of digital data in the social sciences and humanities in the United Kingdom. Its primary aim is to support secondary use of quantitative and qualitative data for research and learning".
      Resources available include:General Household Survey, Gallup Political Polls and the contents of the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS), which incorporates international data series such as the OECD's Main Economic Indicators. All series held are listed on a catalogue which can be searched or browsed. Catalogue records provide the names of the data collectors, sponsors and depositors and an abstract containing the purpose of the research and the methodologies used in the study. Data can be downloaded or ordered (no charge for academic use) in a range of formats, the most popular being SPSS, STATA, SAS and ASCII tab-delimited.

      For access to data, click on login, then login via UK federation. Select University of York from the drop-down menu and log in using your York IT Services username and password. There is a further online registration process to access ESDS series.

      • The Data Archive also supports (jointly with the European Commission's Telematics Application Programme) NESSTAR: Networked Social Science Tools and Resources - "an infrastructure for data dissemination via the Internet. Nesstar Explorer offers an end user interface for searching, analysing and downloading data and documentation. Nesstar Server offers tools and resources for making data and documentation available via the Internet". All resources are free, and user guides and a helpdesk are available.
    • The Census Registration Service - UK Census data resources for higher and further education. The service provides one-stop registration* for the following research tools:
      • Census Dissemination Unit hosted by MIMAS at the University of Manchester. Aggregate census data (1971-) can be accessed and downloaded via the Casweb interface.
      • UKBORDERS - hosted by Edina (University of Edinburgh). Digitised boundary datasets in a range of geographical information system (GIS) formats.
      • Census Interaction Data Service (CIDS) - data collated by the University of Leeds to identify flows of people between places (ranging from migration to commuting).
      • Samples of Anonymised Records (SARS) , hosted by the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research (University of Manchester). Individual records from the 1991 and 2001 Censuses.
      • Historical Census Collection (CHCC) - supported by the Arts & Humanities Data Service, a complete transcription of the 1881 Census, plus a range of regional datasets.

      For access to the service, click on login, then login via UK federation. Select University of York from the drop-down menu and log in using your York IT Services username and password. There is a further online registration process to view the Census information. If you have registered for the Economic and Social Data Service (see Data Archive) you can use the same login.

  • ESDS Government Cited Publications - this citations database, hosted at the CCSR (Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research) is part of the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) Government collection. All publications within it have made reference to the large-scale government surveys provided by ESDS Government. The database can be searched by keyword or author, and you can limit your search to citations for particular surveys if required. Results can be sorted by author or year. Results can be downloaded into Endnote or as XML.
  • National Statistics (UK) - "the official UK statistics site. National Statistics articulates the Government's commitment to providing a statistical service that is open and responsive to society's needs and the public agenda: better and more reliable official statistics that command public confidence.. We produce and disseminate social, health, economic, demographic, labour market and business statistics. We also conduct the Census and social surveys. We are responsible for the registration of births, marriages and deaths and the National Health Service Central Register".
    Site includes:
    • full texts of the latest press releases (plus a searchable archive);
    • a substantial collection of free-to-download online statistical publications, such as "UK 2003: The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland", "Social Trends", "United Kingdom Economic Accounts", and others (usually most recent edition only);
    • and the newly developed Neighbourhood Statistics service, providing access to "a vast range of social and economic aggregate data on a consistent small-area geography" (searchable by postcode).
  • National Digital Archive of Datasets - archived digital data from UK government departments and agencies, maintained by the University of London on behalf of the Public Record Office. Datasets can be searched for by department/administrative hierarchy, subject keyword (thesaurus-based) or reference number; access to data free of charge, but registration is necessary. NB The Archive does not presently include documents originally published on paper.
  • National Centre for Social Research - "the largest independent social research institute in Britain. It conducts social research among members of the public to provide information on a range of social policy issues in Britain". Site does not provide data directly, but offers background information about survey projects such as British Social Attitudes, British Election Studies, the Health Survey for England and many more, plus details of publications arising from these projects.
    Resources supported by the Centre include CASS: Courses in Applied Social Surveys - a programme covering "topics in survey design and implementation, survey sampling, data collection and data analysis methods" for academic social scientists and applied researchers, and the Social Survey Question Bank (a searchable archive of national survey forms and supporting documentation, which can be downloaded without restriction).
  • Qualidata - "the ESRC qualitative data archival resource centre... concerned with research data arising from the range of social science disciplines, including sociology, social policy, anthropology, social and economic history, political science, social and human geography and social psychology. Its aims are: to locate, assess and document qualitative data and arrange for their deposit in suitable public archives; to disseminate information about such data; and to encourage the re-use of these data". Site includes the Qualicat integrated catalogue, allowing users to identify and locate social science archives in the UK.

Sources of data from outside the UK:

  • Eurostat: Statistical Office of the European Community - "Our mission is to provide the European Union with a high-quality statistical information service. Eurostat uses uniform rules to collect all statistical data from the National Statistical Institutes of each of the 15 Member States of the European Union". The site includes information about Eurostat printed and electronic publications, and the DataShop on-line information service (registration necessary; data is charged for). Some key indicator snapshots free to view.
  • Council of European Social Science Data Archives - "CESSDA promotes the acquisition, archiving and distribution of electronic data for social science teaching and research in Europe. It encourages the exchange of data and technology and fosters the development of new organisations in sympathy with its aims. It associates and cooperates with other international organisations sharing similar objectives". Site in 10 European languages offers an integrated catalogue of national data archives (Australia and USA as well as European).
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - an organisation that provides governments of the 30 member countries "a setting in which to discuss, develop and perfect economic and social policy". The OECD has recently launched sites for each member state, which will compile statistical indicators of social and economic life in that country.
  • United Nations Statistics Division - "provides a wide range of statistical outputs and services for producers and users of statistics worldwide. By increasing the global availability and use of official statistics, this work facilitates national and international policy formulation, implementation and monitoring". Information about printed publications, and electronic resources available on subscription. Limited amounts of data available on the website without charge, e.g. summaries of world population, health, education, employment, and other social indicators.
  • UNESCO Institute for Statistics - the Institute "aims to interpret and report on the global situation with regard to education, science and technology, culture and communication". Data free to download includes country profiles, global datasets on the subjects of Education, Literacy, Culture & Communication, and Science & Technology, plus reports generated from these resources.
  • United States Census Bureau - provides the Gateway to Census 2000: substantial summary data files available without charge, also selected historical data.

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Directories of social science resources

  • Companion for Undergraduate Dissertations Sociology, Anthropology, Politics, Social Policy, Social Work and Criminology - "developed in partnership by the Higher Education Academy's Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics, the Centre for Social Work and Policy and Sheffield Hallam University" Deals with some of the common questions, concerns and practical issues that undergraduate students come across when completing their social science-based dissertation or final year project.
  • Intute: Social Sciences (formerly SOSIG) - an extensive nationally-funded gateway to free-to-access Internet resources, which can be browsed by subject or searched by keyword. Browsing can be restricted to UK or European resources. Detailed descriptions of resources are provided by staff of UK higher education institutions.
    Intute hosts a range of "free teach-yourself tutorials on Internet information skills" for social scientists within their Virtual Training Suite. Each of these tutorials provides an annotated tour of the range of sites available to support HE research and learning within a specific social science discipline.
  • BUBL Link: Social Sciences - a nationally-funded catalogue of selected internet resources for the UK higher education community. International list of links (with descriptions) can be searched, or browsed by subject (using the Dewey classification scheme).
  • JISC Resource Guide for the Social Sciences - funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee, and other national bodies supporting UK higher education, the Resource Guide has been "set up to raise awareness of the range of resources available and to offer a variety of activities to promote effective use of the resources". Site provides a comprehensive directory of bibliographic databases, e-jnls and other on-line publications, subject gateways, statistical datasets and teaching/support materials. Not all are free to access, but detailed further information about availability and content is provided for all resources listed.
  • Research Resources for the Social Sciences - extensive and international list of links, arranged by subject with some brief descriptions of resources. Maintained by Craig McKie of Carleton University, Canada, in collaboration with publishers McGraw-Hill.
  • UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Documentation Centre - developed to support UNESCO programmes and staff, and also to promote "international cooperation in social sciences by exchange of information", this site hosts some useful free resources, including:
    • DARE Database (under development) - a searchable database of social science, peace, and human rights research institutes, projects, and publications, plus contact details for individual specialists. Global coverage;
    • A searchable catalogue of UNESCO documents and publications, including links to full text where available.
    Site also links to further information about UNESCO's own activities in the field of social and human sciences.
  • WWW Virtual Library: Social Sciences - maintained by Dr T. Matthew Ciolek at the Australian National University. Internet resources are listed alphabetically and by subject. Detailed descriptions of resources.

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Research societies

  • Academy of Learned Societies for the Social Sciences (UK) - superseded ALSISS (Association of Learned Societies..) in November 1999. Brings together 43 member societies, in order to "respond to Government and other consultations on behalf of the social science community, organise meetings about social science for practitioners and seminars on topics that span social science disciplines, and sponsor a number of schemes that promote social science and enhance its value to society". Site includes information about activities and conferences, plus links to member institutions' sites.
  • Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - "the UK's leading research funding and training agency addressing economic and social concerns. We aim to provide high quality research on issues of importance to business, the public sector and government. The issues considered include economic competitiveness, the effectiveness of public services and policy, and our quality of life". Site provides details of research and funding opportunities, free-to-download publications, and a searchable database of ESRC-funded research findings.
  • Institute for Social and Economic Research - inter-disciplinary centre based at the University of Essex, and incorporating the ESRC Centre on Micro-Social Change. Members "share a common interest in studies relating to individual and household change, including income dynamics, employment change, household structure, living standards and social value". Site includes information about research and publications, including the British Household Panel Survey.
  • International Social Science Council - based at UNESCO headquarters, "an international non-profit scientific organization, whose members are composed of international, non-governmental organisations, associations or unions representing the various social and behavioral sciences; representative national/regional social science councils and the corresponding sections of Academies of Sciences or analogous bodies; and international, regional and national professional organisations.. The ISSC aims to promote the understanding of human society in its environment by fostering the social and behavioural sciences throughout the world and their application to major contemporary problems". Site in English and French provides news about research programmes, conferences, summer schools and publications, plus guides to research methods and descriptions of social/economic/political change in member organisations' home countries.
  • Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute - "the largest independently-owned market research company in the United Kingdom... feeding into the reform agenda across central government and the broader public sector". Site provides details of current research projects and publications, plus background information about research methods and services offered by MORI staff.
  • National Centre for e-Social Science (NCeSS) - funded by the ESRC, to "investigate and promote the use of e-science to benefit social science research". Site under development includes information about research projects funded under this scheme, and a collaborative wiki ("what I know is...").
  • Social Research Association - "founded in the UK in 1978 to advance the conduct, development and application of social research... to encourage the development of social research methodology, standards of work and codes of practice, to review and monitor the organisation and funding of social research, and to promote the development of training and career structures for social researchers. Site provides news of events, guides and other publications, and links to further useful contacts.

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Area studies

See also

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General

  • British International Studies Association - "an independent academic organisation which promotes the study of International Relations and related subjects through teaching, research and the facilitation of contact between scholars". Site includes information about research, conferences and publications, including full text of the quarterly BISA Newsletter.
  • BUBL World: Area Studies - searchable list of internet resources, with brief descriptions, arranged by country. Site hosted and maintained in the UK.
  • Chatham House (formerly the Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK) - "an independent research and membership organisation working to promote the understanding of key international issues". Site includes information about membership, activities and publications (including book synopses).
  • CIA World Factbook - unrestricted access to profiles of all world nations including basic information on geography, population, government, economy etc, plus simple maps. Updated annually.
  • Institute of Commonwealth Studies - based at the University of London, the Institute's purpose "is to promote inter-disciplinary and inter-regional research on the Commonwealth and its member nations in the fields of history, politics, economics and other social sciences, and in subjects like development, environment, health, migration, class, race, and literature". Site provides information about courses, research and resources at the Institute, plus links to Commonwealth administrative bodies, societies and cultural organisations.
  • ISAnet - the homepage of the International Studies Association, founded in 1959 and based at the University of Arizona. Site provides information about membership, publications, conferences (including an archive of conference papers 1998-), and a substantial directory of further internet resources for area studies, listed alphabetically by title.
  • Maps in the News - site maintained by the University of Texas, Austin as part of its Utopia Electronic Library. Site provides free access to collections of online maps (both current and historical). Assembled primarily for a US audience, with the majority of maps having an American provenance, the site does however include links to maps on other web-sites.
  • United Nations - very large searchable site in 6 major world languages, with information and documents on human rights, humanitarian affairs, peace and security, international law and economic/social development. A full index of departments is provided.
    A useful area of the site is UN Pulse, a blog-based service that alerts you to just-released UN online information, major reports, publications and documents. It is maintained by librarians at the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library in New York.
    For a guide to UN information sources, including the above website, see the United Nations Scholar's Workstation at Yale University - brings together "texts, finding aids, data sets, maps, and pointers to print and electronic information related to the United Nations. Subject coverage includes disarmament, economic and social development, environment, human rights, international relations, international trade, peacekeeping, and population anddemography".

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Europe

See also Politics information sources: European politics.
  • British Council - information about UK society, economy, education, culture etc, designed for the non-UK reader but useful for anyone needing an overview of current issues. Plus details of British Council activities in other countries.
  • Europa: the European Union Online - information available in all official EU languages includes press releases, legal and policy statements, statistics and links to related agencies. This searchable site provides substantial collections of free-to-access documents published by the EU's institutions, including the EURhistAR database of historical archives, housed at the European University Institute in Florence.
    • See also CORDIS (Community Research and Development Information Service) - information about EU research policy and funding, including a searchable Library of official documents and publications arising from EU-funded research.
    For members of the University of York: a printed Guide to EU Information Sources on the Internet (2000), and also the Directory of EU Information Sources (2001), are available in the JB Morrell Library's Reference Collection at G 7.9.
  • European Information Association - "an international body of information specialists whose aim is to develop, co-ordinate and improve access to European Union information". Links to selected EU resources, plus information about publications.
  • EuroInternet - hosted by the European Community Studies Association of Austria (in English), a searchable directory of links to websites related to European integration, covering EU institutions, research associations, databases and publications. Acts as the World Wide Web Virtual Library for European Integration.
  • Centre for European Reform - "a think-tank devoted to improving the quality of the debate on the future of the European Union. It is a forum for people with ideas from Britain and across the continent to discuss the many social, political and economic challenges facing Europe. The CER is pro-European but not uncritical. It regards European integration as largely beneficial but recognises that in many respects the Union does not work well. The CER therefore aims to promote new ideas and policies for reforming the European Union. As an independent organisation, the CER has published work by people from all the main political parties". Site includes information about research and publications.
  • Council of Europe - "an intergovernmental organisation which aims.. to promote awareness and encourage the development of Europe's cultural identity and diversity". Site in several European languages includes detailed information about the Council's membership, activities and publications, plus links to the websites of the Council's Information and Documentation Centres in 14 European countries (mainly Eastern Europe).
  • European Research Institute - "the UK's foremost centre of expertise on the subject", based at the University of Birmingham. Site includes information about the Institute's European Documentation Centre, plus a substantial list of links to other useful websites.
  • SOSIG: EuroStudies - within the Social Science Information Gateway, a comprehensive searchable directory of full text resources for all European countries (sorted alphabetically by country), including government publications, journal articles and reports, news sources and links to official bodies, research centres etc.

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Africa

  • Africa Web Links: an annotated list - maintained by Ali B. Ali-Dinar at University of Pennsylvania, USA. Extensive classified list of internet resources, with descriptions.
  • African Journals Online - tables of content and abstracts from journals published in Africa on a range of arts, sciences and social science subjects. Can be searched by keyword or browsed by journal title. Supported by the Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information, who can also supply photocopies of articles, for a fee. (Members of the University of York: use the Library's free Interlending and Document Supply service). AJOL users are encouraged to register, but this is not mandatory unless you intend to request articles from AJOL.
  • EISA - based in Johannesburg, South Africa, a not-for-profit company "promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa". Site outlines research projects and publications, and hosts the Democracy Encyclopedia Project - "comparative analyses and statistical data regarding elections, democracy and governance for African countries". Browse country profiles and comparative tables of data covering themes such as "women's representation", "funding political parties", "voter registration processes", "size and composition of parliament" etc.
  • Electronic Journal of Africana Bibliography - "a refereed online journal of bibliographies created by the late John Howell, University of Iowa Libraries. Coverage includes any aspect of Africa, its peoples, their homes, cities, towns, districts, states, countries, regions, including social, economic sustainable development, creative literature, the arts, and the Diaspora".
  • Institute for Security Studies - website of the ISS, a non-profit research institution whose mission is "to conceptualise, inform and enhance the debate on human security in Africa in order to support policy formulation and decision making at all levels towards the enhancement of human security for all in Africa". The Research Areas menu can be accessed from the home page and links to the Africa Fact Files page, which provides data browsable by country or regional organisation. Also of interest is the Publications area, which provides information on ISS associated books, research articles and conference papers, many of which are freely available to download in full as pdfs.
  • Kubatana Trust - "The Kubatana Trust of Zimbabwe, incorporating the NGO Network Alliance Project (NNAP), aims to strengthen the use of email and internet strategies in Zimbabwean NGOs and civil society organisations. Kubatana will make human rights and civic education information accessible to the general public from a centralised, electronic source". Site provides a freely accessible archive of material related to conditions in Zimbabwe, searchable by sector or document type using the Search Screen.
  • South African Politics, Culture and Society - comprehensive directory of sites covering news sources, reference works, organisations, cultural resources etc, compiled by Dr Allison Drew of the Department of Politics, University of York.

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Americas

See also Politics information sources: United States government and politics.

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Asia

  • Asia Resources on the World Wide Web - extensive annotated list, arranged by country, with additional sections covering journals and newspapers available on the web, libraries, online art exhibitions etc. Maintained by Raymond Lum of Harvard University, and hosted by the US Association for Asian Studies, whose website provides further information about their activities and publications.
  • Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library - edited by Dr T. Matthew Ciolek, of the National Institute for Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. A collection of searchable resources, ranging from archives of full-text documents, through encyclopedia entries, to specialist discussion lists. Or scroll down the homepage to find an enormous collection of links, categorised by region/country.
  • British Association for Korean Studies - "The British Association for Korean Studies (BAKS) exists to promote the study and understanding of Korea in the United Kingdom". The site is maintained by Keith Pratt from Durham University and includes a comprehensive Korean Studies bibliography, as well as links to other websites of interest.
  • Japan Focus - co-ordinated by staff of Cornell University, USA, a searchable database of full-text articles, essays and English translations of writings about aspects of Japanese politics, history, society and culture.
  • Leeds University Department of East Asian Studies - site includes a comprehensive set of links to relevant websites, arranged by country.
  • Modern China Studies - site of a project by the University of Pittsburgh Library to catalogue and preserve through microfilming rare books from their Chinese monograph collection. This project has extended to digitalizing and making freely available a number of books about Modern China, published in the first half of the twentieth century and available for browsing online.
  • Portal to Asian Internet Resources (PAIR) - a searchable catalogue of thousands of resources relating to Asia, compiled by specialists at the libraries of the University of Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota and the Ohio State University. Geographical coverage spans the nations of Central Asia and the subject coverage includes disciplines within the social sciences and humanities. Search options include a keyword search, or a browsable atlas search.
  • Philippine eLib - a collaborative project of the National Library of the Philippines, University of the Philippines, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, and the Commission on Higher Education. It provides free access to a combined union catalogue of the member libraries, enabling users to trace references to material relating to all aspects of the history, society, culture and politics of the Philippines. Some full text material is offered online to subscribers only, whilst a small number of articles and reports can be downloaded free of charge by all users.
  • South Asian Media Net - Asian news resource which supplies articles on a range of issues from politics to economy, human rights to the environment, culture to sports, science and technology. It is produced by the Free Media Foundation for the South Asian Free Media Association.
  • Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library - The Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library was established in 2000 with assistance from the University of Virginia Library and Virginia's Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. It is an international project, using Web-based technologies to collate information about Tibet and the Himalayas for free access to all. The Advanced Search page provides access to the Library's online resources, which are browsable by subject area or different media.
  • Vietnam Cultural Profile - the first of three new online cultural guides which make up the Greater Mekong Sub Region Cultural Profile, a joint project of Visiting Arts and the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia and the Ministry of Information and Culture of Laos. The site provides general information on Vietnam's history, government and society, as well as providing a sector-by-sector guide to cultural institutions and agencies. Similar sites for Cambodia and Laos to follow.

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Middle East

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Australasia

  • Australian Government and Politics Database - hosted by the University of Western Australia, a searchable directory of facts and figures about Australian politics from 1890 to the present day. Detailed coverage of election results, searchable by party, state or date. Includes a glossary of terms for an international audience.
  • Pacific Studies WWW Virtual Library - edited by Dr T. Matthew Ciolek, of the National Institute for Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. Browse a collection of links to search engines, mailing lists, online maps and other manuscripts, or search the Pacific History Journal Bibliography Database for relevant references to scholarly literature.

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Development studies

  • BUBL LINK: Development Studies - list of international internet resources, with descriptions. Searchable UK site.
  • Choike - "a portal dedicated to improving the visibility of the work done by NGOs and social movements from the South. It serves as a platform where citizen groups can disseminate their work and at the same time enrich it with information from diverse sources, which is presented from the perspective of Southern civil society". Searchable site includes a classified directory of Southern NGOs, and hosts reports and other information on the themes of "People", "Society", "Environment", "Globalization" and "Communication".
  • Department for International Development - "the British government department responsible for promoting development and the reduction of poverty". Site includes full text of recent White Papers, press releases and ministers' speeches.
    See also EDIAIS (Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service) - site commissioned by DFID's Enterprise Development Department, to provide free-to-access case studies, guidance notes, bibliographies and an enquiry service for people working in "organisations involved in enterprise development".
  • Development Studies Association - international association, based in the UK, whose "aims are to promote the advancement of knowledge on international development, disseminate information on development research and training, and encourage interdisciplinary exchange and cooperation". Site includes information about membership, conferences and publications.
  • ExperienceDevelopment.org - site sponsored by the Institute for Development Studies (see below) and several UK universities to provide students with links to the websites of relevant development organisations and publications, plus information about opportunities for studying, volunteering and jobs.
  • GIS Development - a "portal" providing access to information in the area of development studies. Site links to a range of resources including conference proceedings, the journal GIS@Development, downloads of software and data, and book reviews and recommendations.
  • Globalisation, Production and Poverty: Macro, Meso and Micro Level Studies - site of a project run jointly by researchers from the School of Development Studies at the University of East Anglia and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. The project "aims to bridge the gap between the analysis of global processes and their macroeconomic impacts, and the analysis of consequent changes in poverty and income distribution at the level of regions, workers and households". Includes links to online resources and publications in this area.
  • Institute of Development Studies - at the University of Sussex. Searchable site describes the Institute's activities, and hosts a number of valuable information services such as:
    Eldis - a searchable "gateway to online information on development or the environment, focusing on countries of the South. Eldis makes a qualitative selection of materials and structures it for easy access". Resources are described in detail;
    id21 ("Information for Development in the 21st Century"), publicising and summarising new research reports in the area of development studies, and providing information on how to obtain them;
    and several others.
    The Institute also incorporates the British Library for Development Studies, offering a web-based library catalogue and an email update service providing information about new additions to stock in specified subject areas.
  • International Development Research Centre - "a public corporation created by the Canadian government to help communities in the developing world find solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems through research". Searchable site in English, French and Spanish includes background information about the organisation, its research and publications, plus the IDRIS database (IDRC Development Research Information System), "containing information on activities in all fields of development research funded by the IDRC".
  • OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - "the OECD groups 29 member countries in an organisation that, most importantly, provides governments a setting in which to discuss, develop and perfect economic and social policy. They compare experiences, seek answers to common problems and work to co-ordinate domestic and international policies". Searchable site in English and French includes information about OECD activities and publications in the areas of education, social affairs, health, labour, agriculture, energy, science, etc. Some data and reports can be downloaded free of charge. (Members of the University of York: access to all OECD data is available via the SourceOECD Statistics service: see MetaLib for more information).
  • OneWorld.net - a website that compiles "the latest news and views from over 1,600 organizations promoting human rights awareness and fighting poverty worldwide". Site incorporates news and comment in a magazine format, plus guides to current issues and links to related resources.
  • Overseas Development Institute - "Britain's leading independent think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues". Includes a searchable catalogue of publications, with full texts of some recent papers available online. Lots of information about the current Research and Policy Programmes including the Humanitarian Policy Group and International Economic Development Group amongst others.
  • United Nations Development Programme - "the UNDP helps people in 174 countries and territories to help themselves, focusing on poverty elimination, environmental regeneration, job creation and the advancement of women". Site includes news and information on activities and publications.
  • World Bank - "the World Bank offers loans, advice, and an array of customized resources to more than 100 developing countries and countries in transition. It does this in a way that maximizes the benefits, and cushions the shocks, to poorer countries as they play a greater part in the world economy". Site includes:
    • Development Data - Country Profiles and other summary data free to download, plus information about further statistical publications (e.g. World Development Indicators) and databases;
    • Documents and Reports - a searchable archive of over 27000 World Bank publications, free-to-access.
  • World Development Movement - "WDM's campaigns tackle the root causes of poverty. Working together with people in the developing world, we successfully change the policies of governments and business that keep people poor". Site provides news and information about the activities and publications of this independent campaigning organisation.
  • World Health Organisation - site includes information about WHO structure, policy and activities, plus free-to-download factsheets covering disease incidence and treatment by country. The WHO Statistical Information Server (WHOSIS) has a full index to documents available.
See also: