IIPS 40910: Development and Conflict

Reference tools provide background information, the who, what, where and when -- and a bit of the how and why -- for any topic. They include subject and biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias, almanacs, chronologies, directories and atlases. Many, especially dictionaries and encyclopedias, are now available online. Many others, especially historical atlases and chronologies are still only available in print.

ONLINE

• Oxford International Encyclopedia of Peace
  • recent, authoritative general encyclopedia of peace, conflict, justice, etc.
• Political Handbook of the World
  • Country by country assessment (from CQ, Congressionial Quarterly)
• Economist Intelligence Unit
  
  • See country reports
• Encyclopaedia Britannica online
  • access to the most reputable online general encyclopedia
    
• Oxford reference online Premium
  • access to dozens of Oxford University Press online reference tools
• Gale virtual reference library
  • access to dozens of Gale online reference tools
  • e.g.,World at Risk: A Global Issues Sourcebook , 2nd ed.
• Reference Universe
  • access to hundreds of print and online reference tools from various publishers
    
• Wikipedia:
  • Wikipedia can be a great quick help in identifying the "who, what, when and where" of any given issue especially relating to popular culture -- subject to later verification. Librarians use it all the time. However, it can be very suspect about "how and why" questions especially conflicts situations. Use it but use it with caution!

PAPER

Examples of reference tools available in the Hesburgh Library Reference Collection (first floor -- non-circulating).

• An Encyclopedic dictionary of conflict and conflict resolution, 1945-1996.  D 842 .J47 1998
• The A to Z of world development.  HD 82 .A25 1998
• Encyclopedia of international development.  HD 82 .E547 2005
• Encyclopedia of conflict resolution.  HM 136 .B783 1997
• Encyclopedia of violence, peace, & conflict.  HM 291 .E625 2008
• Dictionary of conflict resolution.  KF 9085 .A68 D53 1999
• The Europa world year book.  JA 51 .E89
• The International year book and statesmen's who's who.  JA 51 .E89
• Political risk yearbook.  Volume titles and calls numbers vary by region
• Global geopolitical flashpoints:  an atlas of conflict.  JC 319 .A52 2000
• World at risk: a global issues sourcebook.  JZ 1242 .W67 2002
• Handbook of peace and conflict studies.  JZ 5538 .H36 2007
• Global directory of peace studies and conflict resolution programs.  JZ 5534 .G58
• Conflict resolution.  JZ 6045 .C65 2006

ONLINE

• A to Z maps online (political, physical, outline & others)
• United Nations Cartographic Section (all regions but not all countries)
• All the Worlds Maps (detail and type vary)
• Atlapedia Online (regional)
• Blank & Outline Maps (outline only)
• Google Earth (no printing)

PAPER

• World Bank Atlas / Atlas of Global Development 1046 .G1 I5
• ONCs (Operational Navigation Charts - small scale with worldwide coverage)
  • "Google" "Operational Navigation Charts" and select vendor OR
  • Consult the Libraries map collection

In addition there is a large collection of current and historical atlases in the Hesburgh Library Reference Collection (first floor -- non-circulating).

• United Nations Statistics Division (demongraphics)
• UNESCO Institute for Statistics (cultural)
• International financial statistics online service (financial)
• World development indicators (economic)
• Source OECD (economic)
• Human Development Reports
• World Bank Data
• ProQuest Statistical Insight (fomerly) LexisNexis Statistical)  (tables)
• Proquest Statistical Datasets (formerly LexisNexis Datasets) (5.2 billion data points) 

Additional resources may be found from the Libraries homepage by going to Data, statistics and survey results.