GVPT 418A: Seminar in Research Methods: U.S. Supreme Court Decision-Making
Professor: Dennis Coyle
Librarian: Judy Markowitz
This guide will assist you in locating resources for your GVPT 418A research paper.
For additional information, please contact Judy Markowitz, 301-314-1316, judym[@]umd.edu.
Table of Contents
Background Information / Getting Started You Already Have the Journal Article Citation - How to Find It Databases - Research Port Additional Online Resources Research Guides Citation Guides
Background Information / Getting Started
Be sure to follow the references for additional sources
Friedman, Leon. The Justices of the United States Supreme Court
MCK REF KF8744 .F75 vols. 1-5 (vol. 5 covers the Burger Court, 1969-1978)History of the Supreme Court of the United States.
MCK REF KF8742.A45H55 vols. 1-12 (missing v. 10-11)ABC-CLIO Supreme Court Handbooks.
This is a series with individual titles, authors and call numbers. For example: Renstrom, Peter G. The Taft Court: justices, rulings and legacy
MCK REF KF874 .R483 2003
Use the advanced search and series, type: abc-clio supreme court handbooks
Use the Catalog to locate books on your topic.
It is best to choose campus and select USMAI all campuses so you can identify and request books from
the law libraries in Baltimore.
SEARCH BY KEYWORD: Be sure to look at the subject headings and to refine the search, either follow the link or conduct a new search using: subject beginning with... or subject word/s
In addition, place phrases in quotes: "supreme court" and use the * for truncation: appointment* = (appointment or appointments)
| "supreme court" and appointment*" | "supreme court" and "separation of power*" | "supreme court" and "decision making" |
SAMPLE SUBJECT HEADINGS:
| united states. supreme court | united states. supreme court - history | united states. supreme court - officials and employees - selection and appointment | constitutional law - united states | judicial review - united states | separation of powers |
ADD/LOOK for SUBDIVISIONS:
| history | united states | public opinion | biography |
BIOGRAPHICAL:
Subject beginning with...
last name, first name
vinson, fred
Notice possible subdivisions:
| influence | interviews | political and social views |
Law and Politics Book Review
Sponsored by the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association. Check the catalog for availability
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/lpbr/index.htm
You Already Have the Journal Article Citation - How to Find It
Sometimes you will already have a journal article citation from your professor or a reference list. In addition, as you conduct your research, you will need to make note of the additional resources (book, book chapter, journal article) you identify in the bibliographies, references, notes and footnotes of the sources you are using. The reason for this? Because this is one of the best ways to further your research.
One way to determine if we own the journal article and the format availability is to use the Article Search Box on the Research Port page:
Examples:
Ross, William. "The Supreme Court Appointment Process," Albany Law Review 57 (1994): 993
Viera, Norman. "The Appointments Clause: Judge Bork and the Role of Ideology in Judicial Confirmations," Journal of Legal History 11 (December 1990): 311-392
| Note: All electronic sources without a url noted are Library resources available through Research Port. For remote access (off-campus) use your UM Directory ID and password. |
America: History and Life 1954 -
Most important database for locating articles on the history of the United States and Canada.
International Political Science Abstracts 1989 -
Produced by the International Political Science Association, includes current indexing and abstracts of the world's leading journals in political science.PAIS Archive 1915-1976
References to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, research reports and other types of publications from 1915-1976. Use PAIS International for coverage after 1976. Newspapers and newsletters are not indexed.PAIS International 1972 -
References to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more from 1972 to the present. Newspapers and newsletters are not indexed.Worldwide Political Science Abstracts 1975 -
International political science journals.Westlaw Campus Research
law reviews and legal periodicals, cases from the courts of all 50 states and federal courts, statutes from all 50 states and federal statutes published in the /United States Code Annotated, American Jurisprudence 2d /legal encyclopedia, /American Law Reports, /federal regulations.HeinOnline Law Journal Library
Full-text images of over 1,100 journals back to issue 1 of volume 1 of the each title. The goal of the Hein company is eventually to scan every law review title ever published. To see the current holdings of HeinOnline, click the "Collection Index" link on the top left-hand side of the screen.CQ Supreme Court Collection
Summaries and analyses for over 4,000 major decisions, as well as links to further relevant information. Users can access information by topic, justice, and case name. Also includes a Supreme Court Encyclopedia, Documents of America, 100 national constitutions, a chronology, and citation information.Oyez Project
A multimedia archive aiming to be a complete and authoritative source for all audio recorded in the Court since October 1955. Also provides authoritative information on all justices and offers a virtual reality 'tour' of portions of the Supreme Court building, including the chambers of some of the justices.
http://www.oyez.org/Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports Search Engine
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is the public policy research arm of the US Congress. This legislative branch agency works exclusively for Members of Congress, their committees and their staffs. It issues about 3,000 briefs, reports, short issue papers and longer position papers per year, but it does not make its reports available to the public. However, it cannot prevent members of Congress from giving them out individually and some government agencies from posting reports they find relevant. Perhaps 1/3 of these reports have become available on the web.
http://zfacts.com/p/576.html
Reports from the U.S. Department of State
http://fpc.state.gov/c18185.htm
Congressional Research Service Reports, Hosted by UNT Libraries
http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/supreme.htmlThe Judiciary
http://www.lib.umd.edu/GOV/GIO/judiciary.htmlFinding U.S. Government Documents in the University of Maryland Libraries
http://www.lib.umd.edu/UMCP/GOV/basic.htmlCitation Guidelines: Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper (Duke University)
http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/- Documentation Guidelines: Citing Sources Within Your Paper (Duke University)
http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/within/ Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications (University of Memphis)
http://www.memphis.edu/govpub/citweb.php
Research Port is the libraries gateway to the databases, electronic journals and off campus access. When using a database, be sure to follow the 
link. This will direct you to the available full text, the catalog if we own the journal in print, or Interlibrary Loan if full text is not available and if the Libraries do not subscribe to the journal or needed vol/issues.
Both of these databases may be searched together. Once in one of the databases, click on choose databases.
These three databases may be searched together. Once in one of the databases, click on specific databases.
Research Guides
Citation Guides
