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Subject guide for Political Science

The subject guide offers you important resources within the field of Political Science. If you have comments or suggestions for other information to the site, please feel free to send an email to the editors or come by our office.

Reference works

  • International Encyclopedia of Political Science
    This encyclopaedia contains review articles from leading international scholars as well as a detailed index and extensive bibliographical references. It covers every field of politics, from political theory and methodology (i.e. quantitative and qualitative research methods within political science) to political sociology, comparative politics, public policies, and international relations.
  • International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences - IESS
    An academic reference work within social sciences that contains short review articles with comprehensive bibliographic references. The work covers, among others, the fields of anthropology, ethnology, demography, economics, political science, sociology etc.
  • Lex.dk (in Danish)
    Portal with access to 11 Danish reference works including Den Store DanskeDanmarkshistorien, glossaries from Den Danske Ordbog and more.
  • Oxford Handbooks Online
    A collection of high-quality reference works written by leading researchers in the individual disciplines. The articles are updated regularly. Please note that there is only partial full-text access.
  • Oxford Research Encyclopedias
    Review articles written, peer-reviewed and edited by leading researchers. Each of the 25 different encyclopedias covers both basic and groundbreaking topics across several academic areas e.g. politics.
  • The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs  
    A transnational encyclopaedia on interest groups, lobbying and public affairs designed to satisfy a growing global need for knowledge and in depth understanding of these key political and corporate activities for the researcher, student, policy maker and modern manager.
  • Wikipedia (in many languages)
    An encyclopaedia with openly editable content. It can be accessed in many different languages and in different versions.

Article databases

  • Scopus
    This is an article database and citation index. Due to the comprehensive indexing and the subsequent processing of quoted articles Scopus is a good alternative to more field specific databases. Scopus covers the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities. It covers from 1960 onwards.
  • ProQuest Social Sciences
    This is a joint access to databases within social science. The databases can also be found individually at the list of databases in ProQuest. There will often be full text access to the material. It covers from 1960 onwards.
  • Web of Science (in English + more)
    This database is a unique subject entry to international academic literature (especially American literature) within all fields. It is possible to make a chained search by means of the reference lists of the indexed articles. Some of the articles are available in full text. The database covers from 1900 and onwards.
  • African Journals online
    This database is also referred to as AJOL, and it is the world's largest collection of peer-reviewed, African-published scholarly journals. You can find peer-reviewed English and French language journals published in African countries. The database covers all fields. Some of the articles are available in full text.
  • GoogleScholar (in many languages including Danish and English)
    A search engine for searching for scientific literature such as papers, preprints, articles and books within all fields. The articles come from non-specified scientific periodicals and professional societies, organisations, institutions, universities and online repositories.

Journals

  • Politica (in Danish)
    Denmark’s leading journal for political science. Through tidsskrift.dk there is access to all volumes. See also PhD-theses at the Department of Political Science published by Politica.
  • Administrativ debat (only in Danish)
    This is the members’ journal for the Danish department of the organisation NAF, Nordiska administrativa förbundet). The journal features current problems for the Danish national and municipal administration. The journal can be found at AU Library in a printed edition from 1990 and onwards.
  • Idunn.no (only in Norwegian)
    This a Norwegian database for Norwegian specialist journals. Articles published after 2004 can all be found in the database. There is full text access to all journals unless otherwise specified at the introduction site for the individual journal.
  • Mandag Morgen (only in Danish)
    This is a journal with in-depth journalistic analyses of current political and economic events that can change the society. The journal published articles, reports and special issues where new opportunities and solutions to current risks and challenges are pointed out. The journal can be found at AU Library in a printed edition from 1990 and onwards.
  • Nordisk administrativt tidsskrift (only in Nordic/Scandinavian languages)
    The journal is published by Nordisk Administrativt Forbund. The journal has been published since 1920 and is thereby the oldest multidisciplinary journal in the Nordic countries. The journal can be found at AU Library in a printed edition from 1920 to 2019. From 2020 and onwards there is electronic access.
  • RÆSON (only in Danish)
    An independent journal about Danish and international politics, which is written by experts, journalists and politicians. 
    The journal is available at AU Library as a printed journal from 2007-. Selected articles and podcasts can be accessed from RÆSON's website.
  • Samfundsøkonomen (only in Danish)
    The journal deals broadly with social studies and it uses analytical approaches from all the social sciences. The journal can be found at AU Library in a printed edition, and from 1997- it is also available as an e-journal through AU Library’s database.
  • Tidsskrift.dk (only in Danish)
    This is the national portal for retro-digitised Danish specialist and scientific journals.
  • Udenrigs (mostly in Danish)
    The Danish Foreign Policy Society’s journal about international politics. It is the only one of its kind in Denmark that solely addresses foreign politics. The journal can be found at AU Library in a printed edition. From 2005-2018 it is also available as an e-journal.
  • Økonomi & Politik (only in Danish)
    This is a social science journal with articles, book reviews and features in the borderline between the economic and the political field. It can be found at AU Library in a printed edition from 1927 and onwards. From 2005 and onwards it is also available as an e-journal.

Newspapers and media

  • Infomedia (only in Danish)
    Here you can find full text articles from Danish national, regional and local daily and weekly newspapers, specialist journals, magazines and news agencies. It covers from around 1990 and onwards.
    Note: Infomedia's material may not be downloaded, printed, stored, redistributed outside of Informedia's systems or harvested via machine procedures or software.
  • Retriever (Norwegian and Swedish) 
    The largest Nordic media archive of printed national and international newspapers, websites, blogs, television and radio. The time period vary according to the specific source. Even though the website is in Norwegian, it is possible to find articles etc. in English.
  • Factiva
    The Dow Jones Factiva provides access to comprehensive global news from newspapers, newsletters, websites, business reports, and more.
    Note: Use of data mining, text mining, or trend analysis function is not allowed.
  • Mediestream (the site is in Danish and English)
    Mediestream provides online access to Det Kgl. Biblioteks digital collections of Danish cultural heritage. So far it covers newspapers, radio, television as well as commercials. Most of the content is in Danish.
  • Svenska dagstidningar (only in Swedish)
    Digitized Swedish newspapers from 1645 to today. Entire articles are not available, but full text can be searched.
  • Norwegian digitized newspapers (in Norwegian)
    The National Library of Norway is in the process of digitizing the Norwegian newspapers from 1763 until today. There is not access to all articles due to copyright.
  • Media guide (Mediavejviseren) (only in Danish)
    Index of media websites, in fact the largest and most accurate Danish one. Index of Danish, Nordic and international newspapers.

Legislation, election surveys and party programs in Denmark

  • Elections and political parties in Denmark

  • Folketinget.dk (in Danish and English – more detailed in Danish)
    Here you can find information about Folketinget, the Danish Parliament, and its work. You can find information about, e.g. the members, the political parties, and numbers and facts about the parliamentary elections. There is also access to laws and proposals for resolutions as well as information about the committees and delegations and their work, but most of this is published in Danish. Coverage of parliamentary years see the web-archive.
  • Retsinformation.dk (only in Danish)
    This is a website with access to the joint Danish state legal information system. It is possible to search in all laws and regulations that are published by ministries and central state administrations, in documents from Folketinget, the Danish Parliament, and in reports from the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman.
  • Folketingstidende (Report of  plenary proceedings in the Danish Parliament) (only in Danish)
    The Office of the Folketing Hansard writes and publishes the official report of the plenary proceedings in the Folketing and has been doing so since the abolishment of the absolute monarchy in 1850. Up until 2009 the report was published in a printed version, but today it is completely digital and published solely on the internet.
    You can search Folketingstidende from 1953 to the present at folketingstidende.dk.
    Access to the complete editions of the Rigsdagstidende and Folketingstidende from 1849/50 to 2008/09 on e-Folketingstidende.  
  • Betænkninger (commission reports, only in Danish)
    The Royal Danish Library's service for the central administration in Denmark is the central library and documentation centre for civil servants within the Danish central government. There is access to all numbered commission reports online.
    See also: The bibliography ”Danske Kommissionsbetænkning” contains around 9,700 references covering literature from 1850 till 1994. The references of the bibliography can be found in AU Library’s database.
  • Altinget (only in Danish)
    This is an online newspaper and a portal about Danish politics. Here you can find news, background information, analyses and profiles. In addition, the site features opinion polls, press releases from the political parties and news from Folketinget, the Danish Parliament. There is access to theme portals within special areas of politics.

See also the subject guide for Law.

Public information and research in Denmark

  • Research Portal Denmark (Danmarks Forskningsportal) (in Danish and English)
    The research portal collects and organizes data on Danish published research, e.g. scientific articles, PhD theses, conference contributions, etc.
    Data is collected from 3 large global services as well as local systems of Danish research institutions.
  • Dansk Institut for Internationale Studier - DIIS (in Danish and English)
    DIIS is the Danish Institute for International Studies, and it is an independent research institution. Its tasks include producing reports and following the international development with a view to assess Denmark’s foreign and political situation including in relation to development issues.
  • Magtudredningen 
    Magtudredningen was a research project that was initiated at the request of Folketinget, the Danish Parliament, and the purpose was to analyse the situation of the Danish democracy at the transition to the 21st century. The project was finished in 2005. The books can still be downloaded in full text from Aarhus University Press as a book series and series of works. They are only available in Danish, but there are two publications from the series of works in English.
  • VIVE – The Danish Center for Social Science Research (in Danish)
    VIVE stands for Knowledge of Welfare, and the center delivers knowledge in order to develop the welfare society and the public sector. The center was established in 2017 following a merger between SFI – The Danish National Centre for Social Research and KORA, the Danish Institute for Local and Regional Government Research and is an independent analyses and research center working within all major welfare fields.

Legislation, election surveys and party programs in Norway

  • Stortinget.no
    Information about "Stortinget" (the Norwegian Parliament) and its work, the government, legislative work, etc. At Stortinget.no there is an entrance to historical proposals for resolutions and digitized editions of the 1814-2005 parliamentary negotiations (in Norwegian).
  • Lovdata Pro (in Norwegian)
    Norwegian laws, decrees, regulations, judgments, statutes, treaties, journals, etc.
  • Regjeringen.no
    Norwegian proposals for resolutions and commission reports (NOU).
  • Norwegian election surveys (in Danish and Norwegian)
    Analyses of Norwegian Parliament elections (Stortinget) from the research program on elections in Norway.
  • Data on the polital system (PolSys) (in Norwegian or English)
    Contains data about Norway's political system, i.a. about the Parliament, the government and the political parties.
    Access to Party Data - a collection of Norwegian party documents from 1884 to the present day.
    See also the Norwegian Election Survey.

Legislation, election surveys and party programs in Sweden

EU

  • EU Information Centre (in Danish and English – most comprehensive in Danish)
    Denmark’s largest website about the EU. The objective of the website is to answer questions from citizens concerning the European Union. You can find materials about the EU in general as well as the most important documents concerning the EU decision-making process.
  • European Sources Online
    An online database and information service which provides access to information on the institutions and activities of the European Union, the countries, regions and other international organisations of Europe.
  • Eurostat (in English, French and German)
    The statistical office of the European Union is situated in Luxembourg. Its task is to provide the European Union with statistics at European level that enable comparisons between countries and regions.
  • Eurobarometer
    The Eurobarometer contains opinion polls that have been conducted regularly on behalf of the European Commission and other EU institutions since 1973. The reports cover a wide range of topics and there are fact sheets with key indicators for each country. Datasets can be downloaded from the EU Open Data Portal.
  • Agence Europe
    Independent news organization with daily information on the EU cooperation in the Commission, Council and Parliament. Europe Daily Bulletin (news), European Library (references to books and journals about EU) and Europe Documents (studies, speeches, reports etc.). 
    Print 1960-94, CD-ROM 1995-.
  • Find-eR (in English, French and German)
    The European Commission Library collections where you can find references to books, journal articles, EU publications and documents from the EU countries’ governments concerning the EU and European integration.
  • EUR-Lex (in all official EU languages)
    EUR-Lex provides free access to European Union law in 23 official EU-languages (24, when Irish is demanded). It is also possible to follow the legislations procedures. The database is updated daily and it contains more than 3 million posts with texts that date back to 1951.

Statistics and data

Subject relevant websites

  • DiVA Portal (in English, Norwegian and Swedish)
    Here you can find Swedish and Norwegian research publications and student theses.
  • Freedom House (in English and Spanish)
    Freedom House is widely acknowledged as the ultimate source of information about the status of freedom all over the world.
  • Gender studies
    Subject guide from Copenhagen University Library with overviews and links to some of the most important introductions to gender research theories and methods, to core journals and databases. In addition, there are links to source material and stories about the Danish and Nordic women's movements and links to international gender statistics and gender equality policy.
  • Statesman's yearbook
    The yearbook includes information on all countries in the world. The archive covers the period from 1864 to the present. It can be found at AU Library in a printed version.
  • World factbook
    This website provides information on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. Access to full text 1981-2017 via Hein Online.

Online libraries

  • Bibliotek.dk (in Danish and English)
    Denmark’s national library database. It contains information about materials from all Danish public and research libraries. The materials can be ordered to be picked up at your own library, Det Kgl. Bibliotek - Aarhus.
  • BIBSYS (oria.no) (in English and Norwegian)
    A common catalogue for all Norwegian university libraries, Nasjonalbiblioteket (the national library) and a number of other Norwegian academic and research libraries.
  • Library and Archive of the Labor Movement (in Danish)
    ABA is your gateway to knowledge about the Danish labor movement history.
  • LIBRIS (in English and Swedish)
    The joint library database of the National Library of Sweden and the Swedish research and university libraries. There is access to literature within all fields.
  • WorldCat (in English, French, German and more)
    This is a global library database, and it is the world’s largest network of library content and services. The network includes more than 10,000 Northern American libraries and some European libraries, including all Danish libraries through the data at bibliotek.dk.

Theses

Theses from the Department of Political Science in Aarhus.

BA-exam papers

Here you can find examples of exam sets for all courses at the bachelor programme at Political Science at Aarhus University. The examples are only in Danish.
There is no access to the students’ exam papers!

Course collection

Each semester the library creates semester shelves at the library for those materials that are used in the courses. The materials are intended for copying at the library and they cannot be borrowed. You can check the library database to see if there should be a circulation copy available.

At Bartholins Allé the semester shelves for Political Science are next to the information desk on the first floor. The books are marked with a green label.
See all titles on the semester shelves for Political Science.

Bibliography according to the standard of Politica

Writing instructions for Politica show how the references on the bibliography should be constructed. It is also possible to use the EndNote tool, which keeps track of citations and references in your written assignment. (In Danish).

Refering to Folketingstidende 

At Folketingstidende.dk there is an extensive guide on how to refer to specific documents and places in Folketingstidende and Rigsdagstidende (in Danish).


Copyright

Do you know the rules about copyright, when you are studying and writing papers? Figure out how and when you can use pictures, video-recordings or other materials here.

Information seeking

We have collected some relevant information about information retrieval and on how to quickly and efficiently find the materials you need.

More for your studies

We have compiled the best resources for you as a student so you can get an easy overview of the services AU Library has to offer.