For quick access to high quality information for your assignments, try the links on these pages.

Set up the University VPN system to access these resources any time, anywhere.

New - 1st May 2025Changes happening to Ebook Central.

Reading Lists

Key Starters for Essays and Dissertations

After looking at your online reading list, try these to help with your assignments

  • Think about what you need to find.
  • Look at your topic and identify keywords and phrases which will help you find relevant information.
  • Ask yourself whether other words are often used to describe parts of the topic e.g. teenagers, youths, adolescents and note these down for your search too.
  • Decide what type of information you need and where you are going to search. The details below and the other sections on this subject page will help you with this.

It is important to understand the type of information you need when researching for your assignment.  For example you may want to start by finding definitions or background information. You may have been asked to find journal articles. Alternatively you may be seeking professional information, statistics or research findings. Once you have decided what type of information you need, you can use the Ocean of Information to help you understand the value of different sources and how to access them. When using the Library's Discovery Service to search, you will find that you can get a list of sources to choose from by clicking Add filters under the search box, then moving down to Source Types in the column which pops out on the right.

Evaluating your sources is also crucial when writing a piece of academic work - the Evaluating information section on the library website will guide you through this process.

Books often provide an excellent overview of a topic and are a great resource when starting an assignment.

To find print books:

Search the Library Catalogue (second search box on the page)
For each book, note the floor, number and letter code: FIRST FLOOR 658.00721 BRY - save time by taking a photo!

To find ebooks:

Search the Library Catalogue (second search box on the page)
Filter your search on the left hand side to 'Electronic Books'.  
Click on the title of the ebook to load the full record, then use 'Online access' to view.

If you want to search within ebook packages, you will find those most relevant to you in the next 2 sections.

  • Credo Reference

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Explore Credo for trusted reference sources like dictionaries - a great alternative to Wikipedia! 

    Watch these short videos to get started:

    1. Search tips
    2. Using the automated mind map
  • Ebook Central

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Access around 200,000 ebooks across all subject areas.

  • House of Commons Library

    Research and analysis on a wide variety of topics from education, poverty and social policy to foreign policy, trade and economics produced by impartial experts in the House of Commons Library. Either click Research at the top of the screen, then scroll down to browse by topic or click Search at the top right of the screen, then change to Search all research services before putting in your topic so that you can pick up House of Lords reports as well as House of Commons.

  • Joseph Rowntree Foundation

    A key UK organisation which aims to address problems caused by poverty, poor housing/homelessness and an ageing society, plus a broad range of other social issues. Use the Topics drop-down at the top of the site to access a wide range of useful reports dating from 1994 onwards, plus relevant statistics.

  • Local Government Association

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Access legislation guides, briefings and case studies on local government policy topics

  • Oxford Research Encyclopedia: Politics

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    World experts give you accurate, unbiased and up-to-date overviews of a wide range of political topics e.g. arms control/reduction, comparative foreign policy analysis, foreign aid as a foreign policy tool, maritime piracy, new public management, non-state actors and foreign policy, political party membership, politics and mass media, public policy. Each entry is designed to take 30 mins or less to read so have a look here when you have a new topic to research.

  • SAGE Catalyst

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    A collection of over 500 full-text social science textbooks from SAGE.

  • Oxford Handbooks Online: Political Science

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    These handbooks offer thorough introductions and a survey of the current state of research in key topics such as war, civil society, politics of individual countries, comparative politics, political economy, political theory, public policy, nuclear policy and the United Nations. Chapters review key issues and major debates and indicate how the debates might evolve.

    Watch this video about how to make the most of the features available.

  • Routledge Handbooks Online

    Over 250 unlimited access in-depth guides to current and classic research across a range of subject areas. If you can't access something via this site, put the book title into our general Portsmouth catalogue as we have some titles via Ebook Central instead.

Research Methods

  • SAGE Catalyst

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    A collection of over 500 full-text social science textbooks from SAGE.

  • Sage Research Methods

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Access books and videos about quantitative and qualitative research methods and many more social science research topics. Use the Tools drop-down at the top centre of the screen to access a handy Project Planner which is full of FAQs about what you need to consider at each stage in a project/dissertation. Tools also contains a Methods Map which is ideal for quickly finding details about a particular research method.

Finding Articles

  • The Conversation - Politics + Society

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Search and browse, or sign up to the daily newsletter, for an independent source of news analysis and informed comment written by academic experts working with professional journalists to reach a wider audience. The Conversation aims to provide the expert insight needed to better understand current affairs and the complex issues we face.

  • Harvard Business Review

    A leading and highly-readable professional journal for managers. 

    1. You can also register on the publisher's website to access a small amount of articles per month.
    2. FAQ: accessing the full text of an HBR article from your reading list
  • International Journal of Public Administration

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    A key, peer-reviewed journal covering public administration and public policy across the world. It is aimed at policy-makers and practitioners as well as academics.

  • Journal of European Public Policy

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    A very popular, peer-reviewed journal which provides a comprehensive source of analytical, theoretical and methodological articles in the field of European public policy.

  • Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    This is the official journal of the Public Management Research Association. It includes administrative, managerial and policy-based research about the public sector.

  • Local Government Studies

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    The leading, peer-reviewed journal for the study of local politics, policy, public administration and management and governance.

  • Public Administration

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    A major, peer-reviewed journal dealing with all aspects of public administration, public policy and public management.

  • Public Administration Review

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    The top American journal covering public administration. This title is aimed at both academics and practitioners.

Citation databases can be very helpful for advanced research at Masters' level upwards as they help you move quickly from a known author or article to finding out which other articles list them in their bibliographies. This is especially useful when you have only found a small number of results in your initial searches.

  • Scopus

    Large abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature covering all subject areas.

  • Web of Science

    Part of Web of Knowledge, includes records for thousands of scholarly publications. Search across three main citation databases (Science/Social Science/Arts & Humanities). 

News Sources

  • The Conversation - Politics + Society

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Search and browse, or sign up to the daily newsletter, for an independent source of news analysis and informed comment written by academic experts working with professional journalists to reach a wider audience. The Conversation aims to provide the expert insight needed to better understand current affairs and the complex issues we face.

  • The Economist

    Leading weekly magazine covering global political, economic and business news. Includes archive back to 1997. App also available. 

    A full archive from 1843-2015 is available via Gale Historical Archive

    To access:
    1. Enter your University email address
    2. Select University of Portsmouth
    3. Sign in with your University username and password.
  • Nexis Uni

    Full text articles from many news sources and trade journals both UK and international. Archives sometimes stretching back to the mid 1980s. For use in the UK only.

  • PressReader

    PressReader lets you access UK and international newspapers, plus a wide range of magazine content. Everything is full colour with archives varying in length depending on the publication.

    Login guidance

  • The Economist historical archive 1843-2015

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    This archive gives you highly respected commentary and analysis of global news each week from 1843 to 2015. Search by subject or browse by date. The articles are full facsimiles, including photos and charts.
    Read about financial crises as they happened.

  • The Guardian and Observer Archives

    Access stories and photos from The Guardian (1821-2003) and The Observer (1791-2003). Use Nexis if you want to search up to the current day.

  • The Telegraph historical archive 1855-2016

    Launched in 1855 as an affordable newspaper, by 1876 The Telegraph was the largest-selling newspaper in the world. The newspaper was directed at a wealthy, educated readership and is commonly associated with traditional Toryism, despite its more "liberal" beginnings. The Telegraph Historical Archive has over 1 million pages of content and includes the Sunday edition from its inception in 1961. The archive offers a fundamental insight into UK domestic and international affairs and culture.

    During the twentieth century, The Telegraph cemented its reputation as a pioneering yet reliable source of news reporting. There was the infamous uncensored interview with Kaiser Wilhelm of 1908, in which he successfully alienated Britain, France, Russia, and Japan. In 1942, the newspaper published the cryptic crossword puzzle responsible for recruiting Allied codebreakers during the Second World War.

  • The Times: Digital Archive 1785-2019

    Search over 200 years of articles. Articles are full facsimiles of what was published on the day and you can view the article in its original page location if you want.

    Watch this video showing you how to make the most of the features available.

Videos and Training Material

  • BoB: On demand TV and radio for education

    An archive of UK television and radio programmes from free to air channels (1998 onwards). For use in the UK only. Find some great tips about how to use BoB in these short videos.

  • Kanopy

    A unique collections of films including award-winning documentaries, training films and theatrical releases on every topic imaginable. Content can be searched or browsed.

  • Linkedin Learning

    Online learning and training courses covering business and employability, as well as creative and technical skills.

Other Key Sources

  • BBC Verify

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Look here for expert checking of environmental, political and social issues in the news

  • Channel 4 FactCheck

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Expert fact checking of stories in the news

  • Full Fact

    Full Fact are a team of independent fact checkers who check claims made by politicians, public institutions and journalists, as well as viral online content. They ask people to correct the record when they get things wrong in order to stop and reduce the spread of bad information. They are a registered charity launched by a cross-party group, and their board includes representatives of different political parties and viewpoints. Click the Fact Checks tab to jump to thematic sections covering education, health, crime etc.

  • Institute for Government

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    A leading think tank providing rigorous research and analysis, topical commentary and public events to explore the key challenges facing government. Their research focuses on the big governance challenges of the day and on finding new ways to help government improve and rethink.

  • Joseph Rowntree Foundation

    A key UK organisation which aims to address problems caused by poverty, poor housing/homelessness and an ageing society, plus a broad range of other social issues. Use the Topics drop-down at the top of the site to access a wide range of useful reports dating from 1994 onwards, plus relevant statistics.

  • Local Government Association

    Not fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Access legislation guides, briefings and case studies on local government policy topics

  • Policy Commons

    Access the world’s largest public policy database with 3.2+ million resources from 24,000+ global organizations. Covers topics like health, education, business, and more. Free registration needed for 25 searches a month. Watch this short video to see how it could help you.

  • Think Tank Search (Harvard Kennedy School)

    This searches the websites of over 1,200 institutions across the world that generate public policy research, analysis and activity. These sites are affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, and non-governmental organizations. This site also leads you to other sources for finding policy.

  • UK National Statistics: Publication Hub

    Fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery

    Official statistics from the UK Government.

Referencing

Use Referencing@Portsmouth to find out how to reference all the sources you have used:

Everyone on the public administration course uses APA 7th edition.
Use Search APA 7 inside Referencing@Portsmouth to locate specific referencing advice on chapters, articles, reports, as well as abbreviations, appendices, tables and more.

New to referencing? Watch this short APA basics video.

 

Can I use ChatGPT/AI to generate references? 

Be aware that ChatGPT and similar tools invent academic references (see the more button for why). Using such fabricated information in your work is considered academic misconduct so you should always double check any AI generated references. The University has guidance for students on the use of AI and the Library has produced guidance on citing and referencing generative AI.

ChatGPT is a large language model which has been trained on which words should appear and in what order - hence similar authors/titles/journals get linked with each other, producing very plausible sounding references that actually don't exist - the words simply have connections to each other within its training data. When prompted "How does ChatGPT predict which words come next?" ChatGPT stated that it "predicts which words come next based on the patterns it learns from the training data. When given a prompt or context, the model uses its knowledge of language patterns to generate likely sequences of words that would follow the input" ... "it predicts one word at a time, based on the previously generated words" ... " and then calculates the probability distribution of the next word in the sequence based on the patterns it has learned from the training data" (OpenAI, 2023).

Reference

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 23 Version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

All reference generators make errors! 

Ensure you check and edit your references before submitting your work.  Here are some common errors.

There are many different ways to generate APA citations:

  • Quick options:
    • Look for a "Cite" button in EBSCO databases like Discovery, or in Ebook Central, Statista, Google Scholar etc.
  • Advanced options:
    • See our referencing tools page. The humanities and social sciences librarian supports the use of EndNote Online.

We do not advise using the referencing tool in Word.