Post Communist Russian Politics and Society

Professor: Laura Henry ( )
Librarian: Ginny Hopcroft ( )
Fall 2004
Web Sites
Journals
Indexes and Databases
Reference Works
Library Catalog
Research Strategy
Picture courtesy of
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/
russian/const/constit.html		  


The purpose of this guide is to help you locate and use the library information resources most useful for research in this class. The library's reference librarians will be glad to assist with specific questions. You may also consult Ginny Hopcroft by phone x3298 or via email at ghopcrof@bowdoin.edu.

Web Sites

RFE/RL Newsline
http://www.rferl.org/newsline/
Daily report of developments in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, prepared by the staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Also, see these individual regional reports from RFE/RL:


Transitions Online
http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/home.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=81
An indepth news and analysis source for the post communist countries from 1999 to the present;

ITAR-TASS
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/
News in English and Russian from Russia's largest news agency.

Pravda:
http://english.pravda.ru/

Russia Today run by EINnews:
http://www.einnews.com/russia/

The Moscow Times:
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/indexes/01.html
Received in print as well with one month's backfile.

The Russia Journal:
http://www.russiajournal.com/

The St. Petersburg Times:
http://www.sptimes.ru

Johnson's Russian List
http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/
 Self-described as "a daily e-mail newsletter with information and analysis about contemporary Russia from a wide range of sources."
Area Studies: Russia
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/russia.htm
Fine collection of links to current governmental information about Russia.
Russian Studies
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2000/january001/russianstudies.htm Comprehensive listing of sites about Russian politics and culture, including news sources.
Russian and East European Studies Web Virtual Library (REESWEB)
http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/reesweb/
Collection of links for the Russian Federation and related geographical areas. http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/reesweb/

Journals

Unless otherwise noted, these journals and newspapers are held in Hawthorne-Longfellow Library. Check the "Find Journals" heading on the Library Homepage for the quickest access to these journals. The Indexes and Databases section lists indexes for locating articles in these journals. Some of the journals and newspapers have their own yearly or quarterly indexes.

Canadian Slavonic Papers
1958 to present
Communist Economies and Economic Transformations
Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press
Formerly called Current Digest of the Soviet Press
1949-present
Biweekly journal of translations from Soviet newspapers and journals (i.e. primary source information). Includes quarterly index.
Demokratizatsiya 1993-present
East European Politics and Societies
East European Reporter 1985 to present
EMERGO:Journal of Transforming Economies and Societies
Europe-Asia Studies
Formerly titled Soviet Studies
One of the two best journals on contemporary Russian politics, along with Post-Soviet Affairs.
Financial Times
British newspaper which often carries excellent articles on Russian politics and economies.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (government doc microfiche)
Soviet Union Daily Reports.
1978-1996
Daily translations on Soviet and East European radio broadcasts and newspaper articles on domestic and foreign affairs. Located in the GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS COLLECTION.
Glasnost March-May 1989 to the present
International Affairs (Moscow)
Isvestiia (in Russian)
Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics 1986-present
Journal of Democracy
Online, 1995 - present
Nationalities Papers (1995)
New Left Review, 1962 to present
New York Times, 1851 to present
Nezavisimaia Gazeta (the Independent Newspaper)
This newspaper was founded in 1990 and represents the liberal opposition to Yeltsin.
Bowdoin gets daily edition in Russian and the (different) weekly edition in English; Kept in current newspapers.
Orbis
Post-Soviet Affairs; Formerly entitled Soviet Economy
One of the best journals on contemporary Russian politics in terms of both factual detail and sharp analysis.
Problems of Communism
1954-1992 (ceased publication in 1992)
Radio Free Europe Research Report
1986-1994 (ceased publication in 1994)
replaced by Transition 1992-
Report on the USSR
Review of Central and East European Law/Socialist Law, 1986 to present
Russian Politics and Law; Formerly Soviet Law and Government
Russian Review
Articles on history, literature and sometimes contemporary politics.
Russian Social Sciences Review
Russian Studies in History
Russian Studies in Philosophy
Slavic Review
Sociological Research: a journal of translations from Russian, August 1994-present
Soviet Law and Government, 1989-present
Soviet Observer (newspaper)
Statutes and Decisions: the laws of the USSR and its successor states
Studies in Comparative Communism
Survey
The Times (of London)
Transition
Update USSR
World Politics
World Press Review
World Marxist Review
World Affairs Report

Indexes/Databases

Lexis Nexis
Online
Lexis Nexis is a full text database of news and legal information. Under the "World News" section, you can search for news originating in any part of the world by selecting the appropriate area from the pull down menu. "General News" has news of the world in major English newspapers and journals. Duration of coverage varies; some go back as far as 1980.

Academic Search Premier
Online
Academic Search Premier indexes over 1800 peer reviewed journals in the social sciences, humanities and science, as well as general interest magazines and several important American newspapers. Date coverage varies; most articles are from 1990 to the present. About 60% of the articles are in full text.

CIAO
Online
CIAO is a full text database of working papers, conference proceedings, policy briefs and other materials for the study of international relations, published from 1991 forward, and produced collaboratively by the Columbia University Libraries and Columbia University Press.

World News Connection 1995-
Online
WNC publishes FBIS reports (see below) in an online fulltext format, updated daily.

Foreign Broadcast Information Service Reports (FBIS) Index
Online 1978-1996
FBIS Reports are daily compilations of broadcasts, political speeches and newspaper articles from around the world, selected and translated by the CIA. World News Connection makes them available online from 1995 to the present. The earlier FBIS Reports, 1978-1995, are in microfiche, located in the microform room. Those reports have an online index.

Government Documents Monthly Catalog
Online
Government Index
Bowdoin's collection of U.S. government documents is not fully cataloged, so this online index is used to locate government publications. Produced by the Government Printing Office, the online Monthly Catalog indexes government documents back to 1976. For earlier indexing, please consult the print version of the Monthly Catalog, beginning in 1892 and located in the Government Documents Collection. When you locate a relevant document in this index, please make note of the "Sudocs" number in order to locate the document in Bowdoin's collection.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Online
This abstracting service indexes both domestic and international political science articles and includes the merged backfiles of Political Science Abstracts and ABC Pol Sci. Coverage goes back to 1975. Selected web sites may be among the retrieved sources.

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS)
Online 1972 -
Main Periodical Index 1915 - 1985
PAIS indexes "publications on all subjects that bear on contemporary public issues and the making and evaluation of public policy, irrespective of source or traditional disciplinary boundaries." Sources may be periodical articles, books, government documents or the reports of public and private organizations in the U.S. and internationally.

Reference Books

The republics and regions of the Russian Federation : a guide to politics, policies, and leaders
Main Ref; JN6699.A88 R47 2000

The territories of the Russian Federation, 2001;
Main Ref; JN6699.A88 T47 2001

Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia
Main Ref; HC244.A1 E293 2004 (annual)

The Library Catalog

The electronic library catalog is the primary access point for the collections of the Bowdoin College Libraries in all formats.

Begin your research in the Bowdoin Library Catalog with either a subject search or a keyword search (under heading "word"). Subject searching uses a "controlled" vocabulary, so consult the large red Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes near the reference desk. In either kind of search, take advantage of any additional subject headings you see listed in the bibliographic record.

Examples of useful subject headings for this class:

Russia-federation
Former Soviet republics -- Politics and government
Ethnic conflict -- Former Soviet republics
Post-communism -- Former Soviet republics

Additionally, the library catalog is now an access point for searching a new database called Maine Info Net. Using Maine Info Net you can search the catalogs of Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, and the University of Maine system simultaneously, and then perform your own ILL request online for material from any of those libraries. Books will be sent here to the H-L Library Circulation Desk for you to pick up.

Research Strategy

Consult the Library Research Strategy for a helpful summary/refresher of the research process. Additional tips for research:

  1. Use both subject and keyword searching in any electronic database or index, including the library catalog.
  2. Check the descriptors or subject headings in any relevant citation for additional search terms.
  3. Check bibliographies and footnotes for additional sources.
  4. Evaluate any information source, especially web sites, carefully for accuracy, timeliness, authority and point of view.