Research Librarian
Background Reading
Articles and books can provide overviews and help you understand the context around your policy issue. Try searching in one of these databases:
- Bibliography of Asian Studies (1973 to present) This link opens in a new windowIndex to articles and books in Asian Studies, including humanities and social sciences.
- Social Science Database (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowCovers academic literature for disciplines ranging from anthropology, sociology, and political science to communication, education, criminology, demography, economics, and more.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowFull text back files of scholarly journals primarily in the humanities, socials sciences, & sciences as well as ebooks, primary sources, and image collections across multiple disciplines. The Amherst College Library provides Alumni Access to JSTOR.
Subject Terms
You can also search by Subject Terms in Books & Media -- this brings up works that are tagged with specific subject labels. Use the drop-down and select Subject Keywords to search for these tags.
Subject Terms you could try:
China -- Population policy
Reproductive health services -- China
Water -- Pollution -- China
Women’s rights -- China
Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu (China) -- Ethnic relations
Critical Questions for Sources
- Who produced this information?
- What audiences was this produced for? For what purposes?
- What limitations might this information have?
- What question(s) might this help me answer?
- What question(s) remain unanswered?
Finding Primary Sources
primary sources: created by people directly connected to your topic
secondary sources: created by people at a remove from the topic; often use primary sources for their analysis
How can I find primary sources?
You can start by reading secondary sources, and keeping a list of "proper nouns" associated with your topic:
- places
- people
- government offices or entities
- events
- laws or regulations
- policies or plans
Use these terms when searching in our primary source databases (see the tabs on Laws, Statistics, and Policy Statements)