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Politics and International Relations: Books

A guide to all things Library

What kind of books will I find in the Library?

Reference materials such as encyclopedias and specialist dictionaries can give you a starting point for your research and help you to define your search terms.
Textbooks can provide a broad overview of an unfamiliar topic and point you to further reading.
Academic monographs will provide more in-depth information on a topic.

How can I find books for my topic?

An excellent place to start finding books on your topic is your module reading list. Have a look at the Getting Started page of this guide for advice on finding and using your reading list.
You can search across the Library's print and e-book collections using Library Search. Search by author, title or the key-words of your topic.
Find out more about accessing our e-book collections on the E-books: Getting Started Guide

Oxford Scholarship Online: Politics and IR

Oxford Scholarship Online: Political Science
Access to the full text of over 500 political science books published by Oxford University Press. Topics covered include UK, American and Russian politics, comparative politics, political economy, the European Union, environmental politics, international relations and political theory. New and recently-published books are added three times a year.

How to find books via Library Search

Useful shelf numbers for Politics and IR

This table shows a small selection of topics, use Library Search for a comprehensive search for books on a particular subject.
Topic	Shelf Number	Library Floor
Politics (general)	320	Floor 1
Political theory and philosophy	320.01	Floor 1
Research methods in political science	320.072	Floor 1
Democratic theory	321.8	Floor 1
International relations (general)	327	Floor 1
Diplomacy	327.2	Floor 1
International Security	327.1/ 327.17	Floor 1
Human Rights (politics)	323	Floor 1
Human Rights Law	341.48	Floor B2
Humanitarian Intervention	341.584	Floor B2
Middle East (politics)	320.956	Floor 1
Middle East (history)	956	Floor B4

How do I find a book on the shelf?

Understand how to find a book on the shelf with this helpful guide or watch the quick video below.