Political Science Research Guide: International Organizations

 Wikipedia Defines International Organizations as such:

An international organization is an organization with an international membership, scope, or presence. There are two main types:

• International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs): non-governmental organizations  (NGOs) that operate internationally. These may be either:
  • International  non-profit organizations  (e.g. International Committee of the Red Cross.)
  • International corportations - referred to as multinational corporations.

• Intergovernmental Organizations, also known as international governmental organizations (IGOs): the type of organization most closely associated with the term international organization, these are organizations that are made up primarily of sovereign states (referred to as member states). Notable examples include the United Nations (UN),  Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),  Council of Europe (CoE), European Union (EU; which is a prime example of a supranational organization), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The UN has used the term "intergovernmental organization" instead of "international organization" for clarity

Both types of organizations have played roles in International Affairs.

You can find more information about International Organizations a number of ways:

1. Use the information in the Box Below to locate various International Organizations and their Documents.
    
2. Find books on them by searching the Library Catalog.
    
3. Look for Journal Articles on International Organizations.  To do so search  Databases that index content related to International Relations, or  Political Rights and Participation of Citizens in various States.  Database covering both are listed in Boxes Below.
    
4. Look for Current information about them by searching for News about them.

• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
• Council of Europe (COE)
• European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Court of Justice (ICJ)
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Organization of American States (OAS)
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Washington, D.C.
• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
• Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
• World Bank
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• World Trade Organization (WTO) 
• United Nations

Databases of Relevance to International Organizations include:

• EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier
  Interdisciplinary full-text database indexing many Political Science journals. Also has indexing for News magazines which makes it useful for current events.
   
• JSTOR
  Searchable collection of periodicals in the Humanities and Social Sciences.  Coverage is retrospective (3-5 years and older).
   
• Periodical Archive Online
  Searchable collection of periodicals in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Coverage is retrospective (3-5 years and older).
   
• Project Muse
  Searchable collection of periodicals in the Humanities and Social Sciences.  Unlike  Periodical Archive Online and JSTOR Project Muse is current.
   
• Web of Knowledge
  Coverage:Interdisciplinary database that indexes the most widely respected periodicals in Academia.

For a Historical Treatment of International Organizations, you will need to consult:

• America: History and Life
  Useful resource for historical Political Science Topics.  Indexes Canadian and American History Journals. 
   
• Historical Abstracts
  As Historical Abstracts index history journals outside of North America, it is a useful tool for research into the historical topics dealing with  International Organizations  outside of North America.

Some Databases that will provide information about the political rights and political participation of different groups include:

• Gender Studies Database
  Coverage: Full-text database focused on Gender issue.. Useful for topics dealing with equality, rights, women's groups and gender and politics. 
   
• LGBT Life
  Coverage: Full-text database focused on Sexual Orientation and Gender Studies. Useful for topics dealing with equality, rights, women's groups, Gay and Lesbian Groups, and gender and politics. 
   
• ATLA Religion Index
  Coverage: Database that indexes journals in the field of Religion. Useful for topics dealing with religious equality, religion,society and politics. 
   
• Business Source Premier
  This Business Database is a useful resource for information about Business and its relations to Government and Society
   
• Philosopher's Index
  Coverage: Database that indexes journals in the field of Philosophy. Useful for topics dealing with human rights, the social contract, ethics and government. 
   
• SocIndex
  Coverage: Database that indexes journals in the field of Sociology. Useful for topics dealing with social groups.
   
• Bibliography of Native North Americans
  Coverage: Database that indexes journals in the field of Native Studies. Useful for topics dealing with First Nations People, equality, and political rights, and First Nations People and Politics.
   
• Econlit
  Coverage: Database that indexes journals in the field of Economics. Useful for topics dealing with poverty, social justice, political rights and political participation by different economic groups.