ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 4 0 0 I C& RL N e w s ■ M a y 1999 I n t e r n e t R e v i e w s Sara A m ato, editor C A IN W e b S e r v ic e . ( C o n f l i c t A r c h iv e o n t h e In te r n e t). Access: h ttp :/ / cain.ulst.ac.u k/ . T h i s a c a d e m i c W e b s it e p r o v i d e s a w e a l t h o f i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e c o n f l i c t in N o r t h e r n I r e ­ la n d f r o m 1 9 6 8 t o t h e p r e s e n t . It c o n t a in s fu ll- te x t b o o k ch a p te r s , e s s a y s , a n d re s e a rc h articles c o n t r i b u t e d b y h is to r ia n s , p o lit ic a l s c ie n tis ts , a n d o t h e r r e s e a r c h e r s o n “T h e T r o u b l e s .” A ls o in clu d ed a re bib lio g ra p h ies, c h ro n o lo g ie s , d o c u ­ m e n ts, statistics, p h o to ­ g r a p h s , m a p s , a n d o t h e r im a g e s . T h e C A IN P r o je c t “a im s to d e v e lo p , usin g N o r t h e r n I r e la n d a s a c a s e study, a c o lla b o r a ­ t iv e m u ltim e d ia d a ta ­ b a s e o f r e s o u r c e s r e l ­ e v a n t t o t e a c h i n g a n d r e s e a r c h i n c o n f l i c t s tu d ie s .” T h e p r o je c t is a p a rtn e rs h ip b e t w e e n t h e U n iv e r s ity o f U ls te r, t h e Q u e e n ’s U n iv e r ­ s ity o f B e lf a s t , a n d t h e L in e n H a ll L ib ra ry in B e lf a s t , w h i c h c o n t a i n a u n i q u e a r c h i v e o f s o u r c e m a te r ia ls o n t h e N o r th e r n I r e la n d c o n ­ f lic t . T h e C A IN P r o j e c t M a n a g e r is M a r tin M e la u g h , w h o is a f filia te d w ith IN C O R E ( I n i ­ tia tiv e o n C o n f lic t R e s o l u t i o n a n d E th n ic ity ) , l o c a t e d a t t h e U n iv e r s ity o f U ls te r. C o n t e n t f o r t h e s it e is r e v i e w e d b y a p a n e l o f a c a d e m i c s , in c lu d in g h is to ria n s , p o litic a l s cien tis ts , s o c i o l o ­ g ists, a n d o th e rs . T h e s ite is o r g a n iz e d in t h r e e m a in c a t e g o ­ rie s : C o n f l ic t B a c k g r o u n d , K e y E v e n t s (c iv il rights, h u n g e r strik es, p e a c e p r o c e s s , a n d o t h e r e v e n ts ), a n d K e y I s s u e s (d is c rim in a tio n , e d u c a ­ tio n , w o m e n , a n d m o r e ) . F o r e a c h e v e n t o r is ­ s u e th e r e is b a c k g r o u n d in fo r m a tio n , a re a d in g list, a c h r o n o l o g y , a n d f u ll-te x t s o u r c e s . M a n y p a r ts o f th is s ite a r e still u n d e r c o n s t r u c t io n , b u t th e r e a r e a lre a d y m a n y u s e fu l s o u r c e s avail­ a b le , in c lu d in g fu ll-te x t d o c u m e n ts s u c h a s th e A p ril 1 9 9 8 p e a c e a g r e e m e n t , p o lit ic a l p a rty d o c u m e n ts , b r ie fin g p a p e r s , a n d a rticle s o n th e Iris h p e a c e p r o c e s s . M a teria l is re g u la rly a d d e d t o t h e s ite . T h e R e c e n t A d d itio n s p a g e s h o w s a n im p re ss iv e list o f b o o k c h a p te r s , articles, a n d o t h e r p u b l i c a t i o n s n e w t o t h e C A IN a r c h iv e . O t h e r u s e fu l fe a tu re s a r e a g lo s s a ry , a list o f o rg a n iz a tio n s , e x te n s iv e sta tistica l d a ta o n s o c i­ e t y a n d c u lt u r e in N o r t h e r n Ir e la n d , a n d t h e C A IN B ib lio g r a p h y — a s e a r c h a b l e d a ta b a s e o f o v e r 3 ,5 0 0 b o o k s , jo u rn a l a rticle s, d is serta tio n s , p a m p h le t s , a n d o t h e r m a te r ia ls . T h e r e a r e n u ­ m e r o u s lin k s t o r e s e a r c h -o r ie n te d W e b site s o n Irish stu d ies a n d p e a c e stud ies, p lu s lin ks to n o n ­ g o v e r n m e n t a l o r g a n i z a ti o n s , p o li t ic a l p a r tie s , g o v e r n m e n t sites, n e w s sites, a n d d is cu ss io n lists o n Iris h h is to r y a n d p o lit ic s . A ls o h e lp f u l t o lib ra ria n s a n d r e s e a r c h e r s a r e s e v e r a l g u id e s to d o i n g r e s e a r c h o n N o r th e r n Ir e la n d . T h e r e is a n im p r e s s iv e a rra y o f in f o r m a tio n h e r e f o r in ­ s tru c to rs , r e s e a r c h e r s , a n d s t u d e n t s .— Susan E Clark, University o f the Pacific, e-m ail: sclark® uop.edu P o lit ic a l D a t a b a s e o f t h e A m e r ic a s . Access: h ttp :/ / w w w .g eo rgeto w n .ed u / p d b a / . T h e P o litica l D a ta b a s e o f th e A m e ric a s (P D B A ), a c o l l a b o r a t i v e e f f o r t o f G e o r g e t o w n U n iv e r s ity ’s C e n t e r f o r L a tin A m e r i c a n S tu d ­ ie s a n d t h e O r g a n iz a t i o n o f A m e r ic a n S ta te s , d e fin e s its m is s io n a s “fill­ in g a v o id in t h e e l e c ­ t r o n i c i n f o r m a t io n a l r e ­ s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o s tu ­ d e n ts , a c a d e m i c s , p o lic y analysts, a n d g o v e r n m e n t o f f ic ia l s in L a tin A m e r i­ c a n p o lit ic s .” T h e u n d e r ly in g h o p e is th a t b y p r o v id in g f r e e a c c e s s t o p rim ary so u r c e s o f p o lit ic a l in f o r m a t io n o n c o u n t r i e s in N o rth a n d S o u t h A m e r ic a , t h e P D B A w ill c o n tr ib u te t o w a rd s d e m o c r a tiz a tio n in t h e r e g io n . T h e m u ltilin g u a l s ite (E n g lis h , S p a n is h , P o r ­ tu g u e s e , a n d F r e n c h ) is a rra n g e d in to e ig h t s u b ­ je c t a r e a s : C o n s tit u t io n s a n d C o n s tit u t io n a l S tu d ie s ; E le c t o r a l S y s te m s a n d E le c t i o n D a ta ; C ivil S o c ie t y , P u b lic O p i n i o n , a n d D e m o c r a t ic V a lu e s ; P o litic a l P a rtie s ; E x e c u t iv e In stitu tio n s; L e g is la tiv e In s t it u t io n s ; J u d ic i a l In s titu tio n s ; Sara A m ato is electro nic services and W eb developm ent librarian at Bowdoin College, e-mail: samato@bowdoin.edu http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/ http://www.georgetown.edu/pdba/ mailto:samato@bowdoin.edu C& RL N e w s ■ M a y 1999 / 401 a n d O r g a n i c L e g is la t io n . E a c h m a in s u b je c t a r e a is f u r t h e r d iv id e d b y t y p e o f in f o r m a t io n a v a ila b le : R e f e r e n c e M a te ria ls , P rim a r y D o c u ­ m e n t s , a n d S t a t is t ic a l D a t a , d e p e n d e n t u p o n t h e s u b je c t . T y p e s o f d a ta c o n s i d e r e d t o b e R e f e r e n c e M a te r ia ls e n c o m p a s s : b i b l i o g r a ­ p h ie s ; lists o f c o n t a c t s a n d W e b s ite s f o r m a n y g o v e r n m e n ta l a n d n o n -g o v e r n m e n ta l a g e n c ie s a n d p o li t ic a l p a r t i e s ; c h r o n o l o g i e s o f p r e s i ­ d e n t s ; a n d g o v e r n m e n t a l a n d ju d ic ia l o r g a n i­ z a t io n a l c h a r t s . I n f o r m a t i o n a v a i l a b l e u n d e r P r im a r y D o c u m e n t s i n c l u d e : c o n s t i t u t io n s ; e l e c t io n la w s ; p o litic a l p a rty la w s; a n d o r g a n ic le g is la tio n , s u c h a s t h e H o n d u r a n D e c la r a tio n o n H u m a n R ig h ts . Statistical d ata th a t m a y b e a c c e s s e d th ro u g h P D B A a r e b r e a k d o w n s o f p a rty re p re s e n ta tio n s in n a tio n a l le g is la tu re s a n d e l e c t io n resu lts. M u c h o f th e c o n te n t m a d e a v a ila b le th ro u g h P D B A is in t h e f o r m o f lin k s t o W e b s ite s in d iffe re n t co u n trie s , w h ic h p ro v id e p o litic a l d ata a s w e ll a s a c c e s s t o re g io n a l n e w s p a p e rs . H o w e v e r , t h e s ite d o e s o f f e r t h e u n i q u e “C o m p a r a tiv e A n a ly s is o f t h e C o n s titu tio n s o f C o u n tr ie s w ith P re s id e n tia l R e g im e s .” S p e c ia lly d e v e lo p e d f o r t h e P D B A , this s e c tio n c o m p a r e s n a t i o n a l c o n s t i tu t io n s s e c t i o n b y s e c t i o n ( f o r e x a m p l e , B r a z i l ’s c o n s t i tu t io n a l p r e a m b le v s. A rg e n tin a ’s c o n s titu tio n a l p r e a m b le ) o r b y s u b ­ je c t a re a s s u c h a s h u m a n rights, e x e c u tiv e p o w ­ e r s , o r e n v ir o n m e n ta l p r o t e c ti o n . M o s t o f t h e p rim a ry s o u r c e d a ta o n P D B A is o n ly a v a ila b le in th e la n g u a g e o f t h e c o u n try o f o rig in , in clu d ­ in g t h e c o n s titu tio n a l c o m p a r is o n s . T h e e n tire s it e c a n b e s e a r c h e d b y k e y w o r d o r b y c o u n ­ tr y . T h e P o l it i c a l D a t a b a s e o f t h e A m e r ic a s s h o u ld p r o v e t o b e a v e r y u s e fu l r e s o u r c e fo r s t u d e n t s o f L a tin A m e r ic a n h is to r y a n d p o li­ tic s , o r a n y o n e i n t e r e s te d in c o n s t i tu t io n a l is ­ s u e s a n d e le c t io n s . I h o p e th a t t h e d e v e lo p e r s o f th is W e b s ite c o n t in u e t o lin k a d d itio n a l r e ­ s o u r c e s a s th e y b e c o m e a v a ila b le .— G eraldine Foudy, SUNY Stony Brook, e-m ail: geraldine. foudy@sunysb.edu S o c i a l S c i e n c e s D a t a o n t h e N e t . Access: h ttp :/ / o d w in .u c sd .e d u / id a ta / . T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C a l i f o r n i a , S a n D i e g o (U C S D ) m a in ta in s “S o c ia l S c ie n c e s D a ta o n th e N e t” a s o n e c o m p o n e n t o f its S o c i a l S c i e n c e s D a t a C o lle c t io n . A lth o u gh d ata c o lle c tio n s a re a c c e s s ib le e ls e ­ w h e r e o n t h e I n te r n e t , o n l y U C S D p r o v id e s t h e t w o s p e c i a l i z e d s e a r c h u t ilit ie s t h a t a r e a v a i l a b l e o n t h is p a g e . T h e fir s t o f t h e s e , t h e “o r ig in a l, c l a s s i c v e r s i o n o f D a ta o n t h e N e t ,” s e a r c h e s a c o ll e c t i o n o f p a g e s c h o s e n a n d a n ­ n o t a t e d b y lib r a r ia n s . T h e s e c o n d , t h e “n e w r o b o t i c - e x p e r im e n t a l D a t a o n t h e N e t,” u s e s a r o b o t t o c o l l e c t i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t s o c i a l s c i ­ e n c e d a ta sites. L ib r a r ia n s t h e n u s e t h is i n f o r m a t i o n t o c h o o s e s p e c if i c s ite s f o r in d e x i n g b y a s p id e r. T h e sp id e r a ssig n s in fo rm a tio n t o field s a n d a ls o a s s ig n s w e ig h ts t o s e a r c h resu lts b a s e d o n w o rd f r e q u e n c y . T h e c u r r e n t s ta tu s o f t h e p r o je c t is d e s c r ib e d o n th e site. A s a m p l e s e a r c h o n “a d o p t i o n ” u s in g t h e cla ss ic v e rs io n y ie ld e d o n ly o n e result. T h e sa m e s e a r c h o n t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l s e a r c h u tility p r o ­ d u c e d 6 l hits, w h ic h a re a rra n g e d b y p re s u m e d r e l e v a n c e a n d w h i c h c a n b e fu rth e r s o r te d u s ­ in g c o n v e n ie n t d r o p - d o w n m e n u s . T h e res u lts o f th e s e s a m p le s e a r c h e s su g g e st that th e e x p e ri­ m e n ta l s e a r c h u tility is s u p e r i o r t o t h e c l a s s ic v e rs io n , b u t u s e rs a r e a d v is e d th at t h e file is still in c o m p le te . F o r b e s t results, u s ers sh o u ld , th ere- f o r e , u s e b o t h s e a r c h u tilitie s i f o n ly f o r t h e a n n o ta tio n s a v a ila b le in t h e c la s s ic v e rs io n . It s h o u ld a ls o b e p o in te d o u t th a t n o t all th e d a ta id e n tif ie d b y t h e t w o s e a r c h u tilitie s a r e p u b lic ly a v a ila b le . T h e s e c o n d f e a tu re o f “S o c ia l S c ie n c e s D a ta o n t h e N e t” is a s e t o f h y p e r lin k s t o c a t e g o r i e s o f d a ta o n t h e I n t e r n e t . A l th o u g h c a r e f u l e x ­ a m in a tio n is s o m e tim e s re q u ir e d t o d is c e r n th e d is tin c tio n s b e t w e e n t h e s e c a te g o r ie s , th e s e a ­ s o n e d r e s e a r c h e r w h o is w i l l i n g t o p l o w t h r o u g h l o n g lis ts o f lin k s m a y f in d v a l u a b le r e s o u r c e s . L e s s e x p e r i e n c e d r e s e a r c h e r s w h o a r e b r o w s i n g f o r d a ta s o u r c e s w o u ld b e b e tt e r s e r v e d b y r e s o u r c e s s u c h a s t h e U n iv e r s ity o f M i c h i g a n ’s “S ta tis tic a l R e s o u r c e s o n t h e W e b ” a t h t t p : / / w w w . l i b . u m i c h . e d u / l i b h o m e / D o c u m e n t s . c e n te r / s t a ts . h t m l . “S o c ia l S c i e n c e s D a ta o n t h e N e t” w ill b e a b o o n t o s e r io u s s o c ia l s c i e n c e s r e s e a r c h e r s fo r its sp e cia liz ed a c c e s s to d ata so u rc es. O th ers w h o a r e l e s s i n t e r e s te d in d a ta w ill p r o fit f r o m t h e m a n y s e a r c h resu lts th a t d e s c rib e , a n n o u n c e , o r s u m m a r iz e d a ta .— Tom Nichol, College o f St. Benedict & St.John’s University, e-mαil: tnichol@ csbsju.edu ■ mailto:foudy@sunysb.edu http://odwin.ucsd.edu/idata/ http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/