Resources by topic

  • Colonial and postcolonial studies

    Colonial and Post colonial studies

  • Data and statistics

    SOAS Library subscribes to a number of databases, such as DataStream and UK Data Service- which provides IMF data, International Energy Agency data, International Social Survey and OECD data. For details, please consult Data and Statistics .

  • Demographic information
  • Human rights
    • Amnesty International
      Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights.
    • Asian Human Rights Commission
      Web-site of the Commission with information, news and links.
    • Centre for the Study of Human Rights
      A forum for researchers to debate critical human rights issues. Based at London School of Economics.
    • Human Rights Watch
      Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights.
    • Christian Solidarity Worldwide
      UK-based human rights organization specializing in religious freedom worldwide.
    • International Alert
      UK-based NGO set up in 1985 by human rights activist Martin Ennals. Aims to provide an ethical framework for conflict transformation.
    • International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
      Information about mission and activities of the Red Cross, including access to some full text materials.
    • Internet Resources on Genocide and Mass Killings
      Links and full text resources.
    • University of Minnesota Human Rights Library
      Comprehensive collection of full text documents on human rights issues with links to over 1200 other human rights sites. Site can be searched by keywords.
    • Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
      US-based NGO which works to ensure that the security and rights of children in armed conflicts around the world are protected. Compiles information about the impact of wars, civil war and armed conflict on children's rights and well-being in individual countries. Full-text country reports from about 2000 onwards plus recent press releases.
    • CIRI Human Rights Dataset contains standards-based quantitative information on government respect for a wide range of internationally-recognized human rights for countries of all regime-types and from all regions of the world. The data set contains measures of government human rights practices, not human rights policies or overall human rights conditions (which may be affected by non-state actors).
  • Political theory

    The Keele Guide to Political Thought and Ideology on the Internet
    Comprehensive guide to political thought on the Internet.

  • Public opinion and surveys
    • UK Data Service : includes World Values Survey, Young Lives Survey, Afrobarometer, Arab Barometer, AsiaBarometer and Asian Barometer Survey.

    • Global Attitudes Project : a series of worldwide public opinion surveys that encompasses a broad array of subjects.

    • World Public Opinion : consortium of research centres studying public opinion on international issues in their respective countries.

    • Gallup : data driven news based on US and world polls.

    • Mansfield Asian Public Opinion Poll Database : English translations of key policy-related issues from major media organizations and other agencies in Japan, South Korea, and China
  • Terrorism and counter-intelligence
  • War and conflict management
    • INCORE (Initiative on Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity)
      The key gateway for online resources relating to conflict and ethnicity. Use the Conflict Data Service for current and historical information on all major on-going conflicts, visit the theme sites for information on a variety of issues relevant to conflict, and select Country Guides for information on specific countries.
    • I nstitute for War and Peace Reporting
      News items about the Balkans, the Caucasus and other areas in Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. Featuring crisis reports, tribunal updates and archives.
    • International Crisis Group
      Independent, non-profit, multinational organisation working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict.
    • Margarita S. Studemeister Digital Library in International Conflict Management
      Part of United States Institute of Peace. Collecting full text of peace agreements signed by the contending parties, ending inter- and intrastate conflicts worldwide since 1989 for its Peace Agreements Digital Collection. Also acquiring decrees establishing truth commissions and similar bodies of inquiry worldwide, and the reports issued by such groups for the Truth Commissions Digital Collection
    • Operations de paix
      French-language guide to peace-keeping operations and initiatives worldwide, created by a network of Francophone research organisations led by the University of Montreal. Includes links to current and historical UN peace-keeping missions, biographies of key figures, glossary of key terms, full-text UN and other major peace documents, information on EU and African union peace initiatives and a listing of recent news stories.
    • Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research - Harvard University
      The only sector-wide professional association of individuals engaged in humanitarian assistance and protection worldwide, PHAP’s mission is to enhance the capacity of the global humanitarian community to respond effectively and professionally to current and future crises.
    • Small Arms Survey
      The Small Arms Survey is the principal source of public information on all aspects of small arms. It assesses national and international non-governmental organisations.
    • Stop the War Coalition
      Web-site containing information about the Group as well as information about the situation in Iraq/Middle-East/Palestine and all aspects of the "war on terror". The site aims to provide an online resource of articles and links which will be of use to students and staff at SOAS.
    • Uppsala Conflict Database
      Maintained by Uppsala University. Provides access to free information and data about conflicts worldwide from 1989 to the present.
  • Other
  • Elections

    ACE Electoral Knowledge Network :
    An online knowledge repository that provides comprehensive information and customised advice on electoral processes. The website  contains  in-depth articles, global statistics and data, an Encyclopaedia of Elections, information on electoral assistance, observation and professional development, region- and country-specific resources, daily electoral news, an election calendar, quizzes, expert networks and much, much more. Most of the ACE website is freely accessible to all users.

    Constituency- Level Elections Archive :
    A repository of detailed election results at the constituency level for lower house legislative elections from around the world.

    Election Guide from ARC :
    Election Guide is the most comprehensive and timely source of verified election information available online. It provides content on:

    • National elections around the world;
    • Subnational elections of high interest;
    • Political parties and candidates;
    • Referendum provisions;
    • News on election-related laws and developments around the world;
    • Political institutions and electoral systems;
    • Election results and voter turnout.

    IFES :
    The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) supports citizens’ rights to participate in free and fair elections. A vast array of information is available on their website.

    Lijphart Elections Archive :
    A static research collection of district level election results for approximately 350 national legislative elections in 26 countries that was maintained through to 2003. Good for historical background.

    Psephos: Adam Carr's Election Archive :
    Despite the production values, this is a fairly comprehensive and up-to-date archive of electoral information in the world, with election statistics from 182 countries.

    Harvard dataverses

    Lijphart Elections Archive

  • Transparency

    The UK Data Service contains figures on the ease of doing business and corruption

    Freely available resources:

  • Citizen Journalism and Protest Movements

    858.MA : An Archive of Resistance أرشيف ثوري
    A unique collection featuring hundred of hours of footage shot and collected in Egypt around the 2011 Revolution are now made publicly available. More than 870 hours of indexed, time-stamped video material along with thousands more photographs and documents present thousands of histories of revolt told from hundreds of perspectives. All footage is published under creative commons.