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International Government Information: Home

This guide is designed to help you navigate Library-licensed and open access research sources beyond what you might easily find in UC Library Search.

  • Use the front page to find quick links to frequently requested resources and tools.
  • Explore the tabs on the left to find curated links to specialized resources for different subfields, methodologies, and research questions.

International government information is an umbrella term that covers foreign (non-US) governments, intergovernmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations. Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) are entities created by treaty, involving two or more nations, to work on issues of common interest. The United Nations and the UN system of funds, programs, and specialized agencies are the most well-known IGOs. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) are independent groups that operate outside of government control, often focusing on humanitarian, environmental, or social issues, like Amnesty International or Save the Children.

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To access library resources from off-campus:

Option 1: Connect through UC Library Search

Sign in to UC Library Search with OpenAthens for seamless access.

Option 2: Sign in at a Publisher or Resource Site

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Option 3: Connect through Campus VPN

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International & General Policy Research Tools

 

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There are a number of tools to search for public policy information and IGO, NGO, and government documents and publications.

Google Custom Search Engines for Finding Government and Nongovernmental Publications

►Use these Google Custom Search Engines to search for current online documents, publications, and websites from organizations or governments:

Government & Policy Organizations
Regional Government Information

 

►Search tip: If you get too many results, try adding one of these words to your search terms:

  • "policy surveillance"
  • "policy tracker"
  • "policy brief"
  • "issue brief"
  • "bill analysis"
  • report
  • strategy
  • plan
  • statistics
  • directory
  • Geographic or administrative divisions - California, San Diego, etc.

►Bonus search tip: Google-powered searches can be limited to pages published during a specific timeframe by using before:[date] and/or after:[date]

Directories of International Organizations

 

intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)

 

Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs)