Library Guides: Peace Studies: Background Information

Overview of Peace Studies

Peace Studies is an inter-, multi-, or trans-disciplinary discipline. It includes methodologies and insights from most of the social sciences, many of the humanities plus the arts, law, business, science and engineering. Peace Studies at Notre Dame is particularly concerned with Strategic Peacebuilding and seeks to "understand the causes of armed conflict, develop ways to prevent and resolve war, genocide, terrorism, gross violations of human rights; and build peaceful and just systems and societies.

Other Related Guides

Global Affairs
by Jessica Kayongo Last Updated Feb 9, 2024 315 views this year

Getting Started

These resources will provide background information or context for your project or paper. They will also assist you in identifying key themes, participants, and events as you focus your research.

Issues and Topics

CQ researcher This link opens in a new window
Covers the most current and controversial issues of the day with summaries, pros and cons, bibliographies and more, with a United States focus.

Countries and Organizations

The World Factbook by The United States Central Intelligence Agency
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.

Economist Intelligence Unit This link opens in a new window
Offers forecasts and reports on countries' economies, including key economic indicators, business operations, business environments, regulatory framework, and more.
Political risk yearbook This link opens in a new window
Publishes 100 Country Reports that monitor the risks to international business over the next five years.
International year book and statesmen's who's who This link opens in a new window
Earlier volumes, 1953-present (latest in Ref.): Hesb. Gen. Coll. JA 51 .In8. Similar to the Political Handbook of the World.

Reference Sources

Peace, War and Conflict

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies
Publication Date: 2022
The Encyclopedia of War
Publication Date: 2012
From Wiley
The Oxford Handbook of Intergroup Conflict
Publication Date: 2012

Maps and Atlases

Maps and atlases are a central resource in the study of politics, conflict, and peace. The Hesburgh Libraries have a collection of large, detailed maps published by various U.S. government agencies located in the Hesburgh Library Lower Level and in the Reference Atlas Case (first floor). For more information, see our Library Guide on Maps.

Digital

Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2018
From the World Bank. Maps of the world showing countries' progress toward reaching Sustainable Development Goals, including eliminating poverty, eliminating hunger, reaching gender equality, etc.
CIA World Factbook Maps
Maps of countries, regions, and the world.
Google Earth
From Google, requires Google Chrome and does not allow printing. Google Earth is a geobrowser that accesses satellite and aerial imagery, ocean bathymetry, and other geographic data over the internet to represent the Earth as a three-dimensional globe.
Presidential Elections, 1789 - 2012
Now hosted at nationalmap.gov, these maps show the results of presidential elections going back to our nation's founding.
United Nations Geospatial Information Section
Maps of UN operations, along with member countries.

Peace Studies

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