Research Guides: POLS 235: African Politics (HC): Background

Voting in Ghana 2016

General presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana, 7 Dec 2016 (Source: Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

Handbooks, Companions and Annuals

African Human Rights Resources
Freedom in the World
Freedom House surveys political rights and civil liberties for 210 countries and territories.
Human Rights and Governance in Africa Links (Columbia University)
Oxford companion to the economics of Africa
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Oxford Encyclopedia of African Politics
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In over 100 peer-reviewed entries, readers will find authoritative overviews of the key methodologies and approaches, as well as all of the major topics in African politics, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic areas of political science.
Oxford handbook of Africa and economics
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Two volumes published in 2015.
Oxford handbook of Nigerian politics
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Includes essays by researchers about the oil industry, women's rights, Sharia law and more.

Political Handbook of the World
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A collection of comprehensive country profiles containing detailed information on each nation's political history, government, leadership structure, elections, and political party system. Also included: profiles of intergovernmental organizations, development banks, and the agencies and specialized bodies of the United Nations.

Wiley-Blackwell companion to African religion
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Routledge handbook of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency in Africa
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Published in 2021

Literature Reviews

Literature reviews are a particularly useful resource when doing research. They address the issues involved in a specific question and the debates among scholars. They map out the intellectual terrain succinctly and give you the major landmarks in terms of key authors and significant titles for greater understanding.

Annual Reviews
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Covers significant developments in social science fields including political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, law and environmental studies. Publishes only literature reviews. Examples of interest include:
"Conflict and Development" (2017) in the Annual Review of Economics
"Conflict-Related Sexual Violence" (2021) in the Annual Review of Political Science
"Environmental Issues in Central Africa" (2016) in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources
"Female Candidates and Legislators" (2015) In the Annual Review of Sociology
"How Do Electoral Gender Quotas Affect Policy?" (2021) in the Annual Review of Political Science
"The Political Economy of the Resource Curse: A Development Perspective" (2021) in the Annual Review of Resource Economics
"Social Consequences of Forced and Refugee Migration" (2023) in the Annual Review of Sociology
"Women's Rights after War: On Gender Interventions and Enduring Hierarchies" (2021) in the Annual Review of Law and Social Science
Oxford Bibliographies Online
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Provides bibliographies on selected topics. Includes introductions, guides, textbooks, journals, reference works, and links to useful websites. Additional topics are added twice a year. See in particular:
Africa, Comparative Politics of
Aid and Economic Development
China in Africa
Civil War in Sub-Saharan Africa
Governance in Africa
Nigerian Politics and Government
State Building in Sub-Saharan Africa
Wars and Warlords
West Africa, Politics of
Women and Politics

Dissertations & Theses
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ProQuest Dissertations and Theses is a collection of scholarly research in the Humanities and Social Sciences that consists of 2.7 million searchable citations to dissertations and theses from around the world, and 1.2 million full-text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format. Coverage is from 1861 to the present day.