Political Science

Characteristics of Policy Papers and Reports

• Published online directly by the creator organization
• Internal review process
• Medium-length to long treatment of a specific topic
• Written by experts (not necessarily academic)
• No standard structure
• May cite evidence in the form of structured references or within the text (e.g. "According to a report by Statistics Canada...")
• Arguments may reflect the leanings of the creator organization

Example

Courchene, T.J., & Courchene, T.M. 2020. Fiscal Fairness: How Equalization Failed Alberta and How to Fix It, Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Canada. Retrieved from https://coilink.org/20.500.12592/2qkdk8s on 03 Sep 2025. 

Characteristics of Primary Sources

• Documents and artifacts created by people and organizations during the ordinary course of their lives or operations
• Can include almost any type of record, from receipts to emails to meeting minutes to legislation
• Usually represent a moment in time, rather than a backward-looking analysis of a topic

Example

Bill C-5, An Act to Amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code, 1st Sess, 43rd Parl, 2020

Characteristics of Government Documents

• Documents produced and published by a government department, agency, or board
• Can be primary or secondary sources
• Includes informational publications (e.g. brochures), research studies, statistical analyses, regulations, and many other kinds of documents

Example

Greene, S., Joyal, S., & McInnis, T. J. (2018). Reflecting the New Reality of the Senate. The Senate of Canada.

Use LibrarySearch to find books and journal articles.

Use AND between terms when you want both terms in results. Use OR when you want either term in results.

Examples

sports AND (gambling OR betting) AND tax* AND revenue

sports AND (gambling OR betting) AND addiction AND (cost OR expense)

General Tips

• Sign in to save searches, items, and to request materials.

• Use the pin icon to save books and articles. 

• Use the filters on the right. You will use Availability, Resource Type, and Date filters most often.

• When viewing an item record, scroll down to the Access Options section to get the item.

• Use the Locate button to find print books in the library

Finding Policy Reports

Two recommended databases:

Tips for search in Canada Commons and Policy Commons

• Be specific to start
• Filter by year. Select 'View More' to select more than one year.

• In Policy Commons, go to advanced search to filter by country and other relevant limiters

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Finding Government Documents and Primary Sources

Some potential sources:

Tips for Finding Government Documents and Primary Sources

• Start by exploring secondary sources, like articles, books, and reports
• Look for references to things like
  • Legislation
  • Departments, agencies, and committees
  • Other reports and documents
  • Key dates and people
• Use the links above and on the Political Science or Policy Studies guides to find original documents and government reports that provide context and allow deeper analysis on the topic
• Where you look depends on the type of document/source for which you are searching. Reach out to your librarian for some guidance on finding primary sources