Along with being an Outreach Assistant for the McGill Library, I’m also going into my last semester of McGill. I feel quite sentimental to be at the end of my International Development Studies (IDS) Major, it is one that is ever-changing, complex, and interconnected with so many disciplines. Being able to research effectively has been a huge learning curve, but it’s been helpful to have the McGill Library on my side.
Micheal-David Miller, the Liaison Librarian for IDS, has a library guide with tons of advice, databases, and more curated specifically for the field.
Here are the Top 3 Resources I’ve used for IDS (that you can find in the libguide):
This one is mostly for economics papers or to find numerical data to back up one of your points in an essay. It is very useful as it includes global data and often they’ll include larger reports which feature the data that you can dive deeper into.
Again, for writing essays, especially in classes with Takumura, you want to really develop a strong understanding of your topic. This database hosts many scholarly articles that can aid you in your research. The filters are useful and pretty straightforward to use, just make sure
I honestly just discovered this one last semester, and it would have saved me so much trouble. Most classes revolve around Country Case studies in some capacity. Their simple, yet detailed analyses of countries come in handy and can save you a lot of digging and it is a much more credible resource.
Last piece of advice:
Try to find your own niche in IDS. Especially in the beginning, the classes are so general and broad, but each professor has their own interests and values. Listen closely and try to see what is more suitable or joyful for you. When you find what lights your fire, use the services and databases of the McGill Library to help you explore while you can!
Wishing the best,
- Vanja, IDS (almost) graduate and Outreach Assistant for HSSL
If you have any questions, email hssl.library@gmail.com