| I. Encyclopedias, Dictionaries and Handbooks |
1. 
Dictionary of Human Rights. Ref. K3239.3 .R67 2004
Dictionary and expanded definitions of key concepts, persons, and documents.
2. Encyclopedia
of Civil Liberties in America. Ref. JC 599 .U5 E53
2005
3 vols. Short articles on civil and human rights in the U.S., arranged alphabetically.
3. Encyclopedia
of Human Rights. Ref. JC 571 .E67 1996
2nd ed. Single-volume concise resource for human rights issues
in global context.
4. 
Encyclopedia
of Human Rights Issues Since 1945. Ref. JC 571 .L2747
1999
Single-volume, concise review of events, persons, treaties/declarations,
places, and issues. Also in ebrary.
5. Guide
to International Human Rights Practice. Ref. K 3240.4 .G94
1999
Edited volume with articles giving focus to procedural and protection
issues.
6. A
Handbook of International Human Rights Terminology. Ref.
K 3239.6 .C66 2004
Dictionary which give definitions to wide range of topics, listed alphabetically.
7. Historical
dictionary of human rights and humanitarian organizations.
Ref. JC 571 .G655 2007
Alphabetical entries give brief synopses of
organizations involved in the history of human rights theory and practice.
Lists treaties, founding members, related organizations,
and addresses. Includes chronology of events, definitions of important
terminology, lists of acronyms and abbreviations, and appendixes
containing full
text
of many
international
human
rights documents.
8. Human
Rights: A Reference Handbook. Ref.
K 3240.4 .W46 1998
Basic review of human rights issues, including selected documents and organizational
directory.
9. Human
Rights: The Essential Reference. Ref.
HV 6431.H43 2004
Guide to basic terms and documents in global human
rights issues.
Books about human rights topics can be found in GEORGE,
the online catalog, by title, author, and subject. Select "keyword"
searching when you wish to use your own search terms. To search by
subject, use the Library of Congress Subject Headings
(LCSH),
the
red volumes
shelved
behind the Reference Desk of Lauinger Library to
find correct terms. Or look up a title you know and click on the
subject headings listed in the entry. Examples of subject headings: 
- Human rights
- Political violence
- Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide
(1948)
- War victims
- Amnesty
If
you need help with GEORGE or searching by topic, speak to a Reference
Librarian.
B. Other Catalogs
Library of Congress <http://catalog.loc.gov/>
WRLC
Catalog <http://catalog.wrlc.org/>
The catalog of the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC):
George Washington, American, Catholic, George Mason, Gallaudet,
and Marymount Universities, the University of the District of Columbia,
and Georgetown University. Georgetown students may borrow directly
from WRLC libraries or request items via the WRLC Catalog.
WorldCat
A catalog comprising millions of records representing the holdings
of thousands of libraries. NOTE: Available only to Georgetown students
and faculty. A free version of WorldCat is available also: http://www.worldcat.org/
Several excellent databases and print sources are useful as starting
points for research in human rights. Beginning research in the
area of human rights involves identifying the subject of the search,
the
scope of the research including time frame, and the international
organizations involved in human rights issues. This portion of the
guide will focus on database resources.
10. Access
UN.
Indexes official documents, meeting minutes and records, and U.N. treaties.
11. International
Political Science Abstracts.
Indexes and abstracts articles from major political science journals
since 1989. Produced by the International Political Science
Association. Covers theory, government, political process, international
relations, and national and area studies.
12. LegalTrac.
Full text and partial text access to legal, government, and human
rights periodicals.
13. LexisNexis
Academic.
Full text of news, business and legal information from major U.S.
and world publications and news wire services, TV and radio transcripts,
and law reviews. Also includes U.S. federal and state court cases.
14. LexisNexis
Congressional.
Full text of legislative and public policy
resources. Includes Congressional hearings and reports, bills, public
laws, the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, the Code of
Federal Regulations, floor votes, the U.S. Code, the Serial Set
and American State Papers (1789-1969), and legislative histories
for any law enacted since
1970. Also contains reports and studies of the Congressional Resarch
Service (CRS) and committee prints (background information on a subject
matter before a particular committee).
15. LexisNexis
Government Periodicals Index.
Indexes periodicals on a variety of topics published by agencies
and departments of the U.S. government. Citations. 1995-present.
Some retrospective coverage from 1988-1994.
16. LexisNexis
Statistical.
Provides comprehensive access to U.S. government statistical data.
State, private, and IGO sources are also cited.
17. PAIS
International.
This database indexes over 1,600 public policy journals. Non-legal
journals are also included.
18. PolicyFile.
Access to U.S. foreign and domestic policy papers, including reports,
papers, and documents from think tanks, research institutes, and
agencies.
19. Worldwide
Political Science Abstracts.
Indexes and abstracts articles from over 1,400 political
science and international relations journals.
Some important journal titles in Lauinger include:
Refuge Survey Quarterly (online access only)
Human Rights: Journal of the Section of Individual Rights
and Responsibilities (print & online access)
Human Rights and Human Welfare (online access only)
Journal of Human Rights (online access only)
BMC International Health and Human Rights (online access only)
African Human Rights Law Journal (online access only)
International Journal of Human Rights (online access only)
Search GEORGE by
title to locate the journals listed above.
20. Human
Rights: A Bibliography. Ref.
Z 7164 .L6 H837 2000
Annotated bibliographic review of relevant literature, listed
by topic.
21.
UN
System Pathfinder:
Human Rights. < www.un.org/Depts/dhl/pathfind/humanrig/0800.htm>
This pathfinder identifies signigicant publications of U.N. charter
organizations and states. Includes reports, handbooks,
guides, bibliographies, statistical publications, treaty compilations,
and annual reports by UN bodies.
22. World
Racism and Related Inhumanities: A Country-by-Country Bibliography.
Ref. Z 7164 .R12 W5 1992
| V. Web Sites for Country-Specific Human
Rights Information |
23. Amnesty
International. <http://www.amnesty.org>
Use the A-Z index under the "Library" link for a list of country publications.
24. Arab
Human Rights Index. <http://www.arabhumanrights.org/en/hrorgs/>
A repository of U.N. human rights documents pertaining to Arab countries
and their responses.
25. Commonwealth
Human Rights Initiative. <http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org>
An independent, non-partisan NGL commissioned to ensure human rights in the
countries of the Commonwealth.
26. Europa.
Human Rights Activities of the European Union. <http://europa.eu/pol/rights/index_en.htm>
Provides summaries of legislation, legal texts, links to key sites, and
basic documentation of human rights issues from EU countries.
27. The
European Union's Human Rights & Democratisation
Policy.
<http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/human_rights/intro/index.htm>
This site gives an overview of European human rights policies.
28. For
the Record: The United Nations Human Rights System. <http://www.hri.ca/fortherecord2003/index.htm>
Annual reviews of U.N. human rights activities, listed by country.
29. Genocide
Studies Program. <http://www.yale.edu/gsp/>
Contains full-text articles, maps, and databases with information
organized by country or region.
30. Human
Rights Around the World. <http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/world.html>
Country by country assessment of genocide, torture, mass disappearances,
slavery, and the denial of basic rights, rights to food, etc. Links
to Web pages which focus on particular regions and countries.
31. Human
Rights Watch. <
http://www.hrw.org>
Includes full text of recent world reports and country and regional reports.
32. U.S.
State Department Country Reports on Human Rights & Practices.
<http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr>
Includes full text of yearly reports. For 1993-1999 reports please
use: <http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/hrp_reports_mainhp.html>
.
33. Amnesty
International Report. Ref JC 571 .A44a
Annual report from Amnesty International. Earlier years are found in the
stacks. View the current report online: http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Homepage.
34. European
Union Annual Report on Human Rights. <http://consilium.europa.eu/cms3?_fo/showPage.ask?id=970&lang=en>
Access starting in 1998.
35. The
State of the World's Children. Ref
HQ 792.2 S73
Annual UNICEF report on human rights and children around the world. Older print
copies are in the stacks. Also available online at http://www.unicef.org/publications.
Browse by title under "S" for older online issues.
36. World
Disasters Report. Ref HV 568 .W6742
Annual report of natural disasters and their impact on human communties.
Older issues in the stacks. View the current report online: http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/wdr2007/summaries.asp.
37. World
Refugee Survey Ref HV 640 .W63
Annual survey of refugees and human rights issues. View the current report
online: http://www.refugees.org/article.aspx?id=1941&subm=19&ssm=29&area=Investigate.
| VII. Primary Source Materials |
38. Basic
Documents on Human Rights. Ref. K 3238 .A1 B76
89. Human
Rights: A Compilation of International Instruments. Lau
Stacks K 3238 .H85
Also available at http://www2.unog.ch/intinstr/uninstr.exe?language=en
40.Human
Rights and You: A Guide to the States of the Former Societ Union
and Central Europe. <http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/archive/humrts/>
Compilation of human rights documents from the U.N., OSCE, and Council
of Europe.
41. Human
Rights Documents : Compilation of Documents Pertaining to Human Rights
: U.S. laws on human rights; Basic U.N. human rights instruments; U.N.
instruments in selected human rights areas; Regional human rights instruments;
War crimes and international humanitarian laws (laws of armed conflict);
Human rights bodies established by U.S. laws or multilateral instruments LAU
Gov Docs Stx Y 4.F 76/1:H 88/25 (Also available in microform.)
42. Human
Rights Library <http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/>
University of Minnesota. Contains an enormous range of human righst
documents and web links. Also includes links to treaties and other instruments.
Most materials available in English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian,
Swedish, Chinese, and Japanese.
43. Human
Rights Sourcebook. Ref. K 3238 .H86 1987
44. International
Human Rights Instruments. <http://www.unhchr.ch/html/intlinst.htm>
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Includes full texts of over 90 international
human rights treaties, declarations, and instruments..
| VIII. Advocacy Organizations |
45. Human
Rights Internet (HRI). <http://www.hri.ca/>
HRI advocates education and research and encourages information sharing.
It sponsors the Human Rights Database (http://www.hri.ca/databank/) which
includes funding sources, events, and worldwide organizations.
46.InterAction. <http://www.interaction.org/index.html>
InterAction coordinates over 150 NGOs promoting development and human rights
issues in over 165 countries around the world
47.International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. <http://www.ihf-hr.org/index.php>
The IHF is actively involved in human rights protection in Europe, North America,
and the former Soviet Union.
48. Statewatch. <http://www.statewatch.org/>
Statewatch monitors human rights and civil liberties in the EU.
49. United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).<http://
www.unhcr.org/>
This U.N. organization protects the rights of refugees worldwide.
Please
send us your comments or suggestions
Content updated: 11/07
-wco & mb
Links updated: 11/07
- mb
I.