United Nations
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= some full
text
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required
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librarian
for password
Official Megasites
Indexes and Full-text Databases
- (ODS)
Official Document System
Scope: Includes UN documents issued since 1993 and
many published previously.
Limitation: To the right of Truncation
or Symbol Truncation, you must always indicate None
when entering a document symbol.
Suggestion: Always use the Advanced Search option.
- AccessUN
Scope: This is the most comprehensive index of UN
documents, publications, and articles. Provides external links to
full-text documents selectively.
Limitations: Many records contain too many
subject headings, causing subject searches to generate
too many hits.
Suggestion: When seeking current information,
restrict your initial search to full-text documents and establish
chronological limits. Gradually broaden your approach in
subsequent searches. Note that a string of words is always treated
as a phrase.
- UN
Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade)
Identifies the reported market share of 120 to 140 countries
or areas by commodity and trading partner.
- UNBISnet: Bibliographic
Records
Scope: Provides links to full-text documents in ODS,
and includes records for all items published since 1979.
Suggestion: Start here for documents issued recently.
- UNBISnet:
Voting Records
Scope: Includes voting records for the Security
Council (1946 onward) and General Assembly (1983 onward).
Limitation: Provides no subject access.
Suggestion: Identify resolutions through AccessUN,
which includes the full text of General Assembly, Security Council, and
Economic and Social Council resolutions issued since 1981, 1974, and
1982, respectively. Then use the document number (i.e., "resolution
symbol") to locate the voting record.
- UNBISnet: Speech
Index
Scope: Includes citations for speeches made in the
General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council
from 1983 to the present.
Limitation: Does not provide direct access to the
texts of speeches.
Suggestion: Use the document numbers found through this index
to access full-text documents in ODS.
- UN
Documentation Centre
Scope: Functions primarily as a gateway to full-text
documents of the Economic and Social Council, General Assembly, and
Security Council. Categorizes UN documents by type.
Limitation: Provides no subject access.
Suggestion: Identify the documents you need by using
AccessUN. Then try to find the full text in ODS or the Documentation
Centre.
- United
Nations Treaty Collection
Full-text multilateral
treaties
deposited with the UN Secretary-General and the League of Nations.
Yearbooks
- Yearbook of the United Nations (UN.DPI/S1, Government
Documents Library)
Scope: Provides an incomparable, comprehensive view of
all UN activities during a given year.
Limitations: Is available in print only and is
published two years after the events it describes.
Suggestion: Use the Yearbook to access
summaries of UN actions related to particular countries and topics.
- United Nations Yearbook Collection (DVDUN.DPI/S1,
Government Documents Library)
Scope: These DVDs contain the complete text of the Yearbook
of the United Nations from 1946 to the present.
Suggestion: Ask a Government Documents staff member
to locate this for you.
Bibliographies and Guides
Statistical Sources
Yearbooks
- Yearbook of the United Nations (call no. UN.DPI/S1,
Government Documents Library)
Scope: Provides a comprehensive view of all UN
activities during a given year.
Limitations: Is published two years after the events
it describes.
Recommendation: Use the Yearbook to access
summaries of UN actions related to particular countries or topics.
Search Engines
News
- UN News Centre
Includes full-text searching of press releases for
1995 to date, full-text magazines, and UN Newslinks,
which connects the user to the full-text news sources of UN bodies and
other IGOs around the world.
Blogs
- UN
Pulse
Provides announcements of the most important UN documents and
publications.
Other Sites
Government
Documents Library
University of
Illinois Libraries University of Illinois
Comments to dngriffi@uiuc.edu
Updated
10/10/2007
International &
UN info