Welcome to the Research Guide for your course in the modern Middle East.
In the PHC Library catalog, you can search a variety of resources by title, author, keyword, or phrase, linking you to ebooks and print books and to journal articles. The more specific your search terms, the more specific the results will be.
Studies in the modern Middle East may include other research projects in a variety of courses on the Middle East and may also include related experience trips to the Middle East, such as Passages or the Strategic Intelligence trip to Israel. If you are preparing for the Israeli experience, you may want to check the Library's reserve books for any books and maps that have been chosen for your preparations.
If you are accessing electronic resources from off-campus and are required to log in, use your student portal user name and password to gain access. If you have difficulty with the website or accessing any resources, please let library staff know by email at askalibrarian@phc.edu or library@phc.edu.
Professional library assistance is available on campus, by phone at 540-441-8400, or by email at askalibrarian@phc.edu.
Many of the required readings and textbooks are on reserve and are available for 2-hour check-out, in-library use only, at the library circulations desk. Additional suggested resources:
Oxford encyclopedia of the modern Islamic world - Ref DS 35.53 .O95 1995.
The Arab Mind, by Raphael Patai - DS 36.77 .P37 2007.
Middle East Patterns, 4th edition, by Colbert C. Held - DS 44 .H418 2006.
From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman - DS 119.7 .F 736 1990.
Hezbollah: born with a vengeance by Hala Jaber - DS 119.7 .J224 1997.
History of the Middle East by Peter Mansfield - DS62.4 .M36 2013
Oxford History of the Middle Islam - BP 50 .O95 1999.
The Economist (In print and online, 2001 to Present)
Current history: a journal of world affairs (In print, 2001-Present, Online 1988 to 2010)
Stratfor is a news analysis provider that covers political, economic, and military developments from around the world, including breaking news.
For specific and current information by country, check out the CIA's World Factbook and the BBC's Country Profiles. Additionally, the BBC offers breaking news stories from the Middle East.
The JSTOR collection contains complete back issues of 241 scholarly journals in a wide range of disciplines. Issues from the most recent 3 - 5 years for each title are not included in the collection.
ProQuest and Academic Search Premier provide access to thousands of current general and subject specific scholarly journal articles.
LexisNexis provides access to wide range of news (full-text newspapers) business, government, legal, and reference information.
Yale's Avalon Project provides access to many primary source documents related to historical developments in the Middle East in the 20th century.
Council on Foreign Relations is an independent research and policy analysis center focusing on complex foreign policy issues.
Heritage Foundation provides research and promotes international policies inline with their values of individual freedom and strong national defense.
Brookings Institute provides research and formulates policy recommendations on a variety of issues including international conflicts.
Center for Strategic and International Studies - Middle East Desk analyzes national security and foreign policy issues related to the Middle East.
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Created: Dr. David Aikman/Thornhill, 2011. Last update: Habeck/Thornhill, 2023.
