POLS/SUST 387: Politics of the Ocean

This site was created for POLS/SUST 387: Politics of the Ocean. The resources listed on this site are primarily available electronically -- in some cases, access may be limited to UH-Mānoa affiliates (students/faculty/staff), while others are available to students throughout the UH system. This site is primarily intended to point users to online research materials, rather than to be a guide to conducting research. Both the Hawaiian and Pacific Collections have numerous online guides that provide in-depth, subject-specific research advice. A complete list of Hawaiʻi guides can be found at this link. A complete list of Pacific guides can be found at this link. You can also find some basic research tips on the Hawaiian & Pacific Collections website, by clicking here.

While the emphasis here is with online resources, the Hawaiian & Pacific Collections' print resources are also accessible. The H&P reading room is currently open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

As a first step in Pacific Islands research, WIkipedia can at times be very useful. However, Wikipedia itself notes that, "Wikipedia is not considered to be a reliable source as not everything in Wikipedia is accurate, comprehensive, or unbiased." Because of this, it is important to consider Wikipedia as an entry point to information on a subject, but not the actual source of information on a subject. If the source of a piece of information in a WIkipedia entry is not fully and clearly cited, it cannot be trusted as accurate. If a piece of information is cited, you must always go to that original source to a) ensure that the information has been fully and correctly presented in the Wikipedia article and b) that the original source of the information is itself "authoritative" -- that is, that the original source of the information can be trusted to be accurate and unbiased, or is presented in such a way that it can clearly be identified as inaccurate or biased. Sometimes, an author may be purposely including something that is inaccurate, false or biased as part of a larger discussion of a topic; if only that one portion of the argument is quoted in a second source (like Wikipedia), or if the information is taken out of context, it may take on a meaning that the author never intended. In short, Wikipedia can be a useful first step in your research, but it should never be your last (or only) step. (Click here for more detailed information on using Wikipedia as a research tool.)