Research Tips & Tricks

Issue Books The first stop for research Released by the conference itself Outlines the main focus, history of the issue Particularly useful in 1 st paragraph of policy statement Print out and annotate Example - Relief to Development

The UN Website Ideal for 1 st paragraph research Includes a record of all member states Shows signatories/ratifications on all treaties Gives the most accurate information

UNBISNET Records of all UN documents –Unbisnet.un.org -> New Keyword Search (Under bibliographic records) –Fill in “Subject” line with topic –Optional: Your country as author –Click “English” Contains past resolutions and documents Example of a document Good way to learn resolution writing

The CIA Fact Book A database containing info about EVERY country the US recognizes –Info like economy, geography, people, government, communications, energy, transportation, military, transnational issues, statistics Also includes comparisons to other nations –regionally and internationally Particularly useful in 2 nd paragraph of policy statement Example - Brunei

New York Times Shows history of country (1851 -) Displays recent coverage (current event info) Includes many links to useful sites –State Dept. site –CIA Fact Book –BBC Country Profile Just search the country on nytimes.com!

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vary country by country Contain original documents outlining your country’s stance Most issues in committee are discussed on MFA websites Perfect for first-hand information for use in policy statements Example – Turkey

Raw Research Paper Three pages: 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd paragraphs Copy/Paste anything useful Condense and clarify into policy statement Useful for speeches