Public Affairs, Public Service, and Public Administration

This research guide provides assistance in doing research in public administration and related areas. Here you'll find information on electronic and print resources available to users of the Rutgers University Libraries. This guide includes links to both publicly-available Internet resources and to electronic resources available only to members of the Rutgers community.

If you are a graduate student, you might also be interested in our Research Tips for Graduate Students page from the Newark Dana Library.

Best regards,

Roberta Tipton

SPAA Librarian, Newark

Karen Hartman

Planning & Public Policy Librarian, New Brunswick

Katie Elson Anderson

Public Administration Librarian, Camden

Public administration is both an academic discipline and a profession. "The process of public administration consists of the actions involved in effecting the intent or desire of a government." (Waldo, "Public Administration," International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 1968, Vol. 13, p. 145). Public administration can be defined as "the formal procedural and organizational arrangements under which public employees serve a government, by implementing and advising on policy, and managing resources."(Johnston, "Public Administration: Organizational Aspects," 2001, International Organization of Social & Behavioral Sciences pp. 12507-12508).

Materials related to public administration can be found at the Dana Library in Newark, which houses the research collections in public administration and management, the Alexander Library in New Brunswick, which houses the major public policy and political science collections, and the Robeson Library in Camden.

Additional law and criminal justice materials can be found in the Newark and Camden law libraries.