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Researching the
EU on the World Wide Web
Researching on the Web can be
very rewarding. It can also be very confusing and time consuming.
This guide is meant to try and help you organize your surfing to make
the most of your time. Of course, you can do your research any way
you like. Here are my suggestions:
Dr. Steven Wolinetz
The Ten Step Process
to EU Enlightenment
- Step
1: Know something
about the EU
If you are just starting to learn about the EU it is important that
you know something about it before you start to wade through the mass
of information that is on the Web. That way you can decide what information
you want before you try and find it.
- Step 2:
Choose a home base
I always have a "home base" when I am doing my research.
What this means is that I have one central page that usually contains
a variety of links related to the subject area that I am researching.
This page is an example of what I call a "home base". You
can use it or else you can follow this link to find a number of other
such pages: EU
Links
- Step
3: EU Institutions
The next places that I always go are the EU Institutions themselves.
Here you can get the official line on the specific area that you are
researching. If you are researching the nature of the institutions
themselves then this is also the best place to go. You can follow
this link to get a list of the home pages of the institutions, and
a brief description of each: EU
Institutions
- Step 4: The Treaties
The closest thing that the EU has to a constitution is the set of
treaties that defines it. Their importance is self-evident. Follow
this link for a list and links to their texts: EU Treaties
- Step 5: The Member
States
To understand the EU it is essential to understand its members. The
home pages of the various member states provide insight into state-level
policies towards the EU, among other essential information. Follow
this link for a list of member state home-pages and pages of links
to various state-level government organizations: EU
Member States
- Step
6: EU Official Documentation
If you browse around in the home pages of the EU Institutions you
will eventually find links to official documentation. The EU also
has an Office for Official Publications. Furthermore there are a number
of other sites from which EU Documentation can be obtained. Follow
this link to get there: EU Publications
- Step 7: EU Delegations
A major role of the EU delegations around the world is to encourage
non-EU individuals to learn about it. Consequently these home pages
are treasure troves of information. Check them out here: EU
Delegations
- Step 8: Organizations
associated with the EU
There are a number of organizations with ties of varying strength
to the EU. Often your research will lead you here. This link will
bring you to a list of some of the most important of these: Organizations
Associated with the EU
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of international organizations,
sorry.
- Step 9: Other
information sources
There is a variety of unofficial sites with information about the
EU. Many of these are run by universities, think tanks, etc. Go here
to check them out: Other
information sources
- Step 10: EU Databases
and Links
If you have tried everything else and still have not found what you
are looking for then it is time to strike out on your own and try
and find it. Fortunately there are a number of other link pages like
this one with different links for you to try. Also a number of databases
have been specifically designed to look for EU related information
for you.
Look here: Links
and Databases
EU Bibliography by Professor Osvaldo Croci.
