James Keller: Research Log 2

Resource 1
Date: November 25, 2009
Search Topic: Baltic energy reconfigurations
Source: WorldCat
Search Terms: Baltic energy supply

Results/Evaluation:
This search returned only 14 results, most of which were substantially outdated, especially given the topic. Nonetheless, I will likely be making extensive use of the one resource which was both precisely relevant as well as current. This source is an IAEA analysis of energy supply options specific to the Baltic States, and includes substantial information on the potential impacts of the decommissioning of the Ignalina plant - the primary concern being Lithuania’s likely status as a net energy importer instead of exporter. Besides the accuracy of the information, the rationale for using this resource is the IAEA’s extensive use of graphs and tables that illustrate the detail-heavy textual analysis, helping me draw better conclusions specific to my research.

Citation: International Atomic Energy Agency. Analyses of Energy Supply Options and Security of Energy Supply in the Baltic States. Vienna: IAEA, 2007.

Resource 2
Date: November 27, 2009
Search Topic: EU-Russia energy relations
Source: Europe-Asia Studies
Search Terms: N/A

Results/Evaluation:
This resource was actually a serendipitous find – I came upon it while doing work for the library on campus. While directed at the often tumultuous EU-Russia gas relationship, this particular article has steered me to a number of other sources more directly associated with my primary topic. Additionally however, it discusses at length political theory as it applies to Euro-Russian energy policies – something which will be useful as I further develop the structure of the paper.

Citation: Van Der Meulen, Evert Faber. "Gas Supply and EU-Russia Relations." Europe-Asia Studies 61, no. 5 (2009): 833-856.

Resource 3
Date: December 7, 2009
Search Topic: Nuclear energy and European Union energy policy
Source: JSTOR
Search Terms: Ignalina European Union

Results/Evaluation: Although I was searching for information on the closure of the Ignalina plant vis-a-vis the EU’s energy policy, I discovered an extremely useful article that provides an informative history of nuclear power in the USSR and the culture surrounding its deployment. This will constitute a critical part of my project since the Ignalina plant was constructed under Soviet rule and its reactors were of the same design as the Chernobyl reactors. The article should help to explain Lithuanian public opinion for and against the use of nuclear power.

Citation: Josephson, Paul R. "Atomic-Powered Communism: Nuclear Culture in the Postwar USSR." Slavic Review 55, no. 2 (Summer, 1996): 297-324.