Research and Course Guides: COMP 1011: The College Research Essay (Christiansen) Summer 2024 1011 Recommended Library Sources/Databases for Issue-related Topics: Home

Home

The following databases are useful for finding and developing topics about controversial issues. In addition to providing overviews of topics, they include lists of related sources from different perspectives for further research. Most sources are available in full text.

CQ Researcher (1923-present) This link opens in a new window
Includes in-depth reporting on today’s issues. The most updated issues are featured on the main page of the source.
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Contains a variety of content, including viewpoint essays, journal, magazine, and newspaper articles, video, websites, reference works, and statistical sources about controversial issues.
Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new window
Includes multiple perspectives on controversial issues. Information comes from TV and radio transcripts, primary documents, and many other sources.

Library Exercise

Find Opposing Viewpoints by clicking on the Databases link on the library website. Find Opposing Viewpoints in the alphabetical list and read the description of the database. Click on the link to the database and note the features of the home page. Note the Issues of Interest, Browse Issues (boxed categorical listings and Browse Issues link), the Search Box, and the link to the Advanced Search.

If you know your topic for the argumentative paper, look for information by browsing through the issues listed. If your topic is not covered by an issue, enter your search terms in the search box at the top left of the screen to find information embedded in entries about other issues.

If you do not know your topic, use the listed issues to seek a topic of interest.

Your topic:

Note the availability of information sources about your topic. Find one source that looks useful for your research assignment, and give the bibliographic information, for example, author, title, date, etc., needed for a citation to the source. Be sure to copy the necessary information to find and cite the source.

Source of information: