Resources for Controversial Topics

Encyclopedias Articles Books Websites on the Free Web Polls & Surveys Help Choosing a Controversial Topic Encyclopedias Encyclopedias can be a great place to begin research on controversial issues. The background information they provide will give you a quick insight into the issue as a whole and help you to learn key facts and vocabulary and will give you ideas about how you can focus your topics. Most encyclopedia articles will also list a bibliography or references that may lead to other great sources for your paper. To search for encyclopedias use tomCat, the online catalog. Try keyword searches for your topic with the word encyclopedia. For example: abortion encyclopedia. Encyclopedias with Background Information on Some Popular Controversial Topics Encyclopedia of Abortion in the United States REF HQ767.5.U5 P35 2002 Encyclopedia of American Immigration REF JV6465 .E53 2001 Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice REF HV6017 .E52 2002 Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment REF HV6017 .E524 2002 Encyclopedia of Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues in Biotechnology REF TP248.16 .M87 2000 Encyclopedia of Political Thought REF JA61 .E52 2001 Gambling in America: An Encyclopedia of History, Issues, and Society REF GV1301 .T47 2001 Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law REF HV7436 .G8783 2002 Historical and Multicultural Encyclopedia of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States REF HQ766.5.U5 H57 2002 International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family REF HQ9 .E52 2003 Articles The following periodicals provide articles on a variety of controversial topics. Many other articles on the topic of your choice can be found by searching other library databases. Congressional Digest Described as "A Pro & Con Monthly" each issue contains background, Congressional actions, legislative histories and pros and cons written by members of Congress. Available in Government Publications Department To see if your topic is covered in Congressional Digest go to Expanded Academic Index ASAP. Put keywords for your topic in the search box and type Congressional Digest in the box following "to the following journal(s)." CQ Researcher Weekly journal that publishes a comprehensive report on one timely news issue each week. An excellent resource for background information, chronologies, pros and cons, and bibliographies. Print copies available at the Reference Desk. CQ Weekly Easy to read reports of Congressional activity. Print copies available at the Government Publications Department. Books The following series of books are known for their study of controversial topics and information on both sides of each issue. Many other books on your topic can be found by using tomCat, but books in the Opposing Viewpoints and the Reference Shelf Series can be especially helpful starting points. Opposing Viewpoints A series of books on varioius controversial topics. Each book is devoted to one topic and each chapter takes a different point of view. If you are having trouble choosing a topic, browsing through the titles in the Opposing Viewpoints series might help you. To browse the titles, go to tomCat, the online catalog and do a keyword search for opposing viewpoints greenhaven. This will give you a list of all of the books that we have in the Opposing Viewpoints series that is published by Greenhaven. If you already have a topic, try a keyword search for that topic and add opposing viewpoints to the search -- for example opposing viewpoints iraq. Reference Shelf Similar to Opposing Viewpints, this series of books on controversial issues devotes one volume to an issue and includes more than 20 articles that consider that issue from various points of view. Try keyword searches like those suggested for the opposing viewpoints books, but place reference shelf wilson in the search. Websites on the Free Web Brookings Institute A non-partisian think-tank that produces a variety of books, articles, and other documents on a variety of controversial topics. LexisNexis US Politics and World News Free articles and transcripts concerning newsworthy topics from more than 4,000 sources. Frontline The Frontline website provides background information, links, chronologies, interviews, and other information corresponding to documentaries filmed for the PBS show. Visitors to the site may also view many of the documentaries online, print out transcripts, and join online discussions. Public Agenda A non-partisan and nonprofit research organization that provides educational materials, include research and issue guides, on a variety of issues. Editorials & Opinion Pieces LexisNexis Academic: Guided News Search Choose the Guided Search option. Select a category and a news source; General News and Major Papers are good choices. Type your subject in one search box, searching in the default Headline, Lead Paragraph, and Terms field. In the next box, type opinion OR editorial OR op-ed; use the drop-down arrow and select Fulltext. Polls & Surveys LexisNexis Academic: Polls & Surveys Results of opinion polls conducted by Gallup, Harris, Roper; ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC, Los Angeles Times, NewYork Times, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Help Choosing a Controversial Topic CQ Researcher Index If you are uncertain about a topic for a paper on a controversial issue, browsing the CQ Researcher index can give you some ideas. CSA: Discovery Guides Background information, bibliographies and links to web sites on a variety of current issues in a variety of disciplines--Arts & Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Science, and Technology. LexisNexis Congressional: Hot Bills & Topics Information on selected "hot" bills that have been recently enacted or are under consideration by Congress. View and track the bills and read discussions from the Congressional Record. The selected "hot topics" contain links to articles from national and regional news sources.