Controversial Issues Assignment
ENC 1102
Instructor: Carol Martinson

Assignment Information

Documentation Tip Sheet

Research Project Check List

 

 Finding Information

Using CQ Researcher

Finding Periodical Articles
(Magazines, Journals or Newspapers)

Finding Books Using the PCC Catalog

Finding Relevant Web Sites

Finding Statistics

Getting Research Assistance

PCC Library Web Site
Selecting a Topic

As you may already have discovered this is often the hardest step in the research paper writing process. It is also a very important step. If you choose a topic that is very broad - "Poverty" - you will be over whelmed with information and you will have difficulty organizing your ideas and findings into a manageable, cohesive paper. If you choose a topic that is very narrow - "Gifted Children Living in Poverty Benefit From Having Pet Fish" - obviously, you will have trouble finding enough information sources to support your paper. Take time to focus your topic. If you can, try to choose a topic that truly interests you. The tables of contents and indexes of some of the general social science resources are good places to look for ideas (this also gives you an idea about the availability of information).

Two online resources that are available to you through the PCC Library are CQ Researcher and Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.  Both of these databases list the most current and controversial topics that are in the news today. Browse them both to get an idea of a topic that is of interest to you, then use this handout to further narrow your choice.

Using CQ Researcher

What is CQ Researcher?

CQ Researcher reports offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each report gives readers a broad overview of the subject, including the historical background, current controversies, statistics, and a bibliography of additional readings. CQ Researcher is published by Congressional Quarterly.

Where is CQ Researcher?

CQ Researcher reports are available in print and electronic form. The PCC Library has the print reports in print form in the reference collection. To access CQ Researcher directly through the Internet you must have a subscription. Currently enrolled students can access the CQ Researcher online by logging into the PCC databases through the library web site. Go to the library web site http://www.polk.edu/it/library/ and click on the databases button, then click on "logon".

How do you search for a CQ Researcher report?
Use any of the search options in the left-hand column to find a report.

The CQ Researcher Online is both a tool for selecting a topic to research and a comprehensive resource for exploring that topic. To start your topic search, consider the recent CQ Researcher reports listed on the Home page.

If you are looking for a particularly timely topic, check In the News, which provides updates on issues covered in recent CQ Researcher reports. Or, consult Coming Up to learn about forthcoming reports.

If you have a topic in mind but need to narrow the focus, try Browse by Topic link which will help you fine-tune your selection. For example, by selecting the subject header "Medical Care," you will discover reports related to dozens of more narrow subjects, such as "Managed Care," "Medical Malpractice," and "Medical Mistakes."

When in doubt, try a keyword Search. CQ Researcher reports cover a wide range of political and social issues, including topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Keyword searching may uncover information or analysis on the exact topic you are researching.

Once you have a report that interests you, print your report or e-mail it to yourself for later.
 
Using Opposing Viewpoints
 
What is Opposing Viewpoints?

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center is a one stop sour a  one-stop source for information on today's hottest social issues. OVRC features viewpoint articles, topic overviews, full-text magazine, academic journal, and newspaper articles, primary source documents, statistics, images and podcasts, and links to Websites.  You can use the basic search, shown on the right, to enter your own search terms or find a topic from the listed topics on the same page.

 

Below are listed just a few of the many topics covered in Opposing Viewpoints
Abortion
Administration of criminal justice
Adoption
Affirmative action
AIDS (Disease)
Alcoholism
Animal experimentation
Animal rights
Assisted suicide
Bioethics
Biological weapons
Birth controlChemical weapons
Child abuse
Church and state
Civil rights
Cloning
Crime victims
Domestic violence
Drinking (Alcoholic beverages)
Driving while intoxicated
Drug traffic
Drugs and athletes
Eating disorders
Education
Emigration and immigration
Endangered species
Environmentalism
Ethnic relations
Gangs
 
Genetic engineering
Homelessness
Illegal immigrants
Islamic fundamentalism
Juvenile drinking
Mental disorders
Mental health
Middle East
National security
Nutrition
Oceans
Prisons
Stem cells
Teenage sexual behavior
Terrorism
 
When you select a topic you are presented with a screen similar to the one below.  Not only are you provided with articles for and against a topic, but also reference material, statistics, etc.

All information from Opposing Viewpoints is available to print, email or save.  At the end of each item in Opposing Viewpoints, a sample citation is provided.  Please consult with your instructor on the proper format when using this material.
Finding Periodical Articles - Using other PCC Databases
What is a periodical article?  
A periodical is a newspaper, magazine, journal... or anything that comes out "periodically" - weekly, monthly, bi-annually. The PCC Library has many periodicals.  Some are in "print" on the shelves and others (many others) are available electronically through the database - anytime/anywhere.
What Databases does PCC have?  
PCC subscribes to many databases.  You have used one already - CQ Researcher.  There are many others from which to choose.  Some are good for finding periodical articles, some are good for finding statistics, some are good for finding information on specific subjects (science, art, business).

Here is a list of some databases you might consider using:

  • Academic SearchComplete- Periodicals - Abstracts, Citations & Full Text
    Full-text periodical (newspapers, magazines, & journals) resource containing information from a wide range of academic areas including business, social sciences, humanities, general academic, general science and education.
  • Academic OneFile - Periodicals - Full Text
    A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. Millions of full-text articles, many with images. Updated daily.
  • Lexis Nexis - Periodicals & More - Full Text
    Full-text access to a wide range of periodical resources as well as news, business, legal, and reference information. Medical & health; federal, state & international legal materials; corporate news & financial information, and more.
  • OmniFile - Periodicals - Abstracts, Citations, & Full Text
    Full text periodicals, along with article abstracts and indexing, covering business, education, science, social sciences, art, humanities -- includes popular magazines.
  • Opposing Viewpoints - Current Issues Reference and Periodical Resource - Full Text
    Search viewpoint articles, topic overviews from reference resources, government and organizational statistics, court cases, profiles of government agencies and special interest groups, newspaper and magazine articles and more concerning social issues.
  • Readers' Guide - Periodicals - Abstracts, Citations & Full Text
    Readers' Guide Full Text is a database containing comprehensive indexing and abstracting of the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States and Canada, plus the full text of selected periodicals

You can access all the PCC databases by clicking on the "Databases" button on the PCC Library Web Site.

If you have trouble connecting, check the "Trouble Connecting" help sheet.
Searching and Retrieving Information  
All the databases work a little bit differently, but basically, once you are connected you will get a screen that has 1-3 text boxes where you can enter whatever it is you are looking for.  It's very similar to searching the Internet using a search engine like Google or Excite... except you are searching a specific database for specific types of information (newspaper articles, journals, statistics). 

Academic Search Premier is a database for periodicals - newspaper, magazine & journal articles.

Here is an example of Academic Search Premier's search screen:

You should receive a list of articles that match your search terms (it's like computer dating). 

The full-text articles will have a link that says "full-text".  If you click on the link, the whole article will be there for you to read.  You can print out the articles, e-mail them to yourself, or save them to a disk.

Finding eBooks

What are ebooks?

When you are taking a PAL course, it is not always convenient to come into the library to look for books on your topic. The solution may be ebooks.  This eResource provides digitized versions of  books that are currently in print.  You locate them by using the PCC online catalog and limiting your search to ebooks by selecting the dropdown menu for Format.
Finding Web Sites - Relevant, Reliable, Credible Web Sites

It is easy to jump on the Web and search for just about anything.  Just remember, that anyone can put anything on the Internet.  Be a picky shopper when you are searching.  If you could buy any car in the world, would you buy a Pinto? a Benz? a Corvette? a Festiva? Why?  Ya, getting a date may have something to do with it, but it all comes down to quality.  You want the "good stuff". 

How do you know what is "good".  Part of that depends on what you need, but in general, if you look carefully at the site you should be able to determine: the source or author, the source's or author's credentials, when the information was created/updated, and why this information was create.

How do you find web sites?  Most people use a search engine, a meta-search or a directory.  If you are unfamiliar with searching, take a few minutes to go through one of the search engine tutorials - even if you are familiar with search engines you might find that you learn something new. 

For example, try the Google basic search tutorial -- http://www.google.com/help/basics.html .

PCC Library Search Engine Page http://www.polk.edu/it/library/search.htm
For links to search engines, meta-searches, directories, and other online resources.

PCC Library's Bookmark Page - http://www.polk.edu/It/Library/bookmarks.htm
Links that have been collected by the PCC Librarians.  Links are arranged by topic area.

Portals, Gateways & Directories (websites collected and categorized by real live humans)
Finding Statistics

You probably already have some statistics from your CQ Researcher article - right?  Did you notice where CQ Researcher got those statistics?  Quite possibly from a government resource.  The government is a wonderful source for statistics and you can access these statistics via the Internet. 

Some Internet sources for Statistics provided by the US government include:

The US Census Bureau - http://www.census.gov/
Statistical Abstracts of the United States - http://www.census.gov/statab/www/
FedStats - http://www.fedstats.gov/
US Dept. of Labor - http://stats.bls.gov/
 National Center for Educational Statistics -- http://nces.ed.gov/

If you're not sure where to find the statistics that you need, you might try using a statistics directory - a place where real live people have put together website by subject area - to locate the appropriate resource.  PCC has a section for statistics websites on the bookmarks page as do most universities and colleges.

University of Michigan's Statistical Resources on the Web http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/statsnew.html

 

Back to the Databases...

Another good resource for statistics is the  Statistical Tables by LexisNexis . 

Basically, you will be getting the same statistics that you would get from the Internet and print resources, but they are all in one convenient place.  It does take some time to get comfortable with this database - take a minute to look at the tutorial or help pages before you begin. 

Getting Assistance

Still not finding what you need?  Well, that's why we are here.

The librarians at PCC can help you find resources at the library or online and obtain resources from other libraries if necessary.  You can call the library and receive assistance over the phone -- WH Campus Library  297-1040 or LK Campus Library 297-1042 -- or you can stop by and ask for assistance in person, or you can e-mail the library (if you're shy). 

See the library "About the Libraries" page for library hours, phones numbers and e-mail addresses.

Return to the PCC Library Web Site

this page last updated June 2007