Research Guides: ENGL 2201: Issues & Controversies

Step 1: Choosing a Topic

Tips for choosing a topic for an Issues and Controversies paper:

1. Consider your interests and major. Have you recently learned about issues in your major that you want to research?

Examples: Teachers and School Vouchers, Healthcare Professionals and Obesity

2. Can you think of any recent news stories that apply to your interests or your major?

Examples: recent lawsuits, health discoveries

3. Does anyone in your family or group of friends have a problem or health issue you would like to explore?

Examples: Diabetes, autism, depression

4. Do you see anything in U.S. Policy or even your local community that seems like it has more than one side of the story?

Examples: Middle East Conflict

Need more ideas?

Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text up-to-date, in-depth factual information on a broad range of current issues and controversies. Chronologies, illustrations, maps, tables, sidebars, bibliographies and contact information augment the balanced coverage of current and historical events. Topics include: politics, business, government, crime, law, energy, education, health, family, science, foreign policy, race, rights, society, and culture. Content spans 1995 – present.
CQ Researcher Online This link opens in a new window
Congressional Quarterly’s reports on topics including current affairs, the economy, social trends, international relations, criminal justice, education, the environment, government and politics.

Step 2: Finding Sources

Step 2 is to find sources.

It is a good idea to find a few sources for each side of the debate.
Start with the two databases in the boxes on this page: Issues and Controversies and CQ Researcher.
In each article in these databases, there will also be a list of sources that you can use for further information on the topic.
If you need additional sources, or wish to look further, you can do so in a multidisciplinary database, such as P roquest Research Library, or you can try a subject specific database in our database list.
You will need to come up with key terms that best describe the topics. If you are not finding what you are looking for, try changing your search terms.

Issues and Controversies

To search the database Issues and Controversies, enter a search in to the box below, or click the blue heading to be taken directly in to the database.

For a listing of topics that you can browse, click this link to be taken to the Research Topics page.

CQ Researcher

To search the database CQ Researcher, search in the box below, or click the blue CQ Researcher button to be taken in to the database. Once in the database, you can go to the heading "Browse Topics" to view a listing of topics.