English 225   Tags: argumentative, course_guide, eng225, english, ugl, undergrad, undergraduate, writing  

This guide is designed to give students a brief overview of some of the basic resources available from the library to act as a basic guide for undergraduate research.

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   “Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.”
                - Zora Neale Hurston, American writer,  1903 – 1960

Finding Both Sides of the Argument

Think of controversial topics in today's headlines

• The Federal Stimulus Package
• Bailing Out the Big-Three Automakers
• Global Warming
• Pulling Out of Iraq
• Closing Guantanamo
• Stem Cell Research in Michigan and Proposal 2
• Gay Marriage and the Defeat of Proposition 8 in California

The library has several series of books which summarize both sides of an issue. These may help you develop a topic and help you start your research. To find these books go to the library catalog, Mirlyn, click on the word Advanced in the top of the screen. In one of the dropdown menu boxes change the box to read "Series," then enter any of the series titles listed below for a list of books in that series.

"opposing viewpoints"

"contemporary world issues"

"social issues primary resources"

"current controversies"

CQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. You can browse CQ Resercher by topic, track specific controversial topics by date or look up topics in their Pro/Con section. Pro/Con offers succinct articles by experts arguing for and against given topics. Click on the image below to go to this database.

Issues and Controversies offers accurate discussions of over 250 controversial topics in the news supplemented with chronologies, illustrations, maps, tables, sidebars, contact information, and bibliographies including primary source documents and news editorials. It has a subject index and a section featuring pro/con articles on a number of topics.

Argument or Contradiction?