Researching Controversial Topics

This guide will help users to identify relevant library resources and Internet sites for researching controversial issues.

Finding Books and Videos

In order to find books or AV material on a topic you should consult the online catalog.
If you are undecided about a topic, try the following suggestions.

Keyword search for "opposing viewpoints"
Title search for taking sides
Keyword search for"contemporary world issues" Almost all of the books in this series are available as e-books through NetLibrary.

If you already have a topic
A simple subject search such as suicide will retrieve information on the different aspects of suicide. Some examples are:

Suicide Prevention and control
Suicide Moral and ethical aspects
Suicide Religious aspects Christianity

Finding Periodical Articles
Many magazines and newspapers deal with controversial issues but they don’t always give both sides of the debate. The two databases listed below contain articles and other resources that present more than one point of view.

Facts on File

The Issues & Controversies section provides analysis and background on a wide range of issues. You can search for information in a variety of ways. The site includes charts, graphs, and editorials that pertain to certain issues.

Opposing Viewpoints
This database contains full-text articles, links to web sites, reference material, photographs, and statistics on a wide variety of topics.

Useful Web Sites

Google Directory – Society > Issues
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Issues/
Provides links to web sites covering a variety of social issues. The links are categorized by subject.

The Issues
http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/issuehome.cfm
Public Agenda is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research and citizen education organization that provides information on a wide range of issues.

Librarians’ Index to the Internet
http://lii.org/search
This is a searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 11,000 Internet resources, selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to the library users and the general public as a reliable and efficient guide to Internet.

Online NewsHour: Backgrounders and Transcripts
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/background.html
Provides transcripts from segments that have run on the PBS show, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Moving Ideas Network
http://www.movingideas.org/
The producers of this site claim it “provides timely information and leading ideas about the policies and politics that drive the nation's agenda”.

Evaluating What You Find
The uneven quality of material on the Internet necessitates that you apply critical thinking skills to your Internet research. The handout “Evaluating Internet Resources” will help you evaluate web sites.

The following site can help you review other material formats:

How to Critically Analyze Information Sources
http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill26.htm

Citing Your Resources Using a Standard Format
Format the citations in your bibliography using examples from the Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) standards. Ask if your instructor has a preferred format.

Online and Print Resources
The librarians at Duke University have produced an excellent online citation guide that can be found at http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/works_cited. The guide covers print and electronic sources using MLA and APA formats.

If you have problems using any of the resources listed above please ask a library staff person for assistance.

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Researching Controversial Topics