Library Guides: Starting Your Research: Select a Topic

Select a Topic

What are you curious about? Is there a topic about which you'd like to know more? Explore the resources below for inspiration.

Once you think you've identified a topic you'd like to explore further, take the time to get to know more about that topic. Gathering background information allows you to:

Gain familiarity with a topic
Identify differing perspectives of a topic
Identify the experts, researchers, and scholars familiar with a topic

Reference Sources and Encyclopedias

Gale in context. Global issues (formerly Global issues in context) This link opens in a new window
Focuses on broad issues, such as war, terrorism, human rights, poverty, famine, globalization, world trade, nuclear proliferation, and global warming. Ties together a variety of sources to present an analysis of issues.
Points of view reference center This link opens in a new window
Points of View Reference Center is a full-text database designed to provide students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. The database provides 250 topics, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument), counterpoint (opposing argument), and Critical Thinking Guide. The database also offers guides to debate, developing arguments, and writing position papers.
CQ researcher This link opens in a new window
Covers the most current and controversial issues of the day with summaries, pros and cons, bibliographies and more, with a United States focus. Includes news covered in print issues of: Editorial research reports (1924-1986), Congressional quarterly's editorial research reports (1987-1991) and CQ researcher (1991-).
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Brings together digitized entries from Oxford's Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias, spanning multiple subject areas.
Sage Knowledge This link opens in a new window
Holds an expansive range of SAGE eBook and eReference content, including reference works, academic books, professional development titles and more. This cross-media platform allows users to search and browse over 10,000 items, video, book and reference titles within the Social Sciences.
Gale ebooks This link opens in a new window
Provides searchable full-text e-book versions of many reference works, including multi-volume encyclopedias, biographical collections, business plan handbooks, company history compilations, consumer health references, and specialized handbooks, dictionaries, and encyclopedias.

News Sources

Guide to Accessing Newspapers
This guide contains information on accessing different types of newspapers, including current and historical newspapers.

Access World News Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text information and perspectives from thousands of U.S. and international news sources, each with its own distinctive focus, offering diverse viewpoints on local, regional and global issues. Date coverage varies with individual newspaper.
Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis Academic) This link opens in a new window
Nexis Uni delivers unmatched depth and quality when it comes to content. With more than 15,000 news, legal and business sources, Nexis Uni helps students find credible sources including: Print and online journals, television and radio broadcasts, newswires and blogs; Local, regional, national and international newspapers with deep archives; Extensive legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790; Unparalleled business information on more than 80 million U.S. and international companies and more than 75 million executives.
Factiva This link opens in a new window
Factiva provides access to global news and business information, including newspapers, same-day newswires, company reports, and media programs.
Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Full text articles from newspapers and periodicals published by the ethnic, minority and native press in the U.S.