English & Communications

Supplementary Databases

Opposing Viewpoints

This link opens in a new window Offers in-depth, unbiased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on a wide range of topics.Each report is investigated and written by a seasoned journalist, professionally fact-checked, and footnoted to facilitate further research. Reports date back to 1923.

Global Issues in Context

This link opens in a new window Ties together sources to present a rich analysis of issues: social, political, military, economic, environmental, science related, health related, cultural, and headlines in world hot spots.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context

This link opens in a new window Covers today’s hottest social issues presenting each side of a topic.

Points of View Reference Center

This link opens in a new window Contains resources that present multiple sides of an issue. Provides more than 370 topics, each with an overview (objective background / description), point (argument), and counterpoint (opposing argument). Each topic features a Guide to Critical Analysis which helps the reader evaluate the controversy.

ProCon.org

ProCon.org is the country’s leading source for information and research on all sides of the controversial issues of the day.

Statistics

Statista

This link opens in a new window Aggregates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 18,000 sources, including market researchers, trade organizations, scientific journals, and government databases.

Magazines

OverDrive Magazines

Overdrive collection of magazines includes over 3,000 titles in more than 15 languages. It could also be used for the advertisement analysis assignment.

Images for Presentations

Britannica ImageQuest

This link opens in a new window Offers nearly 3 million images rights-cleared for non-commercial, educational use and are perfect for creating exciting and visually engaging projects and presentations.

Selecting a Topic and Searching Library Collections

Getting Started

As you are embarking on your research assignment, the first step in the process is to decide on a topic, narrow it down, and identify good research questions. Consider picking a topic that has a connection to your personal life, culture, or your CMC major/program.

Exploring topics, research questions, & two sides of an issue using library databases
Writing a Research Question

Multiple Sides of an Argument

As you are working on a persuasive paper or a speech, there is a temptation to focus primarily on your point of view. However, try to thoroughly research the other side as well. Furthermore, the reality is rarely black and white. There are usually multiple sides and solutions to any issue. Attempt to explore several different perspectives. These library databases will help you explore multiple pro and con perspectives for a given topic.

Thesis statement

Remember that research is a cyclical process. It is perfectly acceptable to revise your topic or your research question as you progress through your research process. Make sure to do the bulk of your research before writing down your thesis statement. The thesis statement should reflect your research findings.

Searching Library Collections

    Searching library collections & citing sources using EBSCO Discovery
    Boolean Operators
    Examples:
        post-traumatic stress disorder AND prevalence AND veterans
        standardized testing AND high stakes test AND high school AND effect
        "Colorado river" AND water management AND (policy OR law)
        (vegan OR plant-based) AND (athletes OR sports) AND performance
        (birth control OR contraception) AND parental consent AND (minors OR adolescents OR teens)
        immunization AND schools AND policy NOT (COVID-19 OR coronavirus OR pandemic)

Evaluating Information

In today's world, finding information is not difficult. The challenge is to determine how credible and reliable it is. It is important to always approach information sources with a critical eye.

Evaluating sources
Confirmation bias

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Peer review process
How to analyze scholarly articles

Annotated Bibliography

Citations

Citation Guides

Microsoft Editor

Microsoft Editor is a writing assistant that will check your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Editor is available for

Microsoft 365 Word and Outlook
Chrome browser extension. The browser extension is especially helpful when writing in Canvas.

Get Started

As a CMC student, you have free access to Microsoft 365 Apps. Access Microsoft 365 in Basecamp

Video Tutorial

Grammarly

Grammarly is a free writing assistant that will check your grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, and tone.

Grammarly is available for:

Microsoft Word and Outlook

Web browser extensions: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. The browser extensions are especially helpful when writing in Canvas.

Mobile Keyword

Get started

Create an account and sign in
Click the Apps tab and install the apps