WR 122 Chelf: A Proposal for the Betterment of Humankind and the World: Getting Started
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Hot Topics
The following websites and library databases can help you come up with great focused topic ideas:
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Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context)A one-stop source for information on current social issues. Includes viewpoint articles on both sides of an issue, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full text magazine and newspaper articles. View the Opposing Viewpoints handout [pdf]
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Pro/Con.orgA free website that presents pros and cons on current controversial issues.
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SIRS Issues ResearcherFull text information on social issues, science, health, history, government, business, and the arts and humanities. Citations include Lexile reading levels. View the SIRS Knowledge Source handout [pdf].
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Google NewsA news search may net you articles that provide a good overview of your topic as well as the various viewpoints, issues, and public opinion surrounding it. For a really recent issue, this is particularly valuable, as there may not be anything in encyclopedias.
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CQ ResearcherTopical, full text reports on controversial issues. Each report features a summary, chronology, and bibliography. Updated weekly.
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650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal WritingIf you are looking for topic ideas, use this list to get you thinking. From the New York Times Learning Network.
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401 Prompts for Argumentative WritingIf you are looking for topic ideas, use this list to get you thinking. From the New York Times Learning Network.
Peer Review Explained
Your Proposal CAN Change the World
Almost any broad topic you find interesting will work for starting your research. As part of the research process, you will explore this broad topic and find a focused issue within that topic that will work well for your academic research project. Examples:
Broad topic: music
Focused topic: What is the effect of music on learning in elementary school children?
Broad topic: vegetarianism
Focused topic: How does a vegetarian diet affect global warming?
Broad topic: extraterrestrial life
Focused topic: What evidence have astrobiologists found about the indicators of life in outer space?
Plan to take some time exploring your topic, and to be flexible about what your final research question will be. You may find that you will change your focus as you learn more about your topic and find new angles that interest you.
The library database SIRS Knowledge Source provides a method of drilling down from a broad, general topic to a specific one. Scroll down to the Browse all Pro/Con issues section to see the general subject areas and then click on one to view the more specific topics associated with it.
Sometimes mapping out the ideas and key concepts within your topic can help you narrow to a focused research question. This video will show you how to map your way to a focused question. You can also click here to see an example of a concept map done on a computer.
Selection of specialized databases
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A-Z list of databases (ALL of them!)PCC subscribes to +100 databases. Browse this list to find a discipline specific database related to your topic. Librarians can also offer suggestions for databases to try -- just ask!
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Communications and Mass Media CompleteFull-text articles relating to all aspects of communication and mass media.
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Ethnic NewswatchFull text newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic minority and native press. Provides a rich collection of articles, editorials, and reviews with a broad diversity of perspectives and viewpoints. Also a good source of ethnic recipes. Coverage is from 1980 to the present. View the Ethnic NewsWatch handout
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GenderWatchFocusing on how gender impacts diverse subject areas, resources include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, as well as NGO and government publications. Archival material from as early as 1970 provides a historical perspective on the women's movement, men's studies, the transgendered community, and changes in gender roles. View the GenderWatch handout
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PsycINFOStart here if you are looking for scholarly (peer-reviewed) psychology articles. PsycINFO is the single most comprehensive psychology article collection. Full-text articles from PsycARTICLES are included here. View the PsycINFO handout [pdf].
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ScienceDirectFull text for more than 1,000 peer-reviewed life sciences, Health Science, physical sciences, and engineering journals with citation information for thousands more. Look for the "Full-text available" indicators to view articles online. View the Science Direct handout.
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