From www.taylor.edu - Taylor University, integrating faith and learning

Confused? Need assistance?    Ask-A-Librarian for help.

Choosing a Topic and Getting Started

It can be very difficult to find a topic for a research paper, something you have interest in but that also fits within the parameters your professor has established for the assignment. This is where the Library enters the picture. We have books designed to help students write papers about controversial issues by presenting opposing views on topics.

To get started in figuring out what topic might work for you, this guide will direct you to a few specific series that Library owns, as well as an electronic resource that provides articles or reports in much the same fashion.

 

Books

Opposing Viewpoints is a series that provides various viewpoints on a particular topic. Below are listed the books available in Zondervan and their call numbers.

Book Title Date Call Number
Abortion 2002 363.46 A15a
Addiction 2000 362.29 Ad23H
Adoption 2006 362.734 A239a
Affirmative action 2000 331.133 AF27S
Africa 2000 960.32 Af83D
An Aging population 2001 305.26 A267a
AIDS 2003 616.9792 A28aid
Alcohol 2004 362.292 Al18B
America's prisons
 2006 365.973 A51a
American values
 2000 306.0973 A512a
Biological warfare 2004 358.38 B52D
Cars in America 2006 303.4832 C321c
Child abuse 2003 362.76 C46G
China 2001 306.0951 C539c
Civil liberties 2004 323.0973 C49O
Constructing a life philosophy 2002 100 C76S
Crime and criminals 2000 364 C86O
Criminal justice 2003 345.05 C86R
Culture wars 2003 306.0973 C89W
The Death penalty
 2002 364.66 D28de
Discrimination
 2003 305.8 D63d
Domestic violence 2005 362.82 D668do
Eating disorders 2001 616.8526 E14e
Education 2000 371.01 Ed83W
Endangered oceans 2004 577.7 En21G
Endangered species 2001 333.9522 E56e
Energy alternatives 2002 333.79 E567e
The Environment 2001 363.7 E61ev
Ethics 2006 170 E843et
Euthanasia 2000 179.7 Eu84B
Extremist groups 2001 303.484 E96e
Feminism 2000 305.42 F329f
Food 2006 363.8 F686f
Gambling 2002 363.42 G191g
Gangs 2000 364.106 G882g
Genetic engineering 2001 660.65 G328g
Global warming 2002 363.73 G56g
Gun violence 2002 363.33 G97gv
Hate groups 2004 364.1 H28W
Health
2004 362.1 H24O
Homosexuality 2004 306.766 H75O
The Homeless 2002 362.5 H765ho
Human rights 2003 323 H88E
Illegal immigration 2002 304.8 I29iL
Immigration 2004 325.73 Im63W
The Industrial Revolution 1998 330.973 In29D
The Internet 2002 303.483 I61in
Interracial America 2001 305.8 In8S
Iran 2006 955.054 I651i
Iraq 2004 956.7 Ir16D
Islam 2001 297.26 I82i
Juvenile crime 2002 364.36 J97jc
Male / female roles
 2005 305.3 M245ma
Media violence 2004 303.6 M468G
The Middle East 2004 956.04 M58D
National Security 2004 355.03 N21C
North and South Korea
 2003 951.9 N864n
Paranormal phenomena 2003 133 P223p
Police brutality 2007 363.232 P766pb
Political scandals 2001 364.132 P769p
Pollution 2000 363.738 P76R
Population 2000 304.6 P381p
Pornography 2002 363.47 P83po
Poverty 2004 362.5 P86B
Privacy 2006 323.448 P961p
Prostituion and sex trafficking 2006 363.44 P966p
Race relations 2001 305.8 R11r
Religion in America 2002 200.973 R382r
Rogue nations 2006 355.033 R736r
Russia
 2001 320.947 R969r
Self-mutilation 2008 616.9582 S465s
Sex 2000 306.7 Se91W
Social issues
 2000 261.1 Op59
Stem cells 2007 174.28 St41L
Technology and society 2002 303.483 T255t
Teenage sexuality
 2001 306.7 T25t
Teens at risk 2003 362.74 T22O
Terminal illness 2001 362.175 T319t
Terrorism 2004 363.32 T27E
The Third world 2000 909.097 T445t
The Vietnam War 1998 959.7043 V67D
Violence 2001 303.6 V79vi
War on drugs 2004 362.29 W19R
Work 2002 305.562 W89H
World War I 1998 940.373 W89D
World War II 1997 940.5409 W89D

 

Taking Sides is another series that presents multiple views of a topic. Here are some that are available in Zondervan.

Title Date Call Number
Abnormal psychology
 2007 616.89 T136t4
African issues
 2007 960 T13M
Childhood and society 2006 305.23 T13t6
Crime and criminology 2001 364 T13t6
Educational psychology 2008 370.19 T12A
Health and society 2001 306.461 T136t
Human sexuality 2006 155.3 T19t
Legal issues 2004 340.115 T136t11
Management 2005 658 St83t
Moral issues 2004 170 T13ta9
Public policy, justice, and the law 2006 342.45 T136t
Science, technology, and society 2006 306.45 T13E
Social issues 2001 306 T13ta
Social psychology 2007 302 T136t

 

Once you choose a topic, visit the Stacks and browse in that call number area for more books relating to the topic. Use keywords related to your topic to also search the Library catalog.

Don't forget to ask for assistance when you need it. Librarians are trained to know more about the library than you--ask them! They can help!

 

Articles

Some great sources for current controversial topics can also be found through the Library's online resources. The Databases page, linked from the Library's home page menu, provides all sorts of electronic article access.

A few resources to note:

  • CQ Researcher - Similar to the books, Opposing Viewpoints series, this reports provide extensive information on a current topic, including history, current status, projected outlook, a chronology, as well as a Pro/Con section, in which experts answer a question of importance regarding the topic from two different perspectives. The reports can be saved or printed for you to more fully read at a later time.
  • Academic Search Premier - Searching this database gives you access to thousands of journals, magazines, and newspapers. It provides information on a plethora of topics. If you need a more Focused database, more subject-specific to your paper topic, ask a Librarian which Database would work best for you.

 

Citations

One of the least favorite aspects of research papers are the citations, documenting the sources where you gleaned your information. To make that a little easier, the Library offers a few resources.

  • The Citation Style Guide is a place where you can find call numbers for print Style Manuals and Handbooks, as well as online help from several different universities around the States. Check it out and see if it helps!
  • RefWorks is what is referred to as a Citation Management program. Fully available online, and linked from the Library's home page, it allows you to keep it all ELECTRONIC. Download your citations from the various databases you're using into RefWorks. This program will create the Works Cited page for you with little effort. In a database, look for the option to EXPORT - that is where you'll find this gem of a program.
  • Automatically Generated Citations can be found in our Library Catalog (to the right of the item on the Results page), as well as in most EBSCO databases (like Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO, Communications and Mass Media Complete, etc.).
  • The Writing Center is also a solid resource. Available in the Library, this is run by the English department. If you'd like face-to-face help individually with citing or any aspect of writing your paper, the Writing Center is the place to go.  For more information, see their page on the Portal.

 

More Help

Of course, this page cannot provide everything you will need in the course of your project. Which is why the Librarians make themselves available to you in a variety of ways: email, in person at the Help desk, IM (instant messaging), and by phone. Set up an appointment if you prefer, or drop by the Help desk or any of our offices. We're happy to help when we can. Visit the Ask-A-Librarian page for times, email addresses, phone numbers, and IM contact information.

 

Created by Lana Wilson, Reference Librarian

Last revised October 30, 2009 - 10:20 AM