Get Started with Library Research
For your Informative and Persuasive Speeches, you need to cite:
A minimum of 3 published sources, with one published within the previous 3 months.
The databases below will help you find articles on your topic. Search using the keywords you have developed, and be prepared to use both broader and narrower search terms to refine your results.
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Access World News: Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Digital news archive from NewsBank that provides access to thousands of global, national, and local news sources. Coverage dates vary by publication. To explore available titles and their date ranges, use the A–Z Source List.
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Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Full text of thousands of academic journals, magazines, and other publications across a wide range of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and more.
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Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
A news platform exploring controversial social issues and current events, featuring balanced pro/con perspectives, reference materials, interactive maps, infographics, and more.
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PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive index of international publications in psychology and related fields—including psychiatry, education, business, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, law, linguistics, and social work—covering journal articles, book chapters, books, reports, theses, and dissertations from 1967 to the present. Compiled by the American Psychological Association.
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RefWorks This link opens in a new windowWeb-based bibliographic research management, writing, and collaboration tool. Designed for researchers to gather, organize, store and share all types of information and to generate formatted citations and bibliographies.
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ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive, multidisciplinary database offering resources across business and economics (including market, country, and industry reports), health and medical sciences, social sciences, education, science and technology, arts and humanities, language and literature, history, religion and philosophy, performing and visual arts, communication studies, psychology, public and international affairs, film studies, music, and news and world affairs. It includes access to scholarly journals, market research, trade and professional journals, general interest magazines, and global news sources.
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Agricultural & Environmental Science Database This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to a wide range of global publications in environmental science, agriculture, pollution management, and related disciplines from 1960-present. It includes editorially-curated abstracting and indexing resources and incorporates content from: AGRICOLA (agriculture and life science), TOXLINE (toxicology and environmental health), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), and Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management (ESPM).
Keep Track of Your Citations
- Remember to keep track of the sources that you find for future reference using Refworks. Good research relies on the belief that the work of others is ethically cited...practice this routinely as part of the scholarly process!
- Be sure to record important information like title, author, year of publication, volume and issue, page numbers, publisher and URL. You will need this to build your bibliography.
Analyze Sources
Authority:
- Who is the speaker or writer?
- What are his/her credentials?
- Who, if anyone, sponsors the information?
- What is the reputation of the publisher?
Recency:
- Is the information reflective of current knowledge?
- Is the recorded date reflective of the information?
Objectivity:
- What is the author’s self-interest, bias or opinion?