The following is meant to be used as support material related to a library instruction session conducted by a library instructor and an BHCC English Department course instructor.
Consider what you need in terms of information for this particular assignment
- Paper vs. electronic resources
- Primary, secondary or tertiary sources
- Books, magazines, journal, newspaper articles, world wide web sites or other materials available on the Internet like e-mail, listserv entries etc.
Consider where you'll search
- Book catalog
- World Wide Web
- Online subscription services
Consider how you'll search
- Natural language searching
- Boolean search techniques
Exploring and Choosing a Topic
Select a topic you can find sufficient information to be able to form an opinion about and write on in the time frame of this assignment. Look at the Subject Headings of the Library of Congress Classification System from the Library's Web file to get an idea of the broad topic areas available to write on. Remember that corresponding Call Numbers for the LC Subject Headings provide the location of materials in the BHCC Library.
Also consider these suggested Web Sites to help you decide on a topic for your paper:
- Hot Topics
- WWW Virtual Library
- Digital Librarian
- Refdesk.com -- select the "Subject Categories" found at the top of the home page.
Finding Sources on your Topic
Books at the Bunker Hill Library
Keep in mind the topic position or opinion you selected for your argument paper to help focus your research process. Use the BHCC Web Catalog and select the "Subject" or "Keyword" search option to find books in the Bunker Hill Community College Library. Expand your search and use the NOBLE Web Catalog to find materials from other libraries. If you find an item that you would like to borrow from another NOBLE library then use you library PIN number to request the material.
Magazine, journal, and newspaper articles
Use online subscription databases to find magazine, journal, and newspaper articles for current information and/or opinions on your topic. Since most of these online subscription services offer different databases to choose from consider which database(s) is/are the most helpful to you in providing information that supports your argument. Although these databases are similar in format use the online "Help" screens to make your information access and searching more efficient and relevant to your topic.
Recommended databases for your paper are:
- Facts.com -- focuses on giving and overview of controversial topics by defining and exploring different sides of current issues.
- CQ Researcher -- an online academic journal providing in-depth, journalistic, even-handed reports on various current issues in the news.
- EBSCO -- a large, multi-disciplinary database with articles from a wide range of newspapers, newsmagazines, and scholarly journals.
- InfoTrac -- another large, multi-disciplinary database with articles from a variety of sources, ranging from general news media to specialized scholarly journals.
- Lexis-Nexis -- includes one of the largest collections of newspapers (regional, national, and international) to which the library has access.
- Massachusetts Newsstand -- editions-of-record for several local sources of news.
- Points of View Reference Center -- presenting an overview and a point and counterpoint for hundreds of issues, with links to articles from periodicals, newspapers, and more.
The World Wide Web
Another online source of information you may want to use to support your argument is a search engine. Here are some suggested search engines that provide subject directories:
When using material from the Web, we have to carefully think of the source of our information.
Evaluating your Sources
Whatever source you consult, you always must THINK about the source critically. Is the author reputable? Is the source current? What are the strengths of the source? What are the weaknesses of the source? This is called “evaluating your sources.” There are good web sites on the Internet that discuss evaluating sources. Here are two examples:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html - Comprehensive web evaluation site from Cornell University
http://library.sonoma.edu/research/subject/evaluate.html - A helpful web page by Sonoma State University library on evaluating information.
Citing your information sources
Whether you paraphrase, summarize, or quote directly from an information resource you must credit and cite the source. There are a few standard formats that you can follow. Both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) offer paper styles and formatting which include directions on how to cite both print and electronic information resources.
The Duke University Library has put together an excellent guide to citing sources http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/works_cited
Also available on the library subscription databases page is a service called NoodleTools, at the web address http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/databases.htm. NoodleTools provides access to NoodleBib, software that streamlines the process of creating accurate citations to sources used in your work. An animated tutorial for Noodlebib is at http://www.noodletools.com/bibtour/overview/ .
Related Online Sites:
- Argumentative Writing -- This handout from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab provides concepts and terms that are useful in an argument paper.
- Research Guide on Paper Topics -- From the University Library at California State University, Long Beach helps find ideas or topics for writing papers.
So what are the three things not to miss?
The Pro & Con site. Look at Chemeketa Community College Site to consider the scope of what it means to take a position on a topic.
Having trouble deciding what you feel passionately about? Try the Hot Topics file.
How about getting your thoughts focused on what goes into writing by considering information posted on the Purdue Writing Lab site at Argumentation/Persuasion: Logic in Argumentative Writing.