Need Help?
For individual research help, schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian.
Learn More About Your Topic
Listed below are places you can go to learn more about a general topic.
- Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
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Look for VIEWPOINTS - Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new windowDetailed reports on controversial issues in the news. (VCCS)
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowDetailed reports on issues in the news. Reports include background information, chronology of important events, pro/con section, outlook, and more. (VCCS)
- ProQuest Global Newsstream This link opens in a new window
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Proquest has articles from magazines and newspapers. Use this to find news related to your topic -- it's best to be a little more specific so you aren't overwhelmed with articles. For example:
human trafficking AND Europe
human trafficking AND debate
human trafficking AND controversy
- GoogleType in a general topic, then add a word like "debate" or "controversy." For example:
child soldiers debate
child soldiers controversy
There is a range in the quality and reliability of the sources you find on the Web. If you want to use a website as a source in your paper, you should first very carefully evaluate it - click on "Websites" in this guide to learn more about evaluating websites.
Things to Look for: Specifics and Arguments
Your research topic needs to be specific and arguable. The resources listed above will help you learn more about your topic and give you ideas for how to focus your topic.
Get Specific
To make your topic more specific, here are some things to look for as you're reading. You could focus by:
- geographic area
- population group
- discipline (a few examples: education, business, health, entertainment, environment, housing)
Identify Arguments
After you have a more specific topic in mind, the resources linked above can also help you identify arguments. Look for:
- What do people disagree on?
- Causes
- Solutions
Video: Picking Your Topic Is Research
View this video from North Carolina State University to learn more about how to pick a topic:
Country Information (from encyclopedidas and websites)
These online encyclopedias and reference sources can be used from off campus- you will be prompted to log in with your myNova username and password. Encyclopedias are not typically used as sources in a research paper - they are for your own background information.
- AtoZ: World Culture This link opens in a new windowA wealth of reference information about the nations of the world. Includes information about demographics, climate, culture and travel. (NVCC)
- Governments of the WorldIncludes information on the history, economy and governments of countries.
- World Bank: Country ProfilesSelect a country -- look for the "Overview" link in the menu.
- The CIA World FactbookSelect a country from the drop-down menu for information on government, GDP, products, industries, exports and imports.