Finding comprehensive and credible sources of information about social and political issues can be difficult. However the library has a few databases that not only give fairly comprehensive overviews and backgrounds on these types of issues, but some of them will separate sources between the different sides of the issue.
Opposing Viewpoints (Gale) is a go-to database for getting both an overview of an issue as well as finding scholarly and popular publications related to the issue. From ableism to zoos, you are able to browse almost 500 of Opposing Viewpoints' curated topics or perform a regular search to discover content. What sets the database apart from others are the "Viewpoints" which are either essays written specifically for the database or opinion pieces from major news sources that give arguments surrounding the issue. Check out our video tutorial on using this database.
Issues & Controversies (Infobase) is a great database to find detailed backgrounds on social and political issues. It is browsable by topic, but searching is always an option. I&C starts with a Pro/Con Article that gives a detailed overview, arguments from supporters and opponents, and a Chronology of major related events and policy. What sets I&C apart from the other databases on this list are the sections for other sources related to the issue including court cases, media (including debate videos), infographics, editorials, and news. Check out their article on cryptocurrency.
CQ Researcher Plus (Sage) focuses on giving in depth background on political and social issues with a focus on United States policy. CQ Researcher has a long history of providing research reports as its predecessor was the Editorial Research Reports that was co-founded in 1923 by Washington correspondents who wanted to provide their fellow journalists with in-depth reports on the day's major issues. CQ Researcher is both browsable and searchable, with Hot Topics highlighted. Its Reports are divided into sections including an introduction/overview, the current situation, pro/con arguments, and an outlook. Check out this 2023 report on forever chemicals. The one drawback with CQ Researcher is that unlike both Opposing Viewpoints and Issues & Controversies the individual reports aren't updated with new information, so if you are searching for a topic like minimum wage you will find multiple reports that date back sometimes to the mid-twentieth century as well as more recently published reports. Using the publication date filter will be very helpful.
What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford UP) is a collection of books on a wide variety of topics, not all of which are social or political issues. WENTK's books were mostly published prior to 2020, so they are not the most up to date information. However their format of question and answer is useful and accessible for novice students. Check out Antibiotics: What Everyone Needs to Know by Mary Wilson.
Now, while these databases can give you a foundational understanding of a issue, staying up to date on news surrounding these issues is also important. Our News & Newspapers guide has databases with access to local, national, and international newspapers. As always, if you need help with your research, ask a librarian!
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