.: Assignment Assistant :.

Both Sides of an Argument

Challenge:

Find both sides of an issue.

Solution:

There are a number of resources, both electronic and print, that can help you find both sides of an issue.

It is important to try out different search terms because opposing sides of an issue may use different terminology (estate tax vs. death tax, pro-choice vs. pro-abortion, affirmative action vs. preferences). Search on a variety of terms.

Here are some resources to try:

• CQ Researcher, Online or at UGL Reference H 31 .E232
  Provides background material for controversial topics. While in the CQ web site, choose "Browse by Topic".
  
  
• CQ Supreme Court Collection
  Good to use if your issue involves court cases.
  
  
• LexisNexis Academic
  As a broad based news database, it covers the spectrum from conservative to liberal.
  
  
• ProQuest and InfoTrac OneFile
  General periodical indexes that cover a variety of magazines and scholarly journals.
  
  
• MIRLYN, the UM Library Catalog
  You can sometimes find books that summarize all sides of an issue.
  
  
• Issues and Controversies
  A digest of news analysis and background information.

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