Research Guides: Communication: Speech Research

Intro

This page will help you locate good-quality information to support speeches or pro/con presentations on controversial topics.

Other Useful Guides

How to Find Statistics
Find numbers to support your arguments.
How to Research Controversial Topics
Find magazines and websites for getting different viewpoints on social, political, and religious issues.
The Research Process: A How-To Guide (Geisel Guide)

CQ Researcher

A great starting point, with lengthy, objective overviews of major issues.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Learn about major issues from current and historical perspectives and the inner workings of the U.S. government from authoritative, accessible, and unbiased sources.

Search Gale

This e-reference database includes recent encyclopedias about contemporary social and political issues, including the Encyclopedia of Social Problems.

eBooks [GALE] This link opens in a new window
Core electronic reference collection, this collection of online subject encyclopedias provides in-depth articles on a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on the social sciences.

CRS Reports

The Congressional Research Service prepares excellent reports for the U.S. Congress that analyze issues under consideration. Find them here:

CRS Reports Collection
A large searchable database of CRS reports
CRS Reports:
More reports, organized by subject
U.S. Dept of State CRS Reports Archive
Reports focused on foreign relations and international issues

Journal and Magazine Articles

Limit your searches to Scholarly Journals if scholarly sources are required.

Academic Search Premier [EBSCO] This link opens in a new window
This multi-disciplinary database is an excellent starting point for finding scholarly journal articles and popular magazine articles on a wide range of topics.
ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
Core interdisciplinary database, contains full-text journal articles, newspaper articles, dissertations, and business and industry profiles.
SocINDEX with Full Text [EBSCO] This link opens in a new window
Use this database for scholarly studies related to social and cultural issues.

Newspaper Articles

Great for finding up-to-date news on your issue, plus case studies or examples that can illustrate your points.

US Newsstream [PROQUEST] This link opens in a new window
An online collection of full text international, national, and regional newspapers.

Selected Websites

IssueLab
Research reports from nonprofit organizations.
Pew Research Center .
Opinion polling and social science research
Policy Archive
A digital library of public policy research, containing thousands of reports and documents from research institutes and think tanks across the country.