In these topic guides created by the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library staff, you will find sources that introduce you to your topic and keep you up-to-date with links to news articles, research websites, journal articles, and research reports.
Topics include:
Racial and Ethnic Issues (Affirmative Action and Diversity, Drug Policies, Immigration, Police and Police Tactics, Welfare Reform, and several others)
Law and Legal Issues (Abortion Rights, Campaign Finance, Capital Punishment, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, Free Speech and Censorship, Gun Control and Gun Rights, Marijuana Legalization and Medical Marijuana, and many more)
Health and Medicine (Animal Rights and Animal Welfare, Autism, Drugs in Sports, Genetic Engineering, Global Health Issues, Obesity, Stem Cell Research, and more)
Food and Agriculture (Farm Crisis and Agricultural Policy, Food Safety, Hunger, Water Resources and Drought, and others)
Family (Adoption, Bullying and Cyberbullying, Eating Disorders, Gay Rights, Gender Equality, Homelessness, Hunger, Teen Suicide, and several more)
Media (Media Bias, Media Violence, Social Media, and others)
And many, MANY more! Click on the link above to see the nearly 100 topics currently available
Background Sources for Speech Topics
These are several good starting points for your research in this class. They include background information sources, magazine and journal articles, and news sources.
Library database that covers the most important and controversial issues of the day. Contains the full text of CQ Researcher, a weekly publication. Each issue provides a comprehensive overview and background essay, data tables and graphs, chronology, pro-con starter, and list of major research and advocacy groups. Includes extensive lists of sources and hot-linked footnotes throughout.
One of the most comprehensive news databases in the world, ProQuest Global Newstream includes access to over 3000 news sources, including 2,200 newspapers, as well as blogs, podcasts, websites and news wire feeds worldwide.
Development note - alt link use stats: (91 total hits, 33 since 7/2012 -- 10 /2012)
This website from Vanderbilt University is arranged in an alphabetic directory of 100 topical pages that feature extensive links to many of the most important social issues and public policy questions of the day.
