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Choosing a topic, part one. Database help to identify a topic. Madison College Libraries
provide access to thousands of publications though our dozens of library databases. To
get started, in the center of our homepage, change from books/AV to the databases tab.
Then select the link 'Browse databases by A to Z list.' Among the long list of databases
that appears, there are few that are especially good for choosing a topic. In the third column,
there are two databases, Opposing Viewpoints and Points of View Reference Center, that
are especially good for topic selection. Click on Opposing Viewpoints. To see a long list
of potential issues, click the Browse Issues button on the menu bar. Here you can select
from the long, alphabetical list that appears or use the drop-down to select a more narrow
category. For all of the topics listed, you get an introductory essay that does a good
job of outlining the major issues for this particular topic. As you read the overview
article, you may encounter several aspects of this topic that interest you. In so doing,
you might come away with a handful of topic ideas that are more narrow than the one you
started with. In addition to the overview article, Opposing Viewpoints offers other
source material such as newspapers, magazine articles, academic journals, videos and even
viewpoint essays -- all on that same topic. The videos and audio reports are also a great
way to get interested in a topic. Here are 34 news videos on the topic of school shootings.
Videos are a great way to generate more specific topic ideas. Everything in Opposing Viewpoints
that can be read can also be listened to. In addition, the database provides a number
of tools for you to email articles to yourself, cite them, download them, or even translate
them into several languages. After you've narrowed down your topic, the next step is
to write some research questions that will guide your research. Remember, a topic idea
is not a thesis. What you'll need to do is work with your research questions to develop
an arguable statement. For example, look at those that guide the viewpoint essays in Opposing
Viewpoints. If you need assistance with any of these steps along the way, contact the
librarians of Madison College Libraries. We're here to help!