LibGuides: ENGL1A, da Silva: Getting Started

The Assignment

Understanding Your Assignment

Before you begin your research, you should make sure you understand your assignment. Some good questions are:

• How many pages should it be?
• How many sources do I need?
• What kinds of sources? Books,
   articles, websites? Scholarly or
   popular articles?
• In what format should it be
   written?

Assignment Calculator

San Jose State's Assignment Calculator is a good resource to help you determine how much time you have to complete various aspects of your research and writing, given your starting date and due date.

Getting Started Researching Constroversial Topics

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news including abortion, animal rights, college financing, death penalty, gun control, housing, marijuana, protest movements and counter culture, racism and hate, religion and politics, science and technology, U.S. military, vaccines, and voting rights.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
One-stop shopping for information on a variety of controversial social issues including abortion, activism, affordable housing, animal rights, Black Lives Matter, capital punishment (death penalty), college tuition and student loans, gun control, marijuana, military recruitment, minimum legal drinking age, political participation, racism, religious issues, social media, vaccines, and voting laws.

Culture Wars in America: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices by Roger Chapman; James Ciment
Call Number: ONLINE
Publication Date: 2013
The term "culture wars" refers to the political and sociological polarisation that has characterised American society the past several decades. Provides approximately 640 entries plus more than 120 primary documents supporting both sides of key controversial issues.
Global Social Issues: an Encyclopedia by James Ciment; Christopher G. Bates
Call Number: ONLINE
Publication Date: 2013
Provides nearly 150 in-depth, balanced, and thought-provoking articles covering a broad range of critically important topics: the environment, health, science, the media, ethnic conflicts, poverty, and immigration, to name just a few. Each original, signed article provides historical context as well as a thorough discussion and analysis of contemporary issues facing today's interconnected world.

AllSides
This website collects news stories and rates them for political bias: Left, Right, Center, or in between.
ProCon.org
ProCon.org is a non-profit education web site that pulls together excerpts of arguments on both sides of controversial issues.Overviews of issues, key questions, and links or references to the sources are included. Sources are rated for credibility.

For more sources of background information, visit the A-Z Databases Encyclopedias listing.

Off-Campus Access

For off-campus access to the online databases and eBooks, you'll need your student ID. See our Off-Campus Library Services LibGuide for more information.

You can also renew your books online from home.

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Foothill College Library

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