A good persuasive or argumentative paper should help your audience consider different viewpoints on an issue. You will need to find articles and other information to support your position. Searching Google will return hundreds of hits, but it may be difficult to determine credibility, especially if the topic is current or controversial.
Begin your research on the
Find Articles/Databases tab in the center of the library home page and select
Pro/Con Databases. These tools will lead you to thousands of reliable sources and can help you select or refine a topic, suggest additional key words or phrases, and related topics.
CQ Researcher: Features a chronology, a current assessment, pro/con statements from opposing positions, and a list of key sources.
Opposing Viewpoints In Context: Information and opinions featuring viewpoint articles, magazines, journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, media, and websites.
Points of View: Provides an overview, point (argument), and counterpoint (opposing argument), supported with articles from periodicals, media transcripts, primary source documents, and videos.
You may also want to
try the Databases by Subject category. For example: Newspapers may be helpful for topics that have a local or regional focus; or Sciences for an issue concerning the environment.
General Search Tips:
- Don’t use “pro” or “con” in your search unless they are commonly used in connection with your issue (example: pro-choice movement; pro-gun lobbyists).
- Read abstracts, which will provide you with a summary of the article and help you determine if it is useful.
- Don't look at articles that only represent “your side”. An opposing viewpoint can contain valuable information to validate your position.
Submitted by Darlene Johnson-Bignotti
Faculty Librarian
Royal Oak Campus Library
