What's your Question?
All good research begins with a question. So what's your question? Formulating a good research question, or series of questions, will help you figure out what you are really interested in finding out about a topic instead of doing a big, general search and getting overwhelmed by information.
So if your topic is same-sex marriage, what are some questions you could pursue regarding this topic?
Background Information
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowFind references from thousands of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, subject-specific titles and multi-media sources on all subjects. Entries you find here will also lead you to other, more in-depth sources via bibliographies.
As you begin your research, you will need to collect some background information on your topic. Here are some databases for you to try as you are getting started. They are kind of like Wikipedia, only more legit. Start here and move on when you have a firm foundation.
- Opposing ViewpointsOpposing Viewpoints is a great place to get an idea of the arguments on various sides of controversial issues. Be aware that when you do a search in this database, the first results you will get are "viewpoints" which are individual's OPINIONS on a topic. These should used cautiously. However, the database includes links to other content such as articles, websites, and statistics.