Subject Guides: English: Contemporary Issues

Browse/Search Contemporary Issues by Topic

Contemporary Issue Databases and Websites

The library has several databases that specialize in presenting the debate for contemporary topics.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Covers current issues of interest, from social and teen issues, to the environment, health, education, and science and technology. Each feature article is accompanied by comments from experts, lawmakers, and citizens on opposing sides of the issue.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window Opposing viewpoints in context covers today's hottest social issues, from offshore drilling to climate change, health care to immigration. The information provided is intended to help students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more.

Room for Debate
In Room for Debate, The New York Times invites knowledgeable outside contributors to discuss news events and other timely issues.

Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
While not a contemporary issues resource, per se, Oxford Bibliographies make provide a good starting point for some topics.

Find Basic Facts and Background Information About Contempoary Isuues

Online Reference Databases

One of the best ways to find basic facts and background information or to get a broad understanding of your topic is to use reference resources.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Provides access to over 3 million entries from 400+ aggregated and integrated reference books from high-quality publishers. Included are dictionaries, subject encyclopedias, handbooks, gazetteers, atlases, directories, and more.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window Consists of a fully searchable and browsable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest article database; articles not yet in the print Britannica; Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (eleventh edition); and: the Britannica book of the year.
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window Oxford Reference brings together nearly 200 language and subject reference works in a single cross-searchable resource. Works in the collection include an expanding range of key titles in the acclaimed Oxford Companions series, the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, many English-language and bilingual dictionaries, as well as subject encyclopedias and dictionaries in a wide range of subject areas.

Find Articles on Contemporary Issues

Article Databases

The library has hundreds of databases that you can use to research contemporary issues. Here are three general, multidisciplinary databases that will let you find journal, magazine, and newspaper articles on most topics. You can also look at the subject guides to find databases that are discipline-specific.

Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window Academic Search Ultimate offers access to resources cited in key subject indexes. The combination of academic journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos meets the needs of scholars in virtually every discipline ranging from astronomy, anthropology, biomedicine, engineering, health, law and literacy to mathematics, pharmacology, women’s studies, zoology and more.
ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window From business and political science to literature and psychology, ProQuest Research Library provides one-stop access to a wide range of the most utilized subjects and topics. The database includes thousands of full-text titles, with a highly-respected, diversified mix of scholarly journals, professional and trade publications, important and general interest magazines.
Academic oneFile This link opens in a new window A collection of peer-reviewed, full-text articles in HTML and PDF format from the world's leading journals and reference sources, with extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature, and other subjects; intended primarily for academic researchers.

Lucy Scribner Library

English: Contemporary Issues

Browse/Search Contemporary Issues by Topic

Find Basic Facts and Background Information About Contempoary Isuues

Find Articles on Contemporary Issues