Choose a Topic and Search Terms - ENGL 15 - Rhetoric and Composition - Roberts

Your Topic and Search Terms

After you have identified your topic, it is important that you make a list synonyms/alternative terms so you can more easily find books, articles, and more. Remember this will help in Google too!

For instance, while you may say teenager, some sources may use adolescent instead.

Did you know you can use Wikipedia to do this? Watch this short video. (Just remember not to cite Wikipedia in your speeches!)

Topic Shopping

Having trouble thinking of a topic that interests you? These resources will help.

Opposing Viewpoints
research and background information on social issues.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides research and background information on social issues. The database contains the essays from the Opposing Viewpoints series, supplemented by statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles. Keywords: hot topics, current events, social issues, social trends, English 15, CAS 100, background information, general interest, contemporary issues, overviews.
CQ Researcher
reports covering political and social issues

The CQ Researcher is a collection of reports covering political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Keywords: hot topics, current events, social issues, social trends, archive, English 15, CAS 100, background information, general interest, contemporary issues, overviews.
Global Issues
If your paper topic focuses on a global issue, such as human trafficking, this is an excellent resource.

Offers current, international news and perspectives on a variety of topics and events throughout the world. It brings together an array of sources to explain the historical and contemporary conditions in a wide range of subject areas, including sociology, civics, politics, science, economics, cultural/religious studies, women's studies, and human rights. Updated daily.
Environmental Studies (formerly GREENR)
If your paper topic focuses on the environment, sustainability, energy, or related topics, this is an excellent resource.

GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources) is an interdisciplinary resource that offers content on the development of emerging green technologies and discusses issues on the environment, sustainability and more. It is interactive and current, allowing users to navigate issue, organization and country portals.