Taking Sides
How many times have you heard “there’s two sides to every story”? With the popularity of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, it seems everyone has an opinion about everything these days. So where can you go to get intelligent information about controversial topics?
Try the database Opposing Viewpoints: In Context. This database covers the pro and con perspectives on over 13,000 issues from the legalization of marijuana to rap music to Wikileaks. In addition to the pro/con arguments, Opposing Viewpoints has information on current events and special topics and contains interactive maps of statistical data.
By using the advanced search option, searches can be limited to full text documents and peer reviewed journals. Results are returned in such formats as news, audio, images, video, magazine, reference, academic journals or websites. You can search for over 100 document types from biographical information to market share reports to treaty information. You can even access primary sources such as speeches, interviews and transcripts.
To access Opposing Viewpoints:In Context, go to the library portal page, research.udmercy.edu . Click on the third tab, Article, Journals + Databases.
Under Find databases by title, select the letter O. Opposing Viewpoints is the second database. Click into it and enter into a world of controversy!
Julia Eisenstein, Librarian
