When an event or something noteworthy happens, the information about that occurrence goes through a progression of stages. As facts are revealed and discussed, the story about that event becomes richer and often more clear. Information usually starts out on informal channels or through mass media. As time progresses, popular sources of information cover the event. Months and years later, scholarly sources of information may address the event as well.
Look at the timeline of information graphic below. When considering your topic, where in this cycle does it exist? Where might you go to gather information?
Before you can construct an effective argument, you must first have a solid understanding of your topic. Below are resources that provide a broad overview of a particular issue. As you read, take notes on key themes and ideas that you can use to research further. For very current topics that are constantly in flux, take a step back and see if you can tie that into broader themes.
Find overviews, news, and opinions on hundreds of today's important social issues.
Statistical Collections:
Access data on social, behavioral, humanistic, and natural sciences including history, economics, government, finance, sociology, demography, education, law, natural resources, climate, religion, international migration, and trade - quantitative facts of American History.
Categorized into over 20 market sectors, Statista provides business customers, researchers, and the academic community with direct access to relevant quantitative facts on media, finance, politics, and many more areas of interest.
Track Federal and State Legislation:
Can I use Wikipedia?
Yes! Wikipedia is an excellent resources for gaining a basic understanding of a current topic. As with any reference source, you should not directly quote evidence from Wikipedia into your paper, but you may use it to inform the direction of your research.
For assistance accessing library news resources, start with these helpful slides. Still feeling stuck? Contact a librarian via email or use the libchat at the bottom of these guide.
Recommended resources are below:
Provides full-text access to global, regional, and local news, including The Trentonian, Trenton Times, and Princeton Packet.
The current digital edition of the New York Times now available with a special personal sign-up free on and off campus. To sign up for a pass, visit https://www.nytimes.com/passes and use your Lawrenceville email address to authenticate.
The current digital edition of the Wall Street Journal. For on-campus access, just click the link above. For off-campus access, ask a librarian for login credentials by contacting circ@lawrenceville.org.
Want to check if the library has access to a specific newspaper, journal, or magazine? Search for the title in our eJournals portal.
Filter your search results to focus on magazine features and articles written by scholars. Who are the experts in your topic? How do you know?
CQ Researcher is often the first source that librarians recommend when researchers are seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. Founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, CQ Researcher is noted for its award-winning in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy. Reports are published online 44 times a year by CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE Publications.
HeinOnline contains the entire Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, and entire databases dedicated to treaties, constitutions, case law, foreign relations, and U.S. Presidents. Additional collections include material on Women and the Law, Slavery in America and the World, Religion and the Law, Civil Rights and Social Justice, and COVID 19: Pandemics Past and Present.
This full-text database contains a broad range of scholarly journals in the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences. The JSTOR mission is unique in that it creates a permanent, digitized archive of the selected titles.
A comprehensive selection of prestigious humanities and social sciences journals to support a core liberal arts curriculum at any academic institution. Every journal is heavily indexed and peer-reviewed, with critically acclaimed articles by the most respected scholars in their fields.
A very large collection of periodicals covering a broad range of subject areas. ProQuest includes four basic databases: Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest Newspapers, Reference, and The Historical New York Times. The New York Times collection is complete back to 1851.
Sociology Database covers the international literature of sociology and social work, including culture and social structure, history and theory of sociology, social psychology, substance abuse and addiction, and more.
Below are a sampling of resources from the general web that cover politics and policy, including new sources, educational institutions, and think tanks.
Though these sources are recommended based on a certain level of credibility, you should approach any source with a critical eye. Ask yourself: can you trace the claims that are being made? Does that publisher have an agenda that may impact the content it publishes? If you are unsure, go outside the source and trace the claims, and learn more about author/publisher on wikipedia. When in doubt, or if you get stuck, reach out to a librarian or your teacher!
Need help evaluating a source? Refer to the SIFT method outlined below. Think link a fact-checker, and read outside the source (look at wikipedia, other websites) to track the reporting on a particular topic.
