LibGuides: COM 111: Public Speaking: Finding a Topic

Library databases to find a topic

The most important thing is to find a topic you care about, a topic that interests you.

Use the following library databases to help you find a topic:

Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides intelligent, thoughtfully worded discussion centering on the key issues of our time, such as genetic engineering, environmental policy, prejudice, abortion, health care reform, and media violence.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to reports that examine contemporary social and political issues. Compiled by staff at Congressional Quarterly, Inc., an independent research firm, each report includes more than 12,000 words and an extensive bibliography on a single topic. Covers a wide range of social, economic, political, and environmental issues. Limited to 5 simultaneous users.
TOPICsearch This link opens in a new window
This current events database allows researchers to explore social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries and other popular topics. Students can use either the dropdown menus for Current Events or Topics to easily locate relevant articles. TOPICsearch contains full-text for more than 92,700 articles from 2,500 diverse sources including international and regional newspapers.
General OneFile This link opens in a new window
Index and full-text source for newspaper, magazine, and journal articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. Millions of full-text articles, many with images. Updated daily.

GALE Power Search: Topic Finder
Search for a topic you might be interested in and use the visual mapping feature to broaden or narrow your topic, or find related topics. This database contains over 1100 titles, cross searchable with E-Books, with access to a variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers, podcasts, and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

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