Research Guide: English Composition (E120 Dr. Sokolowski)
Library Catalogs--find books & media |
MnPALS Quick Fitz Library Catalog
Search for books and audio-visual materials located in the Fitzgerald Library. Check your account for Due dates & Renewals
To get both sides for an issue look for the following series books:
- At Issue
- Opposing Viewpoints
- Taking Sides
- Reference Shelf
Provides access to all print & online reference materials in the Fitzgerald Library
You may search WorldCat to locate materials not in our library. Click on "
Find it at SMU" to order. For more information about how to obtain these items see our Interlibrary Loan page.
Databases -find articles in journals & newspapers |
Provides in-depth, unbiased reports on current issues. Coverage includes topics in health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Each report features pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions. CQ researcher is useful for term papers, debates, and speeches. Now includes PLUSArchive, with articles going back to 1923 for an historical component, and Global Researcher, bringing an international perspective.
EBSCO's Academic Search Premier
Search for your topic in 8,000+ scholarly journals and magazines. Covers all academic subjects. Good place to start.
Along with the multi-disciplinary Academic Search Premier, EBSCO has specialized databases for business, education, history, and religion topics, as well as a general, non-academic database, MasterFile.
Gale®’s premier database for research in all the academic disciplines. Provides over 4,000 journal titles many of which are in full text. (from Gale's InfoTrac )
1980--current | Some full text | More info
Points of View Reference Center
Points of View Reference Center™ is a full-text database consisting of a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. The database provides 250 topics, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument),counterpoint (opposing argument), and Critical Thinking Guide. (from EBSCO)
Full text | More info
Search for your topic in 500+ newspapers. Includes full text for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Choose from databases covering issues in education, religion, philosophy, or psychology.
A comprehensive collection of news, business, and law-related information sources. Excellent news coverage.
Choose from all Fitzgerald Library indexes and databases
To locate full text articles from abstracts and citations click on 
Full Text Options - Saint Mary's University
For help Ask a Librarian
Search an A-Z list of all journals, magazines, and newspapers in the Fitzgerald collection both online and in print. If we do not have the journal you need to access your article, you may order the article through interlibrary loan.
Search tips (Boolean operators truncation/wildcards), citation examples, and more
Reference Books |
Statistical Information |
|
American Attitudes: Who thinks what about Issues that Shape our Lives |
R306.0973 M68 |
Social Change in America |
R317.3 S67 |
Statistical Abstracts of the United States |
R317.3S79 2008 |
World Almanac |
R317.3 W92 2008 |
Controversial Issues |
|
| Abortion in the United States | R 363.46 M11 |
| Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare | R179.3 E56 |
| Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics vol. 1-4 | R170.3 E56a |
| Encyclopedia of Bioethics vol. 1-5 | R1742.E56 2004 |
| Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment | R364.03 E564 |
| Encyclopedia of Social Problems vol. 1-2 | R361.103 E56 |
| Euthanasia | R179.7 E91c 2008 |
| Legalized Gambling | R363.42 H37 |
| Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence | R618.92398 O12 |
| Oxford Companion to Global Change | R363.7 O98 |
Find a Topic |
From St. Ambrose University, this site contains links to credible Internet materials for research organized as "Hot Paper Topics.
Quality links for researching current social issues from multiple perspectives, good ideas for topics here.
"Is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation whose purpose is to inform the public about controversial issues using facts, news, and hundreds of diverse opinions in a pro-con format."
Points of View Reference Center
Read newspapers!
Government Web sites |
Portal Sites
- GPO Access
GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government." - Statistical Abstracts Online
The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
- U.S. Census Bureau
Provides "quality data about the nation's people and economy." Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce - USA.gov
Official portal for government services and information.
Arts
Education
- Department of Education U.S.
- Digest of Educational Statistics
A compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from pre kindergarten through graduate school. The Digest includes a selection of data from many sources, both government and private, and draws especially on the results of surveys and activities carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). - ERIC
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, ERIC "produces the world's premier database of journal and non-journal education literature. - Minnesota Department of Education
Health and Human Services
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Web site for the public health agency known as the CDC that works to prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats including terrorism. Site provides access to research over a wide range of health and safety issues. The CDC is one of the components of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, whose web site also provides good information on health issues, as well as information about services for children and families, Medicare and Medicaid, issues of aging, and much more. - FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Another part of the Health and Human Services Department, the FDA provides information on food and drug safety and includes materials on cosmetics and medical devices. Look for the Hot Topics list. - Household Products Database
From the National Library of Medicine, information about the chemical ingredients in specific brands, health effects and toxicity data for products, and more. -
Substance Use Data in Minnesota
This Minnesota State Epidemiological Profile summarizes and characterizes consumption patterns and consequences related to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) in Minnesota.
Legislature
- The Thomas site
"In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congress"
Science
- Science.gov
"Science.gov is a search engine for government science information and research results. Currently in its fourth generation, Science.gov provides search of more than 50 million pages of science information with just one query, and is a gateway to over 1,800 scientific Web sites. - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
To locate full text articles from abstracts and citations click on Full Text Options - Saint Mary's University
For help Ask a Librarian