CREDO Reference Tutorial by Kacy Lovelace
Although reference databases are often not appropriate resources for a research assignment, these databases are a great starting point for your research and can provide you with background information about a topic that can help illuminate areas of interest for your research.
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 in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.
Now offering more than 800 highly regarded reference titles from over 80 publishers, Credo Reference covers every major subject and also provides Topic Pages as a starting point for researchers.
Comprehensive collection of all Gale online reference sources including literary collections, reference e-books, and the National Geographic archives.
Points of View Reference Center
Points of View Reference Center (Ebsco) is an interface intended for public, academic, and high school libraries. Points of View is designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debating, developing arguments, writing position papers, and developing critical thinking skills. Each Points of View Essay includes a series of questions and additional material to generate further thought. Also included are thousands of supporting articles from the world’s top political and societal publications. The Points of View Debate Blog is a forum for students to express and exchange their unique views on topics in the news.
One of the easiest ways to choose an appropriate database that has resources pertaining to your topic is to look for a subject-specific database. In "All Databases," simply click on the drop-down menu entitled "All Subjects." Make sure and also look at multidisciplinary databases, especially for this assignment.
Once you choose a subject, databases deemed "Best Bets" for your research are highlighted. Contact information for the appropriate librarian is also included.