Research Guides: 9th Grade Speech Research: Databases

Databases

When you are beginning research on a controversial topic, databases are a good place to start, as they weed out sources that suffer from extreme bias. The databases will allow you to consult balanced sources that will help you develop a good understanding of your topic. Then when you begin to consult sources on the web, you'll have a base of knowledge that will allow you to evaluate the quality of those sources more accurately. You are required to have at least 6 articles from the school databases for your speech.

SIRS Issues Researcher This link opens in a new window
Try clicking the green View All Issues button to see if your topic is listed. If so, SIRS will provide you a collection of articles to browse on your topic. If not, use the search bar at the top of the page to search for articles on your topic.
ProQuest Central K-12 This link opens in a new window
ProQuest is a very large database. When searching in ProQuest, it will benefit you to use more specific search terms. For instance, rather than searching [sports specialization] you might search for [sports specialization injuries]. It will also help you to use the filters on the left-hand side of the page to eliminate articles more than five years old.
CQ Press Library This link opens in a new window
Each month, CQ Press releases an issue of a magazine that provides in-depth coverage of both sides of a controversial issue. If your issue has been covered in a recent issue of CQ, it's an excellent place to familiarize yourself with your topic and to get ideas for other sources to use.
Issues This link opens in a new window
This is a database that gives short, background articles on topics. Think of this as an encyclopedia for common speech topics. It will give you some basic factual information about the debate, but won't provide in depth arguments on your topic.