Unsure where to begin? Our library databases can help you discover an interesting research topic. These databases offer a variety of topics along with useful overviews and sources.
Library Databases for Choosing a Topic
Opposing Viewpoints Explore current and controversial social issues through pro/con articles, magazine pieces, academic journals, newspapers; primary source documents, and statistics. Click "Browse Issues" to see a list of topics.
Issues and Controversies Find information on contemporary topics in politics, business, crime, law, energy, education, health, science, society, and culture.
CQ Researcher Online Access in-depth research reports on current and controversial issues. Use "Browse Topics" or "Browse Reports by Date" to explore potential topics.
Access World News Check out their suggested topics, this is newspaper database of national, state and local newspapers, including the Beacon News and the Kane County Chronicle.
Credo Reference provides a collection of reference materials, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and subject-specific resources, making it an excellent starting point for gaining foundational knowledge on a wide range of topics.
Keep your search simple: Use basic terms related to your topic, such as “energy drinks and health.”
Utilize Limits: most databases offer options to refine your results. Look for:Full-text (immediate access to the entire article), Date (most current results), Academic/Scholarly Journals (Some assignments require this).
Evaluate Your Results: Review the article title, abstract (summary) and the subject terms to determine relevance. Experiment with different search terms for better results. If you need assistance, feel free to Ask a Librarian.
Access Full Articles: Click on the PDF icon, the "HTML Full Text" link, or the "Full Text Finder" icon to view the complete article.
Print Books: Search the Library catalog to locate books in our campus libraries. Use the “Place Hold” feature to reserve a book or have it sent to a different campus library.
Ebooks: Use the Waubonsee Library Ebook Search to find online library books that you can read anytime, 24/7.
Use Worldcat to search for books in libraries worldwide. You can submit Interlibrary Loan requests directly through Worldcat. If you need help, please contact us.
Citations & Citing Sources
A citation is a detailed description of your source - whether it's a book, an article, a video, a website or a tweet. Example:
Seo, Hannah. “Why Save Dying Languages?” Popular Science, vol. 292, no. 4, Winter
2020, p. 24. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx
The list of these citations is called Bibliography or Works Cited. Style guides show you exactly how to format the list.
Ask your instructor which citation style you should use. MLA and APA are the most common.
Citation Tools in Databases: Most of the library databases have a citation tool that will create a citation for an item. When using the tool, make sure you choose the style that your instructor assigned (MLA, APA, Chicago). These database-generated citations are a fine place to start, but you will need to check the details of the citation using a style guide (MLA, APA).
Consider these tips when using citations from a database:
- Pay attention to capitalization in article titles - it’s different for MLA and APA.
- Correct any titles or names that appear in all capital letters.
- Your instructor may want you to include optional elements such as a URL or "date accessed."
