CHABOT LIBRARY
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Online Reference Shelf--Pros and Cons (Hot Topics)

Quick Link: Issues and Controversies
 Project Censored: Top 25 Least Covered Significant Stories

Books in the Library  |  Search Tips on Books in Series  |  Library Subscription Databases (All articles)
Library Subscription Databases (To Editorials)  |  Magazines/Newspapers with Political Slants
  Pros & Cons Web Sites  |  Editorials Web Sites

Books to Look at in the Library

  • CQ Researcher
            Chabot Reference Shelves: H35 E35
    The premiere resource for hot topic issues in the past eleven years.  Search the index available at the reference desk and then look up article(s) related to your topic.  Books cannot be checked out but photocopiers are available in the Library.  Provides more rich information than Issues and Controversies.
     
  • Current Controversies Series
            Call Numbers Vary for each volume, see search tips in Series, below
     
  • Opposing Viewpoints Series

    •         Call Numbers vary for each volume, see Search Tips in Series, below
     
  • Taking Sides Series
            Call Numbers vary for each title, see Search Tips in Series, below
     
  • Information Plus
            Call  Numbers vary for each title, see Search Tips in Series below

    • Take a look also at some Reference Books and reference web sites.  Here are some examples:

    West's Encyclopedia of American Law--Reference Shelves: KF154 .W47 1998

    Encyclopedia of Bioethics--Reference Shelves: QH332 .E52

    Saint James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture--Reference Shelves: E169.1 .S764 2000

    Violence in America--Reference Shelves: HN90.V5 V5474 1999

     CountryWatch Descriptions of countries from around the world, including political and sociological outlooks

    International Encyclopedia of Sexuality

    INFOMINE: Social Sciences and Humanities

    Search Tips on Books in Series
    The advantage of most of our titles in our varies Series, is that they can be checked out!  Also, they contain several different essays on the same topic!

    To Browse titles in Series:

    1. Go to the Library Catalog
    2. Enter in the box the Title of the Series such as Opposing Viewpoints
    3. Click on the Title button
    4. Scan results.  Titles in blue are ones held at Chabot Library
    5. Write down the book title and call number and then go to the stacks
    To Browse Particular Topics in a series
    1. Go to the Library Catalog
    2. Enter in the box keywords for your topic, the word AND, then the title of the series

      3. Example: gun control AND information plus
    3. Click on the Keyword and Boolean button
    4. Scan results.  Titles in blue are ones held at Chabot Library
    5. Write down the book title and call number and then go to the stacks

    S

    Library Subscription Databases--Background and Viewpoints

    From the College Home Page, go to Magazine, Journal, Newspaper Articles and More and select:

    Library Subscription Databases: Viewpoints Only

    • Ebsco Host Academic Search Elite
      Ebsco Host contains lots of editorials and opinion articles.  There is a way to find them using this technique:  When getting into Academic Search Elite, on one of the search bars, enter your search terms in the top bar, then on the second bar, enter the following command-- Editorial OR opinion.  Will give you mainly articles expressing a columnist's own personal (and often also expert) viewpoints.

    Magazines and Newspapers that Generally Have a Viewpoint

    Below is a list of magazines that have a politically slanted theme.  Click on the titles of the magazines to then browse or search for topics.  When you click on the title of the magazine, most often it will take you into the index of the title available through Ebsco Host or Lexis-Nexis.  The separate web link stated on the right goes to the magazine's publicly accessible web site.  Keep in mind that full text of all printed sources will usually only be found in the library subscription database, while the web site may have web-only features.  In Lexis-Nexis, you must click on Search This Title, first, perform s earch, and then look at your results related to your chosen publication.  (Note: The title below is only a selection and NOT complete.  More titles from right/left/ and in-between are available in the databases listed right above)

    To the Left
         		   To the Right  
    American Prospect Web site American Spectator Web site
    In These Times Web site CATO Journal Web site
    Mother Jones Web site Commentary Web site
    Nation Web site Human Events Web site
    New Republic Web site Insight on the News Web site
    Progressive Web site National Review Web site
    Salon.com Web site Weekly Standard Web site

    Also check out these web sites:

    To the Left

    tompaine.com    		 To the Right

    townhall.com
     

    Pros and Cons Web Sites

  • Issues and Controversies (on Facts on File)
               
  • Hot Paper Topics
            http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Hot/hotindex.htm
     
  • Documents in the News
                 http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/docnews.html
     
  • Controversial Topics
            http://nhclibrary.nhmccd.edu/research/subject/controversial/
     
  • Hot Topics Supersites
             http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/hot/supersites.shtml
     
  •  Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe: Policy Papers
    Select "General News," select "Policy Papers" and for date range select "All dates."
     
  • California Journal (in Lexis-Nexis Academic)
    For political stories related to California, you can search this publication on how United States foreign policy may be affecting political and state decisions at home.
     
  • Index of Congressional Research Service Reports
             http://www.house.gov/markgreen/crs.htm
     
  • CNN.com--In Depth
             http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/
     
  • Electronic Policy Network's Idea Central
            http://www.epn.org/ideacentral/index.html
     
  • National Center for Policy Analysis (Idea House)
             http://www.ncpa.org/
     Contains sections from different angles: Policy Issues, Publications, Both Sides, and Opinion Editorials
     
  • WebActive Directory
            http://www.webactive.com/page/directory

    • Editorials Web Sites

  • Opinion-Pages (Opinions, Ideas, Commentaries)
             http://www.opinion-pages.org/
     
  • AlterNet.org
            http://www.alternet.org
     
  • National Center for Policy Analysis' Opinion Editorials
            http://www.ncpa.org/edo/