Ideas for Research Topics

Once you've decided on a specific topic, you may find additional information by searching the UCF Library catalog for books and various databases for articles.   Some of the popular general databases for articles include Academic Search Premier, Infotrac OneFile, and OmniFile Full Text.

Contemporary Issues Research Guide provides some guidance for researching popular topics in the UCF Library's resources.

Keywords, organizations, key people and web sites to use in researching 144 topics are available in Successful Keyword Searching: Initiating Research on Popular Topics Using Electronic Databases by Randall & Susan MacDonald [REF ZA4460.M33 2001].

Other Resources:

• America: History & Life CLIO Notes guide you through US History by allowing you to browse through chronologies and hundreds of brief summaries of significant events and themes in American history. At the end of your exploration you will be provided with suggested research topics related to your area of interest and an easy-to-use search screen that will allow you to search the entire America: History and Life database for articles, book and media reviews, and dissertations. CLIO Notes are also available for World History from 1450 to the present.
• CQ Researcher Plus Archive (1923-    ) provides in-depth analysis reporting on the most current and controversial issues of the day. The UCF Library also has bound volumes from 1991+ [General Collection H35.E352] and 1955-1991 of the preceding title, Editorial Research Reports [H35.E35; MFLM 1955-1968; Bound 1969-April 1991]
• Cambridge Scientific Abstracts - Discovery Guides provide a sampling of resources on current issues (arts & humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, technology) with an overview of the subject, key citations with abstracts and links to web sites.
• Current Topics for Research (Kingwood College) provides some current issues in the news today, with a brief list of key web pages on each subject.
• Documents in the News (Univ of Michigan) identifies issues about government making news headlines and web sources with additional information.
• Homework Center - Social Issues (Multnomah County Library) provides links to meet the needs of middle and high school students researching current social issues from multiple perspectives. Some of the resources may be useful for college research papers as well.
• Hot Topics on the Internet (San Diego State Univ) includes a list of hot topics supersites which have resources on many controversial topics of current interest.
• Issues & Causes in the Yahoo! Directory provides a list of Internet links for various issues.
• LexisNexis Congressional - Hot Bills & Hot Topics provides information about selected bills that have received national attention. These bills are under consideration or have been recently enacted by Congress. Also included are topics on major issues of the day. For each hot topic, there are articles from major national and regional news sources.
• Project Vote Smart provides information about political campaigns and ballot issues.
• Public Agenda Online provides policy options and public opinion behind critical public concerns, including abortion, America's global role, campaign finance, child care, crime, the economy, education, the environment, the family, the federal budget, health care, illegal drugs, immigration, internet speech/privacy, medical research, medicare, poverty and welfare, race, right to die, and social security.
• Virtual Presentation Assistant is an online tutorial for improving your public speaking skills, with guidelines on selecting and researching your topic.
• xreferplus Concept Map enables you to quickly find information when you don't know exactly what to look for or want to expand your knowledge of a given area.

Resources available for remote access to users with a public library card with the Orange County Library System:

• Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center is a one-stop source for information on social issues. Includes viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, links to web sites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles. [NOTE: The UCF Library has paper copies of some titles in the Opposing Viewpoints book series, plus other print series such as  At Issue, Contemporary Issues, Reference Shelf, and Taking Sides.]
• SIRS Knowledge Source is a general reference database of full-text articles that explore social, scientific, historic, economic, political and global issues.

Looking for something else ?

Ask for assistance at the UCF Library's Reference Desk or contact UCF's Ask A Librarian.

Originally prepared by:  Rich Gause, Government Documents Librarian

Last Updated: January 30, 2008

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