LibGuides: ENGL 101 English Composition 1 (Beals): Explore Connections between Monsters & Current Issues

Explore

Research is Inquiry

Use resources on this page to explore ideas that connect to cultural "monsters" and generate topic ideas for your essay.

Explore Topic Ideas

Explore connections to current issues

Browse for Topic Ideas in Holman Library current issues databases.

You will return to these databases to gather background information and see what others argue.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Full-text viewpoint essays, topic overviews, journal articles, news, and statistics. A great place to find evidence to support argumentative essays.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Browse by topic or keyword to find information covering a broad range of important issues in health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Weekly reports dating back to 1923.
Global Issues in Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles featuring global viewpoints on international issues, country reports, primary source documents, statistics, videos, and more
Environmental Studies in Context - GREENR (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Focuses on the physical, social, and economic aspects of environmental issues covering energy systems, health care, agriculture, climate change, population, and economic development.
Science In Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from academic journals, magazines, and newspapers in addition to experiments and projects. Includes images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites.

You can:

Browse their topic lists for current debated topic ideas
Find reliable background information in reference sources on your selected topic
Learn about the issues raised by your topic
Learn about arguments from different perspectives on your topic
Find evidence to support your position

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CQ Researcher reports date as early as the 1920s. Be sure to check how current the info you find is! Even if a report is not current enough for your purposes, browsing topics is still useful for generating ideas.

The Hot Topics list offers short reports on a range of subjects.

To find other short reports, select Advanced Search at the top of the screen and select Short Features as a limiter.

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Explore connections to current issues

Search or Browse for Topic Ideas in a Holman Library Subject Encyclopedia database.

You will return to this database to gather background information and see what others argue, once you have selected your focused topic.

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search for authoritative information in subject encyclopedias selected for courses and programs at Green River College

Sample Search

Work AND Internet

Gale Literature This link opens in a new window
Search for literary work overviews and author biographies plus scholarly literary criticism and analysis of authors and their works - novels, short stories, poetry, and drama including Shakespeare plays.

Explore Ideas from Literary Analysis

Type your monster's name at Basic Search. See image 1 below.

Browse the list of titles to see how others have interpreted your monster. See image 2 below.

Image 1: (Click on image to enlarge)

Image 2: (Click on image to enlarge)

Explore in One Search

Searching the library's collection

Use the search box below to search for books, ebooks, videos, articles, and more!

Browse Topics Online for Current Issues

Searching for Topics in the News

Newspapers are ripe with researchable topics! Headlines can generate topics or you can dig deeper for an issue that interests you. Use the links below to find news articles to get ideas for topics.

The Seattle Times
Washington state's largest circulating newspaper. Print editions available in Holman Library
The New York Times (website)
Check out the day's news and issues in the online NY Times. Free online access is limited, Full text is available in the library's ProQuest db.
TED Talks
Talks that cover the gamut of current issues. Explore talks by Topic, including Science, Technology, and Business - Or search for a TED Taslk on a specific subject. Be sure to asses: Is the speaker an expert on this topic?
The Freedom Forum: Today's Front Pages
The Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) foundation that fosters First Amendment freedoms for all.
National Public Radio (NPR)
Independent and topical radio news. Be sure to check the long list of programs distributed through NPR.
Science Friday
A science radio program/website from National Public Radio (with links to reliable source material).
Reveal News
From the Center for Investigative Reporting - Engage and empower the public through investigative journalism and groundbreaking storytelling in order to spark action, improve lives and protect our democracy.
The Wall St. Journal
From off-campus, enter SID
National Public Radio (NPR): Planet Money
Imagine you could call up a friend and say, "Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy." Now imagine that's actually a fun evening. That's what we're going for at Planet Money. Want to know more?