Choosing a topic can be a daunting task! Try choosing something that's meaningful to you. That will make the research and writing process feel less like work and more like a discovery process.
The Opposing Viewpoints in Context database has a list of dozens of current trends and issues that you can consider choosing from. Once you're in the database, just look for the "Browse Issues" tab on the upper left-hand side of the homepage to view the issues.
Add the terms AND, OR, and NOT when you want to link more than one search word together -- or exclude certain words from your search. These are known as Boolean operators.
If you are searching for a word that can be spelled different ways (or if you aren't sure of the spelling) you can "truncate" (shorten) your search term so the system knows to look for multiple version of the word.
Add quotes around multiple search terms to find results that include a specific phrase. The results will only show items that include the whole phrase.
Using the advanced search lets you select search options to create a more specific search.
When writing a research paper, you must always aim to give credit where it is due.
Whether using a direct quote, paraphrasing, or summarizing a thought, if it is not your original idea, then you need to tell your reader where you found it or else you run the risk of plagiarizing, which is a form of stealing. Find out more about plagiarism at www.plagiarism.org.
To avoid plagiarism, you need to cite your sources, and while a few different formatting styles exist, the one to use for this assignment is the American Psychological Association's (APA). You can read more about how to utilize and incorporate APA formatting into your papers in the APA section of this guide.
To learn more about SPC's policy on Academic Honesty, visit go.spcollege.edu/AcademicHonesty/.