Think of it like going on a date: you're trying to get to know the other person (your topic) without scaring them off because you're trying to talk about marriage, houses, and grandkids (i.e. your "real" research) on the first date. And, of course, once you've gotten to know them better, you're able to buy them gifts and guess what they would like, because you've taken the time to establish those little basic details.
These databases focus on current and controversial issues and provide introductions to the topics and collect a variety of related sources to further your research. Great starting points!
Don't take ideas and terms for granted -- take a moment to do some simple, one-word searches in a resource like Credo Reference. Background information gives context. You never know what ideas you'll generate.
Across disciplines and subject areas, full text articles from over 5,300 journals, magazines and newspapers, plus image collections.
A brief tutorial on finding information in Opposing Viewpoints.
As a freely accessible web search engine, Google Scholar is an additional resource you can dig in for journal articles and other materials. A search box to use Google Scholar has been provided below, as well as a link to our Google Scholar guide, which will give you direction on finding access to research articles from Lone Star College Library.