Argumentative / Persuasive Writing

• Controversial issues are complex and many-sided. Focus on one aspect.
• Brainstorm to come up with keywords and searches that will help you get the information you need to write your essay.
• Know both sides of your issue. The better you understand the other side of the issue, the stronger your arguments will be.
• Get the facts and statistics you need to back up your argument.

Books in the GIL Catalog

• Use GIL to find up-to-date books and movies on your topic.
• Do a Quick Search with your main ideas, like "date rape" and "alcohol."
• Try looking for books in the Information Plus and Opposing Viewpoints series. Just do a keyword search with your topic and the phrase "Information Plus" or "Opposing Viewpoints."

Articles in Databases

• There are over 200 databases available through GALILEO, but here are a few that should help you on this assignment:
• Opposing Viewpoints
• Academic Search Complete
• CQ Researcher in CQ Electronic Library
• LexisNexis

Articles on the Internet

• Google Scholar: Just like Google but limits results to peer-reviewed papers and scholarly articles.
• SearchEdu.com: Get results from college and university websites instead of "dot coms."