Research Guides: Hot Topics: Hot Topics

Hot Topics

Researching a Hot Topic?

We've collected some library resources to help you pick a topic, get more information about both sides, and bibliographies to find more sources on your topic and more!

Article Databases (all subjects)

These databases will cover a wide range of topics and will yield articles on most any subject.

Credo Reference
A great place to start your research, Credo offers Reference articles on just about any topic, and allows you to launch further article and library book searches directly from your results page.
CQ Researcher Plus Archive
In-depth, unbiased reports covering "...political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the U.S. economy."
eLibrary
Designed and scrubbed for the K-12 audience, this is a good place to get newspaper and magazine articles, pictures, audio/video, and tv/radio transcripts.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context (KRL)
Contains reprinted essays supporting both sides of a variety of timely social issues.
**This database is maintained by Kitsap Regional Library and Timberland Regional Library, and requires your public library card number to access.

Books & eBooks from the Library

Below are comparisons of some of the pro/con available in the OC Library. When you see “Call numbers vary” in the location column, you’ll need to use OneSearch to find out the specific topics that are covered in each source/series. Do a keyword search, putting the series title in quotation marks. For example, to see which topics are covered in Contemporary World Issues, enter our library catalog, and then type the following in the search box: “contemporary world issues series” You will get a list of all of the books in that series, including their locations on the shelves or if they are Available Online.

Congressional digest (Online)
ISBN: ISSN:19447566
Publication Date: 1921 - Present
Periodical covering controversial issues debated in Congress.
+ bipartisan; good mix of opinions
+ well known people and organizations are quoted
+ has own index (Dec. issues) and is indexed in EbscoHost, Proquest
- topics cover only those debated in Congress
Contemporary World Issues Series
Publication Date: Various
Book series including chronologies, statistics, glossaries, organizations, bibliographies, and biographical information about important figures.
+ longer and more comprehensive than similar series listed here
Reference shelves and Online; Call numbers vary
Current Controversies Series
Publication Date: Various
+ exhaustive survey of the arguments
+ diversity of opinions
- some do not have indexes
Non-fiction circulating; Call numbers vary
Opposing Viewpoints Series
Publication Date: Various
Book series presenting balanced, opposing points of view on complex and sensitive issues. Includes diverse materials from magazines, journals, books, and newspapers, as well as statements and position papers from a wide range of individuals, organizations, and governments.
+ excellent selection of topics and opinions
+ includes bibliographies
+ includes lists of organizations to contact
- viewpoints are reprinted from other sources
Non-fiction circulating; Call numbers vary;
Full text database at Kitsap Regional Library and Timberland Regional Library
The Reference Shelf Series
Publication Date: Various
+ large selection of topics
+ includes bibliographies and lists of organizations
- viewpoints are reprinted from other sources
- some of the books are out-of-date; be aware of publication date
Non-fiction circulating and a few Available Online; Call numbers vary
Taking Sides Series
Publication Date: Various
+ useful introductions and postscripts for each issue
- viewpoints reprinted from other sources
- no separate bibliography
Non-fiction circulating; Call numbers vary
U.S. National Debate Topic
Publication Date: Various
Annual book publication which provides pro/con information
+ in depth pro/con information on an annually selected topic
- subscription only began in 2004
Non-fiction circulating and some Available Online; Call numbers vary

Librarian Recommended Web sites

Here are a few suggested websites that break down social issues by topic and provide you with links to Internet resources that are specific to that topic, and which have first been reviewed by an actual person.

Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Pew Internet & American Life Project is one of seven projects that make up the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The Project produces reports exploring the impact of the internet on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life.
Procon.org
Select, "Issues We Cover," then "Topics A-Z."
Public Agenda
Public Agenda. The Issues. Public Agenda.
"Discussion Starters are designed to help people think and talk productively about public problems."
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research (Cornell University)
The Roper center provides polling data on all sorts of public opinion topics.

What is "Reference?"

You "refer" to reference books for a concise, factual overview of a particular topic, without bias. This makes them a GREAT place to begin your research (or help you figure out a topic to research)! Find both PRINT and ELECTRONIC reference books in OneSearch.

Topics found in these reference materials often have Resources, Bibliographies or "Further Reading".

Reference Sources

Print reference items are available for library use only. For eBooks, you will be prompted to input your OC email address and OC password).

Criminal Justice in America by Carla Lewandowski (Editor); Jeff Bumgarner (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2020
This work offers a thorough introduction to the field of criminal justice, including types of crime; policing; courts and sentencing; landmark legal decisions; and local, state, and federal corrections systems--and the key topics and issues within each of these important areas.
Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence by Philip L. Frana (Editor); Michael J. Klein (Editor)
Call Number: Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 006.303 En19f & eBook
Publication Date: 2021
This authoritative reference work will provide readers with a complete overview of artificial intelligence (AI), including its historic development and current status, existing and projected AI applications, and present and potential future impact on the United States and the world.
Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability by Anderson Jock (Editor-In-Chief); Pasquale Ferranti (Editor-In-Chief); Elliot Berry (Editor-In-Chief)
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2019
The Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability, covers the hottest topics in the science of food sustainability, providing a synopsis of the path society is on to secure food for a growing population.
Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality: Understanding Biology, Psychology, and Culture by Heather L. Armstrong (Editor)
Publication Date: 2021
Provides context of historical development, scientific discovery, and sociopolitical and sociocultural movements, and overviews major sexuality issues in American and global culture.