ESL 51 - Prof. Lekakis

Welcome to your research guide! Below you'll find instructions on using the Issues & Controversies database and the Opposing Viewpoints database. You'll also find ways to get help with your research if you have a question or get stuck. Don't be afraid to ask for help! That's why we're here. 

Here are instructions on using the Issues & Controversies database to find a topic, subtopic, and news articles related to the subtopic.

1. Go to the Issues & Controversies homepage.

2. Click on the link in the upper right corner named All Issues A to Z.

3. Click on the topic that you're interested in.

4. Click on the subtopic that you're interested in.

5. Read the Pro/Con article.

   • To email a link to the Pro/Con article to yourself, click on the Share tool, then click on Email. On the form that appears, enter your email address and click on Send. You should receive an email with a link to the article.  

   • To get the citation for the Pro/Con article, click on the Cite tool. To copy the citation, click on Copy. 

6. To get news articles related to the subtopic, click on the News tab.

7. Click on the title of the article to see the full-text.

   • Use the Email tool (see step 5.a. above) to send a link to the article to yourself. 

   • Use the Citation tool (see 5.b. above) to get the citation for the article in MLA format. 

For a video on how to use this database, see the Issues & Controversies Overview Video.

Here are instructions on using the Opposing Viewpoints database to find additional articles on your topic or subtopic.  

1. Go to the Browse Issues page in the Opposing Viewpoints database. 

2. Click on the topic that you're interested in. 

3. On the topic page, click on Featured Viewpoints link. This will give you a list of all the featured viewpoint essays. If you're looking for more, click on the Viewpoints link. This will give you a list of all the viewpoint essays. 

4. Click on the title of an article to see the full text. 

   • To email the article you yourself, click on the Send to... icon in the upper right corner of the screen. On the window that appears, click on Email. On the form that appears, enter your email address and click on Send. You should receive an email with the full text of the article and the citation for the article in MLA format. 

   • Too get the citation, click on the Cite icon in the upper right corner of the screen. A window appears that contains the citation in MLA format (and others). To copy the citation, click on Select. 

For videos on how to use this database and the Gale platform, see the Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints and Gale pages in this Guide.  

Searching library databases is not as easy as searching the Web. You might have questions or run into problems while searching. Please ask for help! That's why I and the other NOVA Librarians are here. You can use any of these options:

1. Send me a message by filling out a brief form. I usually respond within one business day (during business hours).

2. Chat with a librarian (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

3. Schedule an appointment with a NOVA librarian (in-person or via Zoom)

4. Visit, call, or send an email to a NOVA campus library

5. Watch video tutorials created by NOVA Libraries. 

Photo by Carol Petri on Unsplash