Research Guides: Speech Communication as Critical Citizenship (COMM 1402): Start Your Research Here

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Need Help Thinking of a Topic?

CQ Researcher, Issues and Controversies, and Points of View Reference Center may be especially useful when considering potential topics for your persuasive speech, since they provide information regarding opposing viewpoints:

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America's News (NewsBank) -- Find a Topic Browse news articles arranged in topic areas such as Business and Economics, Criminal Justice, Education, Health, Political Science, Social Issues, and more.

Issues & Controversies (Infobase Learning) This link opens in a new window Good starting point for gathering background information (including pro and con perspectives) on current hot topics; helpful source of research topic ideas.
Points of View Reference Center (EBSCOhost / JerseyClicks) (NJSL) This link opens in a new window Provides essays that present opposing viewpoints on a variety of current topics. This is a great tool for researching the pros and cons of controversial issues.

Guide Editor

Jennifer Stevenson edited and updated this guide Fall 2022.

Subject-Focused Encyclopedias

Need to select a research topic or find background information?

The Reference Collection includes a variety of different sources, such as: subject-focused encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, maps/atlases, statistical compendiums, dictionaries, and more. Look here to find introductory articles on subject-related topics. The broad perspective offered by such articles often proves helpful for narrowing research topics before pursuing more in-depth information.

This guide provides some recommendations for encyclopedias and other reference resources that might provide helpful information relating to your topic.

Recommended Subject-Focused Encyclopedias

New Jersey: A History of the Garden State

Electronic Resource 2012

Encyclopedia of New Jersey

Electronic Resource 2004

Europa World Year Book

Reference Collection (Second Floor) 2016

Guide to Countries of the World

Electronic Resource 2016

Social Issues in America: An Encyclopedia

Main Collection

Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices

Electronic Resource 2014

Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations

Electronic Resource 2017

The Subject of Human Rights

Electronic Resource 2020

Human Rights and Social Care

Electronic Resource 2018

Polarization, Populism, and the New Politics: Media and Communication in a Changing World

Electronic Resource 2019

The Psychology of Oppression

Electronic Resource 2017

Realignment, Region, and Race

Electronic Resource 2018

Thomas Pynchon, Sex, and Gender

Electronic Resource 2018

The Transgender Exigency

Electronic Resource 2021

Recommended Online Reference Databases

The following databases provide access to online encyclopedias, handbooks and dictionaries covering multidisciplinary topics. These are great sources of background information on countless topics and might be especially helpful for your informative speech.

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.

Facts on File Online Databases (now Infobase Learning) This link opens in a new window Offers a menu of all of the Facts on File (now Infobase Learning) reference and news databases, with options for searching simultaneously in several databases.
Ferguson's Career Guidance Center (Infobase Learning) This link opens in a new window Great source of information about careers and industries, with full-text access to job and industry profile articles published in books like the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance. Also provides select "job videos."
Gale eBooks (Gale Cengage Learning) This link opens in a new window A comprehensive collection of reference resources such as subject-focused encyclopedias and dictionaries, available in a single database.
Literature Resource Center (Gale Cengage Learning) (VALE) This link opens in a new window Features literary criticism, reviews, and extensive biographical information on classic and contemporary authors. Also provides access to audio files and podcasts from National Public Radio (NPR) programs. Click the Multimedia tab on a search results list to access any audio files and podcasts retrieved with a Basic or Advanced Search for keywords, a person, or name of work.
Oxford Art Online (Oxford University Press) (VALE) This link opens in a new window Key reference for art; offers artist biographies as well as subject entries on artworks, genres, historical periods, and so on; includes Grove Art Online. The database also provides access to some 40,000 image links and 5,000 images contained within Grove Art Online. NOTE: Permits only eight simultaneous users.
Oxford Music Online (Oxford University Press) (VALE) This link opens in a new window Key reference for music; offers biographies of composers and performing artists as well as subject entries on works, genres, instruments, and so on; includes Grove Music Online, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, and The Oxford Companion to Music. NOTE: Permits only five simultaneous users.
Oxford Reference (Oxford University Press) This link opens in a new window Contains facts, figures, definitions, quotations, and translations from 300+ Oxford reference titles, as well as in-depth, scholarly articles from titles in the Oxford Companions series and Oxford Digital Reference Shelf.
SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window Provides reference resources such as subject-focused dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference materials published by SAGE.
Scopus (Elsevier) This link opens in a new window Features citations and abstracts from peer-reviewed literature (including open access journals), trade journals, books, patent records, and conference proceedings. Scopus offers many tools for analysis, assessment, and comparison of authors, citations, and periodicals. Subject coverage includes science, technology, medicine, social science, and humanities.

Recommended Multimedia Databases

Working from off campus? If so, you will need to log in with your Kean Google username and password.

BBC Shakespeare Plays (Ambrose Video) This link opens in a new window Thirty seven plays from the BBC television Shakespeare series from 1978 to 1985.
Counseling and Therapy in Video (Alexander Street Press) This link opens in a new window Provides access to a collection of online videos that enable students to observe the practice of social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatric counseling.
Films on Demand (Infobase Learning) This link opens in a new window Films on Demand provides access to "video and multimedia for academic, vocational and life-skills content." Click "Collections" to access videos in various subject areas, such as Art & Architecture, Biology, Business & Economics, Criminal Justice & Law, Education, English, Gender & Sexuality, Guidance & Counseling, Health & Medicine, History, Psychology, and more. Also features Archival Films & Newsreels.
ICE Learning Center (International Clinical Educators) This link opens in a new window Features videos for physical and occupational therapy. Videos are "filmed with actual patients and therapists in real-life treatment settings including acute care, skilled nursing, outpatient, home health and ICU. Diagnosis include musculoskeletal, nervous system, mental and behavioral disorders, respiratory, and pediatrics."
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) This link opens in a new window Kean University subscribes to LinkedIn Learning, which provides video courses focusing on creative, business, software, and technology skills. Click the link here, then login with your Kean Google email username and password.
Naxos Music Library This link opens in a new window Offers streaming audio access to CDs, focusing on classical music but also including some jazz, folk, blues, world, pop, rock, gospel, and spoken word.
Naxos Music Library Jazz This link opens in a new window Offers streaming audio access to CDs by jazz legends and contemporary jazz artists.
Psychotherapy.net This link opens in a new window Features a library of streaming videos relevant for clinical psychology.
Stash (Stash Media) -- Click on SIGN IN This link opens in a new window Online video library of Animation VFX and Motion Design Note: Click on SIGN IN.
Theatre in Video (Alexander Street Press) This link opens in a new window A collection of some of the world's best-loved plays, performances, documentaries, and even rehearsals, all provided in full streaming video. Includes many world renown actors and directors.