What Are You Looking For?
Are you looking for... 
Books ??
Articles ??
Click over to the Find Articles page for links and information about more article databases.
Where to Browse for Articles?
The two databases linked below are good places to start.
You can:
- Find articles in magazines or journals
- Fnd pro/con points of view
- Get citations for every article in the databases.
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new windowDatabase of contemporary social issues with content structured to promote critical-thinking skills. It contains reference book titles, pro and con viewpoint articles, and a variety of periodicals, podcasts, reviewed Web links, images, statistical tables, charts, and graphs.
- Academic Search Complete EBSCO This link opens in a new windowProvides a comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals - of which more than 7,300 are peer-reviewed journals.
Contact Your Professor
Ann Borow
Welcome
Welcome to the Oakton Library and Your Research Class! 
My name is Ruth Whitney and I'll be your guide to learning about
research and library resources at Oakton.
This online guide to the Oakton Library will help you
- Learn about how to find sources for your annotated bibliography and research paper.
- Select and search Library databases
- Search tips,
- Tools for saving articles you find,
- Tools for getting article citations
- Learn about MLA citations
- Discover how the Oakton Library can help you succeed with your research assignment
Be Strategic
Have a Strategy for Your Time and Work
- Choose the subject or topic for your paper
- Find words that you can use to search for good sources
- Find articles on your topic
- Find the required sources
- What kind of source do you need? Articles? Books? Websites?
- How many sources?
- Check for Quality and Fit
- Do the articles, books or websites have good information?
- Is the information helpful for your paper?
- Plan how to add the ideas and quotes into your paper
- Show where the information you use comes from - Cite your Sources!
An Oakton Librarian will be glad to help you with any of these steps in your research.
- Visit the library at either campus
- Chat with a librarian to ask your questions online
- Make a research appointment for one-on-one help.
Fact Check - Oakton Library Chat
How Do I Choose a Topic for my Research Paper?
Ideas for Paper Topics
Sometimes you know exactly what you want to research so getting started is easy.
Other times, you just don't know what to choose for a paper topic.
You have options and help!
If you can't decide on a topic, you can start by looking at Opposing Viewpoints or CQ Researcher.
These databases have reports and articles organized by subjects. Use the links below to explore a bit.
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new windowDatabase of contemporary social issues with content structured to promote critical-thinking skills. It contains reference book titles, pro and con viewpoint articles, and a variety of periodicals, podcasts, reviewed Web links, images, statistical tables, charts, and graphs.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowEach issue examines a single "hot" topic with comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of every issue. Includes charts, graphs and sidebar articles -- plus a pro-con feature, a chronology, lengthy bibliographies and a list of contacts.
