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What Laws Should be Changed Research: Home

Research Topic

What laws should be changed?

Use the resources below to explore your topic. 

When doing research about controversial topics, keep the following things in mind: 

  • Who is responsible for the information in your source?
    • If you cannot verify the credibility of the author (author is unknown, you are unsure if it is a reliable source, wikipedia, social media, etc), Verify the information elsewhere. 
    • You can also verify whether or not a source is credible with a quick Google search. Search the name of the author and / or the site to help ensure credibility or potentially spot concerns. 
  • You do not have to avoid bias, but you should be aware of it.
    • You may find very credible and useful information in bias sources.
    • HOWEVER, this is only from one point of view. Search elsewhere for more balace in your perspectives. 

Encyclopedia Databases

Read Around Your Topic

Encylopedia Databases

During the beginning stages of your research, reading around your topic helps you to: 

  • Build a foundation of understanding.
  • Find a path for your research.
  • Identify important key terms, events, and people for your research. 

Encyclopedia Databases provide thorough background information on a variety of topics and are a strong resource at this stage of research. 

Start with....

Issues and Controversies from Facts on File and Isses from ABC-CLIO are the best places to start your research. 

Encyclopedia Databases

Facts on File: Issues and Controversies

Strong resource to explore modern issues and controversies in the United States.

ABC-CLIO: Issues

Explore modern issues and controversies in society.

Britannica

A great online encyclopedia database for background and introductory research.

ABC-CLIO: American Government

Thorough encyclopedia articles for research about American Government.

ABC-CLIO: American History

Encyclopedia articles for background research and exploration in American History.

Facts on File: Issues and Controversies in American History

Explore controversies from American history.

Article Resources

Explore Deeper

Article Databases

The following resources are best when you already have:

  • A basic understanding of what you are looking for. 
  • A collection of key terms, events, and people to add to your search.

Article Databases search through a curated collection of newspapers, magazines, journals, books, and more. There are often many more articles with greater depth than Encyclopedia databases. Adding your key terms to a search will help you narrow your results. 

Start with....

Opposing Viewpoints in Context from Gale is great databases to explore once you know a bit about your topic. 

Article Databases

Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Explore issues and controversies in modern society from a variety of viewpoints and sources.

Gale Global Issues in Context

Curated resources related to issues and controversies around the world.

Gale Power Search

Search all Gale databases.

Gale Criminal Justice OneFile

Curated resources related to the criminal justice system.

Criminal Justice: Modern and Historical Perspectives in the US (Organized Alphabetically)

Crime and Punishment in America

Includes topics such as proposed sentencing, prison preforms, stand your ground, supreme court decisions, current data, and more. ABC-CLIO

Crime and Punishment in America

Follet Shelf ebook (search for book) - book about the history of crime and the criminal justice system in America.

Victims' Rights

Provides analysis on everything from human rights reports to Supreme Court cases that allows the reader to fully understand these documents. ABC-CLIO

White-Collar and Corporate Crime

This reference guide documents white-collar crimes by individuals and businesses over the past 150 years, offering the most comprehensive array of documents and interpretations available. ABC-CLIO

Cybercrime

From financial theft, destruction of systems, fraud, corporate espionage, and ransoming of information to the more personal, such as stalking and web-cam spying as well as cyberterrorism, this work covers the full spectrum of crimes committed via cyberspace.- ABC-CLIO

Threats to Civil Liberties Series

Big Timber Media
Books in Series: Policing, Privacy, Religion, Speech, and Voting

Civil Liberties and the State

Includes information and debates related to civil liberties. ABC-CLIO

Power and Restraint

This book explores the moral complexities of situations faced by law enforcement officers every day across the United States. It extends our understanding of the basis of police accountability by grounding it in principles of the social contract and constitutional democracy.

Race Relations in America

This book uses evidence-based documentation to provide a full and impartial examination of race in America, drawing on research from a variety of fields to answer frequently asked questions regarding race relations, systemic racism, and racial inequality.

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