The Discovery search box on the library home page is the large search box located just above the "Research", "Get Help", and "Your Library" boxes. This search box is called Discovery because it searches most of the library databases simultaneously. Select options from the pane on the left side of the screen to limit the results such as to 'available in print and online'. Using the Discovery search can be an efficient way to search simultaneously for articles from magazines, newspapers, academic journals, as well as streamed films, eBooks and more! The Discovery search is linked directly below for you to try:
While the Discovery search allows you to search, simultaneously, many of the databases to which the library subscribes, there are times when you might want to search one database at a time such as one of the databases focused especially on current controversial topics. Articles found in the databases below, CQ Researcher and Opposing VIewpoints in Context, can be used for both your informative and persuasive speeches.
Note that the only opinionated, or non-objective, section in a CQ Researcher article is the ProCon page in which two experts answer a controversial question posed by the reporter-author of the larger report. In the Opposing Viewpoints database, the Viewpoint Essays include essays that will require critical reading on the part of you, the student. Since these are opinionated essays, you will need to critically evaluate how well the viewpoint is supported by sources used by the author. You may also want to research the author for any bias. Nevertheless, the two databases provide a great starting point for researching current issues topics and exploring potential ways to narrow and focus a topic. These databases are linked below along with a video modeling a search for each.