The following links are to web sites that provide resources for issues or arguments. These paper topics have more than one point of view and are considered controversial. Do not forget the Paper Topics page that also includes links to controversial topics.
Argumentative Essay Topics. This site offers many topic choices. Click on the topic, a thesis statement is provided and web sites discussing both sides of the issue.
Debate Central,by the National Center for Policy Analysis allows you to search for debate topics and information.
High School Debate Topics,by the University of Michigan Government Documents department provides Michigan High School debate topics and information.
IDEA (International Debate Education Association). They provides background, arguments, motions, links and readings for over 150 topics; searchable by keyword.
Public Agenda Online. Containscurrent issues from abortion to social security. Each issueincludes background, public opinionand links to resources and sources.
Public Policy Issues and Groups. Contains current issues from cloning to youth suicide. Each issues links to internet sites that provide more information.
Social Issuescoverstopics like racial profiling and terrorism with links tosites that support and oppose the issue and legislation. TIP: It is geared formiddle school students, but the site is appropriate for any researcher.
SpeakOut.com provides topics with "on one hand and on the other hand" viewpoints(concept of pros and con).
You Debateprovides the currentlydebated issues, as well as a directory of broad categories such as health, religion and politics. Search by keyword. TIP: Search using"pro issues" or "con issues" to find arguments.
Human Stem Cell Research: All the viewpoints. A useful, non-partisan background on a topic that's a hot issue in California.
Opposing Viewpoints by the University of Washington Library, a guide like this to various groups that have viewpoints on various subjects.
Congressional Digest This journal is inpaper at JK 1 C65Lower Level Periodicals or electronically. Debates are based on congressionalissues witheach month a topic including backgroundand the pro and con viewpoints.
Contemporary World Issues. Each book covers a controversial issue that is prevelent in today's world. The issues range from abortion to slavery to police misconduct to world hunger.
CQ Researcher. online journalthat provides both sides of the topic.
Current Controversies Series. Each book covers atopic,mainly written during the1990's.
Encyclopedia of Social IssuesThisencyclopedia is in Reference."Full, informed, and unbiased discussion of the gestation of the concept, its evolution and associated debates" with a list of suggested readings; most entries are 1-2 pages long although they range from a short paragraph to 20 pages long.
Ethics Update - Applied. This web site provides resources on topics that cause ethical dilemnas. These could be considered controversial but are not spelled out that way.
Opposing Viewpoints Series. Each book covers one topic from1980 to today.
Point Counterpoint Series. About 40bookscover opposing viewpointsfrom 1990 to today.
Pros and Cons: a debater's handbook This book provides suggestions of arguments for and against a variety of controversial topics.
Reference Shelf Series Over 250 issues covered, note some are not as controversial as others.
Taking Sides, Clashing Views on Controversial... Each volume is abroad topicbutcontains morespecific controversies inside.
21 Debated Issues in American Politics by Gregory Scott is a book that provides 21issues each with background and two opposing viewpoint articles.
Use a search engine on the Internet,choose a topic as one term addanother terms like"position papers", "pro and con", "opposing view", "debate" or "controvers*."
Content maintained by the Kelly Janousek, Librarian
