Subject Guide - Opposing Viewpoints

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.

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. Contains current issues from abortion to social security. Each issue includes background, public opinion and 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 Issues covers topics like racial profiling and terrorism with links to sites that support and oppose the issue and legislation. TIP: It is geared for middle 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 Debate provides the currently debated 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 in paper at JK 1 C65 Lower Level Periodicals or electronically. Debates are based on congressional issues with each month a topic including background and 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 journal that provides both sides of the topic.

Current Controversies Series. Each book covers a topic, mainly written during the 1990's.

Encyclopedia of Social Issues This encyclopedia 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 from 1980 to today.

Point Counterpoint Series. About 40 books cover opposing viewpoints from 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 a broad topic but contains more specific controversies inside.

21 Debated Issues in American Politics by Gregory Scott is a book that provides 21 issues each with background and two opposing viewpoint articles.

Use a search engine on the Internet, choose a topic as one term add another terms like "position papers", "pro and con", "opposing view", "debate" or "controvers*."

This page is maintained by Kelly Janousek, Librarian
University Library, California State University, Long Beach