Need good books for Research Paper

[Canaan Sadow]

Okay, well I'm kind of on the borderline of asking about this, because I don't want to bring about a huge debate about the morality of the situation... however, I am doing a research "Argument" paper in my English 1 class for college and my topic is Pro Gay-Marriage. I've found a few sources that I can use and I've also found the counter-argument I'm going to use that is Anti Gay-Marriage... however, I need to find out about the history of same-sex marriage. For instance, how long it's been against the law (because at one time, it was actually a Christian ordained deal, gays were allowed to marry one another), public polls and what not. If anyone could possibly give me a source, I'd be forever greatful. The rough draft is due tomorrow, but the actual paper is due next week, so feel free to post throughout next monday.

[Mav]

Back when I was in school, we went to the library to do research... I feel old. Serious advice, I assume your college has a library and I'll also assume they have an online "card catalogue," I'd start there.

[Jamps]

My college library has something called ProQuest, which basically delivers tons of reliable sources right to you. As Mav said, head over to the library. Ask the librarian if they have anything like that, most colleges do. Good luck!

[Canaan Sadow]

I've got several books already, I just wanted to see if there were more that I might have possibly missed. xD And my college has a rather... limited supply of books on the topic, enough to do my paper, but just barely... so I was also considering going online and ordering books for use. I dunno, I just don't want to waste money on a book that's not going to help at all, so yeah.

[mimartin]

limited supply of books on the topic.

I would imagine any library would have a limited number of books on the topic. I would do as Mav and Jamps suggested and go to the library and seach the online content. Most likely they will have access to different magazine articles and research studies. I often find reading magazines articles while doing research helps me find dates or names of studies and then I can look up the actual study. I would also concentrate on finding information on articles/studies from counties where it is legal.

[Bob Lion54]

I don't want to bring about a huge debate about the morality of the situation...

 

Any paper that you can say that about is a very dangerous paper to write. Your grade is just as likely to reflect your adherence to your professor's viewpoints on the subject as it is to reflect the quality of the work itself.

 

When I had to write papers arguing something, I always used a topic that wasn't controversial. Once, I wrote a paper on how Football builds character. I told my teacher beforehand that I was going to find a way to fit the word "antidisestablishmentarianism" in it, and I did. It was epic. Epic, I tell you.

 

So, general college advice. Anything your professor believes is "fact" and if you write or say anything contradicting their "facts" you are likely to get a failing grade, no matter the quality of the work.

 

It might work out for you this time, but when you write a paper on a controversial topic, at best your professor will grade it as if they were grading a physics paper. You're unlikely to extra points for arguing what they already believe. You will, many times, lose points for arguing against their beliefs, however.

[Achilles]

My college library has something called ProQuest, which basically delivers tons of reliable sources right to you.

Also, EBSCOHost.

[Canaan Sadow]

I would imagine any library would have a limited number of books on the topic. I would do as Mav and Jamps suggested and go to the library and seach the online content. Most likely they will have access to different magazine articles and research studies. I often find reading magazines articles while doing research helps me find dates or names of studies and then I can look up the actual study. I would also concentrate on finding information on articles/studies from counties where it is legal.

 

This is true. Hmmm... I've always thought of magazine articles as useless, but you do have a valid point. I'm going to start doing that. Thank you, sir.

 

Any paper that you can say that about is a very dangerous paper to write. Your grade is just as likely to reflect your adherence to your professor's viewpoints on the subject as it is to reflect the quality of the work itself.

 

When I had to write papers arguing something, I always used a topic that wasn't controversial. Once, I wrote a paper on how Football builds character. I told my teacher beforehand that I was going to find a way to fit the word "antidisestablishmentarianism" in it, and I did. It was epic. Epic, I tell you.

 

So, general college advice. Anything your professor believes is "fact" and if you write or say anything contradicting their "facts" you are likely to get a failing grade, no matter the quality of the work.

 

It might work out for you this time, but when you write a paper on a controversial topic, at best your professor will grade it as if they were grading a physics paper. You're unlikely to extra points for arguing what they already believe. You will, many times, lose points for arguing against their beliefs, however.

 

Well she wanted us to find controversial topics. That was the point of the assignment. So I doubt she'd drop my grade if my viewpoints differ from hers, she never has before.

 

Also, EBSCOHost.

 

Argh. I forgot about that site. I used that all the time in High School. xD Thank ya for reminding me

[mimartin]

Well she wanted us to find controversial topics. That was the point of the assignment. So I doubt she'd drop my grade if my viewpoints differ from hers' date=' she never has before.[/quote'] Ah to be young and naïve. She may do her best not to grade with bias, but if you write the same quality of paper with two different viewpoints. I could almost guarantee that the one that supported her position would get the higher grade. It has nothing to do with a teacher trying to be fair, it is strictly human nature.

 

In college I was usually dishonest in doing research papers. I would talk to the professor about the project and the subject I had chosen until I had some clue about their position on the topic and then tailor my topic to their position. You would think that finance and accounting that doing this would not be difficult. However, the best paper I ever wrote was on the collapse of Enron. Too bad, I didn’t take the time to follow my usual plan because the Professors’ daughter actually worked for Enron before its demise. Got an “A minus” on the paper even though my facility advisor said it was a definite “A”.

[Liverandbacon]

Ah to be young and naïve. She may do her best not to grade with bias, but if you write the same quality of paper with two different viewpoints. I could almost guarantee that the one that supported her position would get the higher grade. It has nothing to do with a teacher trying to be fair, it is strictly human nature.

 

In college I was usually dishonest in doing research papers. I would talk to the professor about the project and the subject I had chosen until I had some clue about their position on the topic and then tailor my topic to their position. You would think that finance and accounting that doing this would not be difficult. However, the best paper I ever wrote was on the collapse of Enron. Too bad, I didn’t take the time to follow my usual plan because the Professors’ daughter actually worked for Enron before its demise. Got an “A minus” on the paper even though my facility advisor said it was a definite “A”.

 

True most of the time, but not always. I still have no idea where my politics tutor (not same as 'tutor' in the American sense, it means a prof that has 2:1 student:teacher classes with you in addition to large lectures) at uni fell on the political spectrum. No matter what side a classmate or I might argue for, he'd always find a way to make a very convincing argument for the opposite side. I experimented by writing essays from all sorts of political viewpoints, and he graded them all fairly, based on the strength of the argument itself. My AP European history (and also military history elective) teacher in high school also graded papers against his opinions fairly, though it was much easier to see what he believed than it was with my uni tutor.

 

Those were the two best teachers I've ever had though, and most did what you say, mostly subconsciously (I think).

[mimartin]

True most of the time, but not always.

Which was the exact reason I wrote "almost."

 

Also had two professors that I never could get a handle on how they felt about a subject. It is some what uncommon for me not to be able to pick up someone feeling about something conservational, but I never could figure out either professor (although there really isn’t much conservational about Statistics). I actually thought the Statistics professor disliked me until I got a call for a job interview 2 years later saying he recommended me. The other professor taught psychology, not getting a read on him didn’t really surprise me.

[JediMaster12]

Well if you are looking for sources, also play around with journal articles. They usually have, especially in the lit review section, good references to movements and other sources. Then you can backtrack by looking at the resources page.

 

I did a content analysis on same-sex marriage and my focus was on the political ads regarding prop 8. Looking up the history of this battle, it has been an ongoing one. I suggest using google to locate repuatble newpaper sources like Times as well as look in the library on political movements. If you had a specific focus I could give a bit more.

[jawathehutt]

Sociological abstracts has a lot about gay marriage, go to your library, if you have library that doesn't suck you should be able to get a few articles from it

[Liverandbacon]

Which was the exact reason I wrote "almost."

 

Clearly I can't read. Probably because a biased English teacher in kindergarten didn't want me to read other opinions.

[Darth333]

This is true. Hmmm... I've always thought of magazine articles as useless' date=' but you do have a valid point. I'm going to start doing that. Thank you, sir. [/quote']Magazines and research papers can be an invaluable resource...just make sure you check who's the author: there is a matter of credibility but also for the reasons expressed by mimartin.

 

I once chose a very obscure topic and only found two articles discussing it. One of them was an old article published in a legal review and was not signed...In my paper, I went on and on about how I considered that the author couldn't be more wrong only to find out later that my professor was the author of the article I still got a good grade but it was embarrassing!