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Writing an Argument Paper

Argument Handout from The Writing Center at UNC

These resources are good for exploring current controversial topics and for gathering background information:

Gale Virtual Reference Library - Encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.

Points of View Reference Center - Full-text database which provides students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. 270+ topics, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument), counterpoint (opposing argument), and Critical Thinking Guide. Presents a balance of materials from all viewpoints, including Sources: 1,200 main essays, leading political magazines from both sides of the aisle, newspapers, radio & TV news transcripts, primary source documents & reference books.

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
A scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 journals and a total of more than 13,200 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887, with the majority of full text titles in native (searchable) PDF format. Searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,400 journals.
MasterFILE Premier This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary database provides full text for nearly 1,700 periodicals with full-text information dating as far back as 1975. Covering virtually every subject area of general interest, MasterFILE Premier also contains full text for nearly 500 reference books and over 164,400 primary source documents, as well as an Image Collection of over 592,000 photos, maps & flags.