Select the Opposing Viewpoints database.

If prompted, click on Proceed.

There are several types of search options available to you:

• Browse Issues Search provides a list of broad terms (controversial topics)in the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.
• Basic Search allows you to type your topic in the search bar and search by subject, keyword, or full-text.
• Spotlight on… allows you to search a “hot” social issue that is being highlighted on the Home Page by Opposing Viewpoints.
• Spotlight archive…allows you to search previously highlighted topics.
• Advanced Search allows you to conduct a more powerful search.
  

Browse Issues Search: 

Choose a topic and click on it.  You will pull up several pages of citations for articles on this topic.  The documents are grouped by type (note the orange tabs): Viewpoints, Reference, Statistics, Magazines & Newspapers, Images, Primary Documents, Websites, and SRC (Student Resource Center, if available).  Viewpoints will be highlighted.  Click on any of the orange tabs to view more results.  (Only those tabs showing bold, black print will have results.)  The Websites tab will give a list of  hyperlinked websites related to your topic that the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center has reviewed for their accuracy and authority.

Note that on the left side of the screen is a box with a list of subject headings related to this topic.  Clicking on any one of these headings will also produce a list of results/articles.

Click on an article title (blue print) to view the article.

Retrieval Options:

• Print out article by clicking on the Print icon at top left of screen.
• E-mail article to your home computer by clicking on the E-mail icon top left of screen.

Basic Search:  Type your topic in the search bar.  Click on Search.  A list of results/articles will come up.  Proceed now as you did with the Browse Issues Search.

Spotlight on…Search:  This allows you to search for more information on the highlighted topic.  Click on Read more…for an overview/explanation of the issue/controversy.  Scroll to the end of the overview for  more Viewpoints, Reference Essays, Articles, Websites, and the MLA citation for the overview article.  As in the first two searches, retrieval options include the print or the E-mail icons at the top left of the page.

Spotlight Archive Search:  Clicking here will pull up past, highlighted issues.  Choose an issue, click, and an overview plus related articles will appear.  Proceed as with the Spotlight on….Search.

Advanced Search:  This allows for more powerful searches using several terms, BOOLEAN operators, and date limiters.  After typing in search terms and setting date limits, click on Search for results/articles.  Proceed as in Basic Search.

Helpful features and their icons can be found at the top right of the Home Page.  They include Help (tips for using this database), Search Tips (tips for efficient searching:  stopwords, proximity, capitalization, etc.), a Dictionary ( for definitions and pronunciation of difficult words encountered in any of the articles), a Research Guide (helps you evaluate the articles as to accuracy, bias, etc.), and a Toolbox (helpful advice on actually putting your final report together).