Once you have chosen your topic, the next step is to begin collecting information you can use to support your writing. Your instructor will tell you how many sources you are required to use for each essay. Here are a few steps you can take that will make this research process easier.
The Internet is good for a lot of searches and source types. For example, if you need very current information or news and commentary, Web searching is a good strategy.
Databases are special -- they are collections of information (usually articles from magazines and scholarly sources) made available to subscribers. Databases are very valuable because they contain and maintain specific collections, and are relatively easy to search. We use the Web to access Database collections, but articles accessed are not considered "online" or "web" sources in the same way that a Wikipedia entry is.
Most instructors have some topics that they will not allow you to research for your persuasive papers, therefore you will not find abortion, gun control, animal experimentation and capital punishment on this list of topics. Please check with your instructor to make sure that your chosen topic is suitable for your persuasive paper.
Abstinence Education
ADHD
Adoption from Foreign Countries
Adult Children & Independence
Advocacy Groups
Affirmative Action
Afghanistan
Agricultural Subsidies
AIDS / HIV
AIDS Drugs in Africa
Airline Subsidies
Alcohol Abuse & Youth
Allergies in Schools
Alternative Energy Exploration
Alternative Medicine
Amazon Deforestation
Arab-Israeli Conflict
Arctic Drilling
Armenian Genocide
Artificial Insemination
Arts & Culture
Arts & Music in Public Schools
Arts Funding
Assisted Suicide
Atheism
Athletes & Drugs
Autism
Auto Insurance
Balancing Work & Family
Bank Bailout
Banning Books
Bans, Trans Fat
Behavior Drugs & Children
Big Bang Theory
Big Box Retailers
Bilingual Education
Biological & Chemical Weapons
Blogging
Blood Diamonds
Body Image & the Media
Boomerang Children
Border Walls
Bottled Water
Bullying in Schools
Burning of the Flag
Campaign Finance
Canadian Pharmaceuticals
Capitalism vs. Socialism
Carbon Offsetting
Carbon Trading
Carpools
Casinos, Native American
Celebrity Activism
Cell Phone Bans
Cell Phones in School
Censoring Student Newspapers
Censorship
Censorship & Democracy
Chechnya
Chemical & Biological Weapons
Child Labor
China as a Superpower
Chinese Exports
Christianity in the U.S.
Church & State, Separation of
Cigarette Smoking
Circumcision
Citizens' Rights
Civics & Government
Civil Disobedience
Cleanup of Toxic Dump Sites
Climate Change
Cloning
Coal-Burning Power Plants
Colleges & Early Decision
Colony Collapse Disorder
Complementary Medicine
Condom Distribution
Conflict Diamonds
Conscientious Objectors
Conspiracy Theories
Contaminated Food
Corporal Punishment
Cosmetic Surgery
Creationism
Crime & Punishment
Cuba
Darfur
Daylight Saving Time
Decline of Newspapers
Decline of Reading
Deforestation in the Amazon
Developing Markets
Diamond Mining
Discipline of Children
Discount Stores
Distance Learning
Distribution of Condoms
DNA Profiling
Domestic Violence
Draft vs. Volunteer Army
Dress Codes
Drilling in the Arctic
Drug Policy
Drug Testing for Sports
Drug Testing in Schools
Dual Credit
Early Admission
Earth & Environment
Eco-friendly Consumerism
Economic Aid
Economic Stimulus Package
Education Standards
Electoral College
Electoral Reform
Electronic Surveillance
Electronic Voting
Embryonic Stem Cells
Emergency Contraception
Emerging Economies
Eminent Domain
Endangered Species
Enemy Combatants
Energy & Conservation
English as National Language
Euthanasia
Evolution
Evolution in the Classroom
Executive Pay
Factory Farming
Faith-Based Initiatives
Family Issues
Farm Subsidies
FDA Approvals & Regulations
Federal Identification Cards
FEMA
Female Priests
Feminism
Flag Burning
Flood Insurance
Food Contamination
Food, Organic
Foreign Language Graduation Requirements
Foreign Military Bases
Foreign Policy
Forensic Genetics
Foster Children Programs
Frankenfoods
Free College Tuition
Free Internet
Free Speech
Free Trade
Fuel Efficiency
Funding for the Arts
Gambling, Legal
Gangs
Gay & Lesbian Adoption
Gay Marriage
Gays in the Military
Gender Equality
Genetic Fingerprinting
Genetic Screening
Genetically Modified Foods
Geneva Convention
Genocide, Armenian
Global Democracy
Global Economy
Global Issues
Global Warming
Globalization
GMOs
God
Government Access to Records
Government Funding
Government Funding & Sports Facilities
Government Protest
Green Consumerism
Green Jobs
Greenhouse Effect
Guantanamo
Health & Medicine
Health Classes
Health Insurance
Helicopter Parents
Highway Carpools
Highway Tolls
HIV/AIDS Status & Privacy
Holistic Medicine
Home Schooling
Homeland Security & Civil Liberties
Homelessness
Homosexuals in the Military
Honey Bee Population
Housing Developments & Water Shortages
HPV Vaccine
Human Cloning
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine
Human Rights
Hunting
Hurricane Katrina/FEMA
Identity Theft
Illiteracy
Immigration
Immigration Restrictions
Immunizations
Impeachment
Imported Product Safety
Importing Drugs from Canada
Income Tax vs. Sales Tax
Industrial Agriculture
Infrastructure
Insecticide Spraying
Intellectual Property Rights
Intelligent Design
International Adoption
Internet
Internet Censorship
Invasive Species
Iraq
Iraq War
Ireland, Northern
Irish Republican Army
Israel & the Palestinians
Junk Food in Schools
Jury Duty
Juvenile Offenders
Kashmir
Labor & Economics
Labor Unions
Laptops in Schools
Legalization of Marijuana
Legalized Gambling
Library Records
Literacy
Lobbying Reform
Mandatory Drug Testing
Marine Resources
Media & Body Image
Media & Communications
Media Bias
Media Consolidation
Medical Insurance
Medicare
Medicine & Ethics
Mexican Border Security Policy
Military Service
Minimum Driving Age
Minimum Wage Increases
Missile Defense
Mortgage Crisis
Multiculturalism
Music & Arts in Public Schools
Music Censorship
Music Downloading
MySpace
NAFTA
NASA
National Identification Cards
Native American Casinos
Native American Rights
NATO
Natural Theology
Needle Exchange Programs
No Child Left Behind
No-Fault Car Insurance
Noise Pollution
Nonnative Species
Nonviolence
North Korea
Northern Ireland
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Proliferation
Nuclear Weapons
Obesity
Obesity & Health Insurance
Ocean Policy
Oil in the Arctic
Online Degree Programs
Ordination of Gay Clergy
Organic Food
Outsourcing
Overfishing
Overpopulation
Ozone Layer
Pacifism
Pakistan
Palestine
Parental Consent
Parents on College Campus
Parole System
Patriot Act
Pedophilia, Penalties for
Performance Enhancing Drugs
Pharmaceuticals Advertising
Pharmacies & Controversial Drugs
Physical Education
Pirates
Plastic Surgery
Pledge of Allegiance
Political Parties
Polygamy
Population Growth
Pornography Laws
Power Plants, Coal-Burning
Prayer in Schools
Preemptive Strikes
Preventable Disease & Vaccine Supply
Prisoner Rights
Prisoners of War
Privatization of Education
Prostitution
Protest, Government
Public Health Assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa
Public Transportation
Quality of Life
Race & Culture
Racial Profiling
Raising the Minimum Wage
Reading, Decline of
Regulating Political Blogs
Religion
Renewable Energy
Reparations for Slavery
Restitution to Native Americans
RFIDs
Right of Property
Rights of Convicted Felons
Safety of Imported Products
Salary Cap
Sales Tax vs. Income Tax
Same Sex Marriage
School Choice
School Prayer
School Uniforms
School Violence
Schools & Education
Sentencing for Juvenile Offenders
Separation of Church & State
Sex Education
Sex Education in Schools
Sex Offender Laws
Sex Workers
Single-Parent vs. Nuclear Families
Slavery Reparations
Smallpox Vaccinations
Smoking
Social Integration
Social Networking Sites
Social Security
Sports
Sports Discrimination & Women
Sports Facilities & Government Funding
Standardized Testing
Stem Cell Research
Steroids
Strip Mining
Sub-prime Mortgage Crisis
Subsidizing HIV/AIDS Drugs
Substance Abuse
Surrogate Mothers
Sustainable Development
Tasers
Tax Cuts
Tax Reform
Taxes
Teachers' Rights
Teaching Evolution
Teen Driving
Term Limits
Third World Relief
Thompson, Fred (Republican)
Title IX
Tolls on Interstates
Tort Reform
Torture
Toxic Cleanup
Trans Fat Bans
Transportation, Public
U.S. & World Democracy
U.S. Borders
U.S. Constitution
U.S. Space Program
U.S. Withdrawal From Post-WWII Bases
Underage Drinking
Unions
United Nations
Universal Health Care
Uranium Enrichment
Vaccine Supply
Vaccines & Health Hazards
Vegetarianism
Vending Machines
Veterans
Video Games
Vietnam
Violence in Schools
Violence in the Media
Violent Protest
Virtual Worlds & MMORPGs
Vivisection
Volunteer Army vs. Draft
Volunteering & Public Service
Voting & Elections
Voting Machines
Voting Rights for Felons
Vouchers, School
Wage Standards
War & Peace
War in Afghanistan
War on Terror
War Profiteering
War Protests & Free Speech
Water, Bottled
Welfare
Wikipedia
Wind Power
Wiretaps
Women Priests
Women's Issues
Women's Rights
Wrongful Convictions & DNA
Year-Round School
YouTube
Zero Tolerance