Reference materials can help you:

Develop your resolution

Understand specialized vocabulary

Provide information on organizations related to your resolution

Provide citations for scholarship related to your resolution

• CQ Researcher
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference HQ35 .C67
  • Dates covered: 1991-current
  The CQ Researcher provides background information on current controversial issues such as mandatory sentencing, heath care reform, and stem cell research. Included in each report are numerous charts and graphs, sidebar articles, a pro and con article, a chronology of events relating to the topic, contacts for more information and bibliographies.

• CQ Researcher Online
  CQ Researcher provides in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with weekly reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each 12,000-word CQ Researcher report is a unique work, investigated and written by a seasoned journalist. Each report includes a background and chronology; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources.

• Contemprary World Issues
  

  This series covers a variety of current issues and includes resources, timelines and legislation. Search the library catalog using a KEYWORD search to identify and locate individual titles.
  Example: "contemporary world issues" (whole phrase in quotes) AND your topic (no quotes necessary)

  Most of the titles in this series are in the reference area.

• Opposing Viewpoints Series
  

  This circulating series is similar to Contemporary World Issues. Each book tackles both sides of a specific issue. Search the library catalog (Keyword Search) to identify and locate individual titles.
  Example: "opposing viewpoints" (in quotes!) AND your topic (no need for quotation marks).

• Encyclopedia of applied ethics / Chadwick, Ruth
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference BJ63 .E446 1998
  • Check Catalog
  

  This is an invaluable resource to explore the broad concepts of particular issues. Each entry includes vocabulary, summaries of multiple perspectives and a bibliography.

• Encyclopedia of associations
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference HS17 .E53
  • Check Catalog
  

  This is a directory of organizations, associations and institutions in the United States and internationally. The directory includes contact information, budget, membership information, publications, and a description of activities and policies.

• CQ Researcher Online
  CQ Researcher provides in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with weekly reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each 12,000-word CQ Researcher report is a unique work, investigated and written by a seasoned journalist. Each report includes a background and chronology; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources.

• Global NewsBank
  News articles from broadcasts, news agency transmissions, wire services, newspapers, magazines and government documents covering politics, economics, culture, business, science, technology and the environment from Africa, Asia, Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Pacific Rim, Central and South America, and the Middle East. Site License.
  [Resource no longer available]

• Bellingham Herald (NewsBank)
  • Dates covered: 2002-current
  Newsbank provides complete full-text content of local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries, and people in the community. Paid advertisements are excluded. Site License.

• HeinOnline
  HeinOnline is a legal research collection that features full-text searching of the complete historical run of scholarly legal and criminal justice periodicals. Other sources covered in full-text include published and unpublished treaties; The Federal Register (1936-present), U.S. Supreme Court Reports, and U.S. Attorney General Opinions. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations CFR)is available full-text from inception in 1938 through the 1983 edition. Site License.

• Ethnic Newswatch and ENW: a History
  • Dates covered: 1990-current
  Ethnic NewsWatch is an interdisciplinary, bilingual (English and Spanish) and comprehensive full text database of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Designed to provide the "other side of the story," ENW titles offer additional viewpoints from those proffered by the mainstream press. Coverage begins in 1990. Included is Ethnic NewsWatch: a History, with retrospective coverage from 1960-1989. 2 Simultaneous Users.

• Alternative Press Index
  API Indexes journals covering cultural, economic, political & social change. Coverage is international and interdisciplinary indexing over 300 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines. Includes selected abstracts from research journals. Subjects covered include: animal rights, anarchism, civil rights, democracy, environmental issues, feminism, gay and lesbian issues, labor, national liberation, socialism – theory and practice, and indigenous peoples. Site License.
  [Resource no longer available]

• PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference HB1.A1 P822
  • Dates covered: 1972-current
  • Check Catalog
  PAIS contains over 400,000 citations and abstracts of journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, government documents, and statistical directories. Site License.

• ProQuest
  ProQuest accesses databases covering a wide range of subject areas and disciplines using a common search interface. It is the library's premiere full-text database, indexing over 4,000 sources including scholarly journals, popular magazines and newspapers.
  [Resource no longer available]

• Google U.S. Government Search
  Google's search engine for federal, state, and local government websites.

• National Political Index
  Contact information for national political parties.

• Project Vote Smart / Center for National Independence in Politics
  Project Vote Smart is a major program of The Center for National Independence in Politics, a national non-partisan organization focused on providing citizens/voters with information about the political system, issues, candidates and elected officials.

The Government Documents collection includes print and online materials pulished by the United States, Canada and Washington State.

• U.S. Government Information Sources

• Thomas
  Thomas is the Library of Congress's guide to Congressional activities. It contains the text and status of bills and laws, in some cases back to the 1970s. It also has the text of the Congressional Record back to 1989. It has information on Congressional committees back to 1995.

• Using the Congressional Record

• Congressional Research Service Search Engine
  Congressional Research Service (CRS)is a federal agency that provides Congress with authorative, non-partisan report on current topics. CRS doesn't put their reports online but various organizations do, and the 2Act organization has created this unofficial search engine to locate them.

• Homeland Security Digital Library
  A collection of more than 50,000 full-text publications related to homeland security; it is available because WWU is a federal depository library. Most of these publications are government documents and topics include terrorism, border issues, climate change, immigration, pandemics, school violence, food security, etc. The HSDL is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Directorate, FEMA and the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

• How to Locate Statistical Sources (Western Libraries Guide)

• How to Locate Biographical Information

• Library Research Using Primary Sources
  U. C. Berkeley, provides strategies and resources for locating primary sources.