These links provide information, texts, and other resources to serve as starting points in your research on topics related to this course and are organized into three sections: General Resources related to the course, suggestions related to the Oral Presentation assignments and suggestions for the Written Analysis or Response to Argumentative Prose. Suggestions, questions, or comments may be sent to Benjamin Harris, the library's liaison for the Speech and Drama Department. 
 

General Resources

The following print and electronic resources may be of assistance as you begin and continue your study of argumentation theories and practices.

Bibliography of Rhetorical Criticism
From your course syllabus:  "For a thorough online bibliography from a rhetorical scholar, consider [the Bibliography of Rhetorical Criticism]. The site contains a number of articles spanning all types of rhetorical issues.  You might find particularly helpful the section on genre and presidential rhetoric."

Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. REF PN 172 E52 2001

Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication From Ancient Times to the Information Age.  REF PN 172 E53 1996

Glossary of Rhetorical Terms with Examples
From the University of Kentucky Classics Department, this long lasting site offers brief definitions of rhetorical strategies and a number of examples to illustrate the concept.

Handbook of Rhetorical and Communication Theory. (Stacks) P 90 H296 1984

Handbook of Rhetorical Devices
Similar to the "Glossary," explanations of these terms are a little more involved, making it useful for those studying these concepts for the first time.

Links to Resources: Rhetoric, Philosophy, and Theory
From the University of Iowa, this extensive list of links is organized into a number of categories related to the study of rhetoric.  Consistent maintenance makes this a site you can depend on in future courses or research situations.

Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric
One of the first and one of the best sites offering online definitions and guidelines for the study of rhetorical concepts and theories (both classical and contemporary).  Sponsored by Brigham Young University, this site extends the tree as a metaphor for learning and thinking about rhetorical activity.
 

Oral Presentation

The first component in this assignment will benefit the most from your research process.  According to the course syllabus, the "first oral presentation is an informative speech presenting your audience with the requisite facts and background necessary to understand and evaluate a future debate on a controversial position within your topic." 

Since your topic need only be controversial, it would be challenging to offer extremely specific resources in a guide such as this. However, the following databases cover a number of subject areas and should be helpful as you conduct research on most topics.

Quest: Trinity Library's Online Catalog
Quest contains information on the library's 900,000+ book collection, as well as other smaller collections within the library (media, journals, etc.).  When using Quest for a topic such as this, think about the need for timely information on your topic. Also think about the kind of time it will take to synthesize information from a book.  Speakers/writers dealing with topics that will require books as resources should plan accordingly.

Academic Search Complete
Designed specifically for academic institutions, this is the world's most valuable and comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 5,300 full-text periodicals, including 4,400 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 9,300 journals and a total of 10,900 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc.

Communication and Mass Media Complete
Index to over 400 journals related to communications and mass media, with full text for over 200 journals.

CQ Researcher
This resource produces a weekly newsletter-like publication which focuses on a particular social or political issue in the news.  It provides detailed summaries of the topic and recommends resources for further study.  You can search topics back to 1991.  It's a good place to start, especially as you think about topic selection.

These sources may also be useful in the second and third oral presentations.  If your presentation would benefit from the use of statistics and empirical data, visit the library's Resources by Subject: Statistics guide. 
 

Written Analysis or Response to Argumentative Prose

This assignment requires you to find an editorial and write a 5 page analysis.  The library has a number of resources for locating editorials.  To limit your search results to a manageable level, try searching with the a topical keyword along with the word "editorial." 

Academic Search Premier
Once again, Academic Search Premier is a good starting point--particularly since so many of the articles are available full-text. However, your librarian suggests that if you tried this database for the first oral presentation, you might try a new database this time around.

Alternative Press Index
Index to radical, alternative, and leftist newspapers/periodicals.

Historical New York Times Index
Features full text of the New York Times from 1851-2001.

Lexis-Nexis Academic
Full-text access to over 5,900 news, business, legal, medical, and reference publications. Includes newspapers, magazines, journals, broadcast transcripts, legal citations, and more.

Editorial Selection Tip:  Some writers might choose a long editorial to make sure that they have plenty of material to analyze.  Other writers might choose a very short editorial so that they don't miss anything. Neither of these strategies is terribly smart. Select an editorial at or around the 250 word mark. A shorter or longer work is fine, but consider the limitations of selecting editorials that are either very short or rather long. 


Cite Your Sources 
Refer to the library's pages for citing sources.