Six Controversial Databases: Content on Current Events

When it's time to find the answers to a controversial subject, prepare for a heated debate, or write a position paper on today's hottest topic, there shouldn't be any argument that databases provide the best resource content. Here are six that can easily support and defend their positions within the library and school curriculum.

Grade 7–12+

Cost A site license is $395.

The Big Picture H.W. Wilson's Current Issues: Reference Shelf Plus is a uniquely structured database that offers a hand-selected group of full-text articles from key publications on science, health, political, social and global issues. Timely topics are selected to meet the research needs of high school students while specifically focusing on those articles that are most relevant.

Approximately 90+ different topics (with additional subtopics listed below each general topic) are available in either print or infographic (visual) search formats for students. National and international subject perspectives range from blogging to global warming and the paranormal to world music with approximately 30 of the best resources per subject available in either an HTML or PDF format.

Research topics are updated periodically with new article topics added yearly. Facts and opinions with feature articles, editorials, scholarly papers, and more from the contents of WilsonWeb's 3,600 online journals are selected to provide content that directly relates to search topics. Authoritative websites, current journal articles and profiles from Wilson's Current Biography, and links to primary sources help students examine topics in greater depth. Current Issues Reference Shelf Plus also provides additional support in debate preparation with the coverage of the annual U.S. National Debate topic.

Look & Feel Efficiently organized for ease of use, Current Issues Reference Shelf's front page displays both visual and printed topics with a Topic Finder box to allow for natural language searching. Articles are categorized by topics and subtopics with individual markers (+) to open the subtopics within each category. Each subtopic is comprehensive yet focused, allowing students to easily understand the issue.

Students may instinctively browse the list from the front page, select a visual topic, or use the Topic Finder box to search. A Basic Search provides a list of topics while an Advanced Search provides the list of topics, the iconographic search list, and the Topic Finder box. Students do not need to understand Boolean search strategies to search the database, but instead select their topics by clicking items.

Once a topic is selected, a results page displays the general topic along with a list of subtopics. When a subtopic is selected, a new results page appears with the list of the top 5–10 relevant articles available in full-text HTML or PDF formats. Three boxes at the bottom of the page allow the user to see More Articles in Full Text, More Article Citations, or Search the Web.

How it Works Current Issues Reference Shelf Plus provides relevant materials on most controversial topics today. Topics and subtopics are listed in such a way that the content can be easily accessed without the frustration of using incorrect subject terms, keyword, or misspellings. By simply selecting a topic, students can easily locate the best resources with the ability to locate additional materials by clicking More Articles in Full Text.

For example, when chosing Doping in Sports is chosen, a new results screen appears listing four possible subtopics: Starting Early: Performance Enhancing Drugs in High School and College; The Many Forms of Doping; Juiced: Major-League Baseball in the Steroid Era; and Prevention, Testing, Government Regulation, and International Policies. When the subtopic Starting Early: Performance Enhancing Drugs in High School and College is chosen, the top six articles are listed with the option of browsing 19 additional articles.

Students may print, email, or save their resources, and up to 100 article citations can be created and exported.

For Students and Teachers Current Issues Reference Shelf Plus allows students to locate, refine, and narrow broad topics into manageable ones for presentations, debates, or research papers saving time and frustration for beginning searchers. Through organized structuring of complex topics, both students and teachers will appreciate the ease in locating relevant resources without sifting through unnecessary content. Additionally, the inclusion of the 2008 National High School Policy debate topic allows for more time in debate preparation and less time searching for the supporting evidence.

Report Card Wilson's Current Issues Reference Shelf Plus provides authoritative, well-defined, and highly organized resources. As an authority in the selection of quality content materials, Wilson continues to showcase only the most relevant materials necessary and deserves an A.

Bonus Point

Current Issues Reference Shelf Plus is a well-organized, quality resource with an outstanding price. The inclusion of the 2008 National High School Policy debate topic (Health Care in Sub-Saharan Africa) is an extra incentive to use this database.

Grades 7–12+

Cost A single school subscription is $499; for larger districts, contact ABC-CLIO or your EBSCO representative. (Through a recent partnership with EBSCO, ABC-CLIO is offering school librarians the convenience of working with their EBSCO representative to consolidate orders for ABC-CLIO databases with EBSCOhost databases.)

The Big Picture Providing users with 150 of the most significant social issues today, ABC-CLIO's Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society presents a foundation for comprehending controversial issues through both current events and historical perspectives. Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society provides students with 4,000 reference entries, 15,000 primary and secondary sources, government documents, photographs, art, video clips, and historical maps.

Look & Feel ABC-CLIO's Issues and Controversies' database provides a colorful and compact front page that directs the user to specific topics of research. Using six major topics including Society, Gender/Ethnicity, Criminal Justice, Government, Environment, and Science/Technology, each topic is assigned a colored box from which users can choose a topic of interest. A row of boxes line the top of the page with a Search box at the far right-hand side for Basic keyword searching. A larger current events box in the center of the page highlights a news item, while two smaller boxes beneath, Explore and Research, provide additional resource links.

A top page banner is labeled Issues, Research, Explore, Help, and Dictionary providing directional links within the database. The Issues section lists the six major topics and displays a list of more than 30 subtopics from which to choose. The Research section provides a Search Box to enter keyword terms that may be broaden or narrowed by Text, Issues, or Category. Search categories include: Individuals, Groups, Events, Places, Events, Objects and Artifacts, Ideas and Movements, Timelines, Court Cases, Primary Documents and more.

The Explore section of the database provides a thematic analysis of both sides of a controversy. Selecting one of the six topics results in a Perspectives page that displays a controversial topic and an essential question to be explored in-depth, with evaluation segments that stretch the curriculum content by providing both sides of the controversy while presenting a dilemma that requires additional research and examination.

How it Works Unlike most databases that lists topics and provide articles from various sources without any background information as to why the issue is controversial, Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society takes students through the historical perspective of controversial topics. Rather than providing news and magazine articles of current events without any insights into the reasons why these events occurred, Issues takes the reader through the historical perspectives of the issue using descriptive historical documents, scholarly essays, and videos to provide details and offer reasons for the controversy within today's society.

For example, the issue of "immigration in America" provides the student with the Overview of the topic dating back to the 1800's that helps to explain the history of immigration. By selecting the People/Organization tab, students can read about the history of groups involved in the immigration rights, while the Timeline and Facts/Figures tabs provide graphical and statistical evidence to examine how the issue has progressed. Finally, a Current View/Outlook tab gives the student a short summary of how the issue is seen by society today.

Throughout the Subject search, additional side-notes are available that direct students to current issues relating to the topic. For example, while evaluating the historical perspective of Immigration and the people involved, students can select additional resources such items as "U.S. Department of Homeland Security," "John Ashcroft," or other topics.

For Students and Teachers One of the best parts of this database is the Explore module which directs students into critical thinking and examination of various topics. Key Questions are posed along with a Need to Know, Dilemma, Investigation, and Doing More segment within the module to extend subjects into lengthy units of discussion and reflection. As students investigate topics such as society, gender and ethnicity, criminal justice, government, law and politics, the environment, and scientific technology, they are moved to the edge of critical thinking through the evaluation of their research. Questions posed in the module are addressed in essay formats by scholars who provide the student with the opportunity to not only examine the different viewpoints of the argument but to also reflect upon how the controversy will affect society in the future.

Report Card ABC-CLIO's Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society provides a historical perspective that allows students to better understand controversial issues as they research evidence and develop critical thinking skills. Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it," but with Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society, students can examine the historical perspectives of a topic and develop the skills necessary to make better choices. This database provides a great historical background to controversial issues and allows students the opportunity to first learn about an issue before supporting or condemning it. As a unique database that not only supports the history/social studies department by providing a solid background on controversial topics, but also keeps a foothold in both the past and the present, allowing students to examine controversies affecting their futures, this database deserves a solid A.

Bonus Point

ABC-CLIO's Explore module expands the database content by directing students and teachers into the Critical Thinking components of any controversial subject area. As an extension of the database that could be used in a variety of ways, this component shouldn't be missed!

Grades 6–12

Cost Pricing starts at approximately $645 for a single-site school subscription. Discounts available for districts and multiple-school purchases.

The Big Picture Facts.com's Issues & Controversies provides more than 800 in-depth articles on controversial topics in full-text with new content added weekly during the school year. Original, balanced articles link directly to relevant news, timelines, primary documents, background information, and arguments pro and con.

Critical-thinking resources include Discussion Questions and Activities, Need a Research Topic?, full National High School Debate Topic coverage, and a wide-ranging look at the role of the Bill of Rights in contemporary debates.

Statistical overviews of key issues, short summaries of selected issues with linked articles, editorial cartoons, photos and graphics, newspaper editorials, primary source documents, and contact information for public, private, and government organizations are all included.

Look & Feel On the front page, Issues & Controversies provides a three-sectional format for students to search. On the far left, students may use the Search box and select search options including story date and relevance. In the center of the page, a Current News Topic highlighted by a large news photograph and a short blurb allows students to immediately click a topic, and to the far right students can search by Quick Access which includes Access All Topics, Issues: Pro & Con, and a Subject Index.

Below the Quick Access links are Issues in the Headlines which feature new items added to the database and a Special Features list with specific areas of interest including the Bill of Rights, Interviews with Experts, National High School Debate Topics, Groups to Contact, and much more.

At the top of the page a Resource Center box divides user-content tools into a Students' Resource and a Teachers' Resource Center. Students can select Research Tools, Presenting Your Research, and Analyzing and Understanding to help guide them as they use the database content. Teachers may select Classroom Activities and Assignments or Teaching Aids to help them instruct students while utilizing the database contents within the classroom.

A Need a Research Topic? provides a lengthy list of possible topics with subtopic content within each subject area to help students narrow-down their search.

How it Works Once a student selects a topic, a results page appears with an Issues Date for the currency of the topic material in the top right-hand corner. Results of topics selected within the Access All Topics provide the user with a list of subtopics from which to examine and corresponding content.

A column of additional resources include the Sidebar containing additional resources, a Related Articles area linking to similar content, a Key News Events linking to news articles, and an Overviews area with statistical content from the World Almanac and Book of Facts.

Useful and unique elements within the database include a highlighted box of both sides of the issue. For example, students selecting Drug Testing as their subject will find resource content which reads The Issue and then a list of critical thinking questions addressing both side of the issue. Content from the Issues: Pro and Con area can be found in a debate format for easier access and understanding.

While the content materials in this database are taken from a variety of resources such as Newsweek, Time, The Economist, it is important to note that the Results articles in this database are summarized from these sources and are represented in essays that can be read by most students. Original journal articles, such as Newsweek, Time, and others, are not contained within the database itself, but are listed in the bibliography of resources following each article summary.

Finally, one of the most unique features is the addition of the Browsealoud software program that can be downloaded to any computer to allow the database content to be read aloud to individuals such as ESL students, struggling readers, students with dyslexia, or the visually impaired.

For Students and Teachers Issues & Controversies provides students with the content materials to begin research and debate projects. Through access links or search options, students are quickly taken to content materials that are organized and presented to allow for immediate use. Resource Center tools help to guide students while offering suggestions for subjects or posing questions.

Teachers will find resource materials that will help build curriculum content for subjects such as research, speech and debate, current events, or history. Teaching aids and assignments can also help teachers develop lessons that utilize unique resources such as editorial cartoons, editorials, and speeches.

Report Card Issues & Controversies is an ideal speech and debate database for middle school and some high school students. Through the inclusion of newspaper editorials, editorial cartoons, and contact information this database provides unique content. Although the database may not contain the depth of resources needed for upper level high school or advanced placement research, it does present materials that can generate student discussion and critical thinking while providing equal access through the Browsealoud software program. There's no debate that this database deserves an A.

Bonus Point

Issues & Controversies breaks down barriers by offering Browsealoud, an assistive technology software that delivers speech options to allow students to listen to database content without any special equipment. Kudos for creative thinking outside the box!

Grade 7–12+

Cost K-12 pricing $1595; the Critical Thinking add-on module is $800.

The Big Picture: Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides full-text resources covering today's hottest social issues ranging from immigration and medical ethics to gun control and terrorism. Using 450 proprietary titles from Greenhaven Press, Gale, Macmillan, Scribner and U*X*L as the cornerstone for the database, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides a pro and con viewpoint of subjects through full-text magazine and academic journal articles, reference resources, newspapers, primary sources, government and organizational statistics, multimedia content including images and podcasts, selected websites, and more. With over 4700 topic overviews; 8730 pro and con viewpoint articles; 6500 statistical tables, charts, and graphics; and links to 2,300 reviewed websites, Opposing Viewpoints provides students with an exhaustive list of possibilities.

Through the Critical Thinking add-on module, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center can provide students with opportunities to develop critical thinking and information literacy skills by assisting them in researching, analyzing, and organizing various types of data for research assignments, persuasive essays, and debates.

Opposing Viewpoints's Lexile reading levels for periodicals, as well as an integrated national and state curriculum standards search with content correlated to high school and middle school social studies and science standards, provides teachers and librarians with the information necessary to customize student research projects.

Using the Gale PowerSearch platform, Opposing Viewpoints is cross-searchable with Gale eBooks and periodical collections creating a one-stop search. It also includes a unique translation feature, which allows researchers to translate documents—with only the click of a button—into Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Portuguese, simplified Chinese, and Korean. A new interface preference also allows users to display the interface in Spanish, French, or Portuguese.

Look & Feel Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides intuitive search options with a visually well-organized home page that directs the user to select search options. Both basic and advanced search options are available. On the Basic Search page, a slick Search box provides quick searching, while a hyperlinked list of over 100 popular topics are listed below it. Subject and keyword searching, along with limiter options for document types, reading levels, and critical thinking are available in the Basic Search and keyword, subject, publication type, level, dates, formats, and Lexiles available in the Advanced Search option. A Subject Guide provides students with the ability to narrow or expand a search by content, while a Publication Search allows the student to search within a specific publication.

Individual state standards, as well as the Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, the National Science Education Standards, and the Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy are all available as a Search Type, allowing educators to quickly locate specific resources to use for lesson plans.

How it Works Opposing Viewpoints's default Search appears on the main page allowing students to click on a topic from the subject list. Returned results are organized by source type. A related subject guide allows students to broaden or narrow their searches as well as visit links to related subjects.

At the top of each page is a basic Search field and drop-down box which allows students to perform a search by Subject, Keyword or Full-Text. Specialized searches are ideal for eliminating extraneous subject matter and for building a wider perspective on a topic.

Honing in on a specific subject is simple with Advanced Search. Students can enter up to three keywords/phrases and combine then using Boolean search limiters. Searches can be further limited by publication dates and document types.

The Critical Thinking add-on module provides a variety of challenging activities, quizzes over content materials, and downloadable MP3 audio files that promote engaged learning and align with state curriculum standards. Each entry offers thought-provoking features that encourage interaction, problem solving, and critical thinking.

For Students and Teachers Teachers will discover that Opposing Viewpoints provides not only the content that their students need for in-depth research on both sides of an issue, but even more importantly, provides them with the instructional content for developing standards-based lesson plans. Through immediate access to the national standards that link directly to content articles correlating to each standard and grade level, teachers can easily use the database to expand, enhance, or surpass the average textbook lesson material.

Students will appreciate the wide variety of content materials, the ease in locating specific items through organized "tabbed" folders, and the ability to utilize the downloadable MP3 content that extends database content beyond the parameters of a library computer.

Report Card Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center goes above and beyond what most would expect from a database with both teacher-centric and student-focused resources that expand the research experience. Unique MP3 access options and curriculum-focused resources take this library resource into the classroom and well beyond the four walls of the school making this database worthy of an A+.

Bonus Point

Gale pushes the envelope with their Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center's Critical Thinking module which heightens the database's content by providing controversial introductory questions for students to examine within each subject area. The availability of downloadable articles in MP3 formats for each of the articles shows innovation in database content delivery for a variety of users.

Grades 7–12+

Cost EBSCO's Points of View Reference Center is $1295 for high schools and $685 for middle schools.

The Big Picture EBSCO's Points of View Reference Center is a full-text database that provides a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. The database provides over 200 topics, each providing objective overviews or background information, a point (argument) and a counterpoint (opposing argument), and exceptional resource guidance links to help in determining between fact or opinion, evaluating websites, writing topic sentences, taking good notes, outlining a paper, visually organizing ideas, writing persuasive essays, and much more. Topics within the database range from affirmative action and cloning, to DNA profiling and immigration with lists of general and specific topic lists available to help students review and select content.

EBSCO's Points of View Reference Center contains a balance of materials from all viewpoints, including 800 main essays, leading political magazines from both sides of the aisle, newspapers, radio & TV news transcripts, primary source documents and reference books. The database also contains the Video Encyclopedia of the 20th Century, which can provide students with a searchable collection of some of the most important social, political, and cultural moments of the 20th century.

Points of View Reference Center provides the basis from which students can develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills. A Critical Thinking Guide will soon be available for every topic which will help students read and critically evaluate resources.

Look & Feel EBSCO's Points of View Reference Center provides an intuitively designed search page with the options to use the Search box for keyword searching or browsing by Category or to View All Topics. Students may also choose the Advanced Search which allows them to select specific Document Types (Points of View, Periodicals, Newspapers, Reference Books, Primary Source Documents, Images, Videos, and Biographies) by simply checking the box next to the item listed. Searches may also be limited to full text, publication, publication date, publication type, illustrations, lexiles, and more.

Once a topic is selected within a Basic Search, students are directed to a "tabbed results page" which allows them to examine Points of View, Periodicals, Newspapers, Primary Source Documents, and Images. Full-text articles available within the Points of View, Periodicals and Newspaper segments include Lexiles to assist readers in selecting the most appropriate content. Most periodical and newspapers are available in both HTML and PDF formats and may be printed, saved, emailed, or placed in a folder for access by the student using an individual username and password.

How it Works Students can search the database using Keywords or Subjects from the Search box, selecting a topic from the Browse by Category list, or selecting the View All Topics tab to find a lengthy list of subjects. Once a topic is selected, a Results Page displays six content tabs. The tabs consist of All Results which lists all content materials on the subject, a Points of View tab (which provides an Overview, a Point, a Counterpoint, and a Guide to Critical Analysis on the subject), a Periodical tab, a Newspaper tab, a Primary Documents tab, and an Images tab.

Once a student has selected a topic such as global warming, a results page appears which includes the All Results content tab for this subject which includes over 9,000 results, as well as the Points of View tab where a student can read an Overview of the subject, including the Point and Counterpoint positions, and a Guide to Critical Analysis (which provides an instructional essay to help students evaluate points such as facts and opinions), as well as how to recognize points and counterpoints. Another section, What the Experts Say, takes the student to an article (in this case an article from Newsweek magazine) that gives additional information. In addition, students have immediate access to the How to Guides for instruction in how to Write a Thesis Statement, Judge Facts from Opinion, or a variety of 14 other instructional guides. Finally, at the bottom of the page are the Curriculum Standards for both the United States and Canada.

For Students and Teachers Teachers will like the Guides to Debate, Developing Arguments, and Writing Position Papers component while students will like the tabbed access format of the database and the option of saving selected materials to folders accessible within the database through an individual username.

Report Card EBSCO's Points of View Reference Center is an easy-to-use database which provides a wide-range of controversial subject content materials. The addition of How to Guides for students to review for better understanding of different assignments such as writing a thesis statement is extremely helpful. While the database does provide links to both the U.S. and Canadian Curriculum Standards, the links only take the user to the standards websites and do not link specific standards to specific content within the database. As new updates are added, including the Critical Thinking Guide, the database should become even more useful for teachers. Until then, this database rates an A-.

Bonus Point

Points of View Reference Center's Guides to Debate, Developing Arguments, and Writing Position Papers component eliminates the need for teachers to create hand-outs illustrating the step-by-step writing and research processes. These instant guides allow students to immediately review each process with a simple click while they work within the database.

Grades 6–12+

Cost A subscription price for a single high school is $1,595. Prices may vary based upon the size of a district, the number of schools, and other products already licensed from ProQuest.

The Big Picture SIRS Researcher is available online through SIRS Knowledge Source and provides information on 100 of the most-researched social issues. Students can easily locate information on major topics, as well as editor-written background information, viewpoints within the issue, and hundreds of articles and graphics. Included are excerpts from The World Almanac and Book of Facts which focuses on world history, nations of the world, major international organizations, and all of the United States. Also included are photos, websites, video and audio clips, Flash animation, and current and historical maps of the world.

Research Topics are provided and sample keywords, subject headings, and topic browse paths help students link to timely issues. A monthly Challenge Quest poses questions to spark discussion or options for research. Timely topics in the Spotlight of the Month section encourages students to evaluate issues of current interest, while the Top News Stories of the Day section provides national and global headline news stories in up-to-the-minute formats without students leaving the database.

Look & Feel SIRS Researcher includes leading issues that are formatted in a unique five-step process to help teachers and students analyze and synthesize each issue, pro or con, in an organized way. This ensures that students use critical thinking to develop their conclusion.

SIRS Researcher offers article selections from over 1,600 sources and includes coverage range from 1989 to the present in subject areas such as social, scientific, health, historic, political, economic and global issues. Articles are chosen based upon content reliability, relevance, and age-appropriateness. Among some of the sources selected from are American History, The Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Affairs, National Geographic, Newsweek, Science News, and Time.

How it Works SIRS Researcher allows students a variety of search options. On the front page, students may use the Search Box enter terms by Subject Headings or by Keyword/Natural Language. A list of Index tabs at the top provides additional search options. The Quick Search allows students to search by subject, keyword, or Lexile levels; an Advanced Search provides Boolean Search options and Topic Browse allow students to select topics from categories such as Business, Environment, Family, Global Issues, Health, Human Relations, Institutions, and Science.

Also on the front page is a list of Leading Issues ranging from Abortion to Work and Family. To the right is a visual graphic of the Top Ten Pro and Con Leading Issues to help guide students. Finally there is a poll with a hot topic question ("Should sex education be taught in schools?").

Once a subject is chosen, a results page appears. For example, the topic of Doping in Sports takes the student to a three-tabbed results page. The Overview tab contains the background information and a Pro/Con tab provides a short analysis of the issue from both sides with hyperlinked resources to add depth and additional information relating to the topic. The third tab, My Analysis, guides students into the process of critically evaluating and analyzing arguments and controversial issues.

At the bottom of each page are hyperlinked Suggested Keywords and See Also terms. Below the Keyword links is a banner listing topic content including Newspapers, Magazines, Government Documents, Primary Sources, Viewpoints, Reference Books, Graphics, and Selected Websites. Next to each format type is the number of results.

When an article is selected from the contents list, the student has the option of tagging, emailing, printing, or bookmarking it. Each article provides the student with the option of Summarizing the content (which immediately condenses a lengthy article of several pages into a few paragraphs) or selecting the Descriptors to find more relevant materials.

A downloadable PDF Research Guide is available for each major topic providing students with a step-by-step analysis for their subject content materials. Included in the Research Guide are copies of the research articles (which resemble the familiar format of the "old SIRS notebook" articles) allowing students to mark pages or highlight content as they follow the research guide to review the materials.

For Students and Teachers Teachers will find that SIRS Researcher provides several time saving and curriculum-based enhancements. The addition of state and national standards that directly correlate to database content will help teachers to locate standards-aligned articles and other resources, saving time in the lesson planning process and ensuring that library resources are correlated directly to learning benchmarks. A Teacher Resources section also provides access to handouts, PowerPoint programs, and templates to help in the classroom with writing research papers, outlining, or analyzing article content. In addition, Lexile Reading Levels have also been integrated to help match reader ability and text difficulty, allowing individualized monitoring of student progress.

Students will find the database provides a variety of ways of searching and will love the Summarize feature within each article. Through the PDF Research Guide and the My Analysis section, students will learn how to critically think about topics, analyze information, and report their findings more effectively.

Report Card ProQuest has taken SIRS Researcher beyond a simple resource and added content that will make it much more useful in the classroom. By providing resources that directly relate to curriculum standards, as well as critical thinking components, step-by-step guidelines for analyzing individual subjects, and teacher-librarian resources to assist in the instruction of the content, SIRS Researcher has become much more functional and more likely to be used by both students and teachers. SIRS Researcher earns a well-deserved A+ for such improvements.

Bonus Point

SIRS Researcher's PDF Research Guide within each subject area provides an outstanding resource to help students critically evaluate and analyze their topic while providing the actual documents to work through. In addition, the Teacher Resources within the database are a definite "don't miss" area for both teachers and librarians.