Research Guides: Speech / Public Speaking: Article Databases

Researching Controversy

If you're researching a controversial topic (or trying to decide on one to research), check out either CQ Researcher or Opposing viewpoints. Both databases focus on covering multiple sides of controversial issues.

CQ Researcher Online This link opens in a new window
Provides in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day. A wide range of topics are covered, from social and political issues to environment, health, education, crime, climate change, public policy, and science and technology.
Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Presents an array of perspectives on a wide range of topics using fully cited articles, essays, primary documents, biographies, statistics, court cases, profiles of government and special interest groups, websites, and podcasts. Topics cover politics, the environment, health care, education, energy, and much, much more.

Finding Articles

Databases are the main place for finding articles through the Library. You may find commentary on fairly recent speeches through the general databases listed below. Both scholarly and popular pieces of commentary on speeches are contained in this database.

Academic OneFile Plus This link opens in a new window
PowerSearch the Gale Databases. News and peer-reviewed periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology and many general interest topics. Includes images, graphs, tables and illustrations.
Academic Search Premier Plus This link opens in a new window
Contains full text of thousands of publications, many peer reviewed. Multidisciplinary, including social sciences, humanities, education, computer science, engineering, language and linguistics, arts and literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies. Includes images, graphs, tables and illustrations.
Communication & Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new window
Indexes communication and mass-media related journals. Many of the journals are included from their first issues to the present, dating as far back as 1915.

To find writing on historical speeches, try a history database:

America: History and Life with Full Text This link opens in a new window
An index to journal articles, book reviews, and dissertations on North American historical topics from prehistory to the present. See Historical Abstracts for historical coverage beyond the US and Canada.
Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Index to journal articles, book reviews, and dissertations covering world history from 1450 - present. Updated monthly. For US and Canadian history, see America: History and Life.