Issues & Controversies @ FACTS.com • Content – Full-text of Issues & Controversies On File from 1995 to the present – In-depth essays giving multiple perspectives on issues in today’s society – Need a Research Topic? – Issues: Pro and Con – Issues in the Headlines – Subject Index – Table of Contents – Primary Source Documents – Editorial Cartoons – Bibliographies – Curriculum Aids – Interviews with Experts – Bill of Rights in Debate – Groups to Contact – By the Numbers – Photos, Charts, & News Maps – Newspaper Editorials – National High School Debate Topics Easy Access to Information – Full-text searches • • • • • Title field searches Search one date or date range Boolean operators Sort by relevance Sort by most recent Easy Access to Information – Menu access • • • • • • Issues in the Headlines Issues: Pro and Con Editorial Cartoons By the Numbers Interviews with Experts National High School Debate Topics • Photos, Charts, & News Maps Easy Access to Information – Comprehensive editorial hyperlinking • Between related stories • Between stories and overviews • Between stories and primary sources • Between images and stories Easy Navigation Search Options Text entry box Title field search option Sort option for results list Date range Search buttons Quick help Menu Access Menus to indexes and special features Special Features • Need a Research Topic? Complete menu of all research topics Special Features Introduction to the topic • Need a Research Topic? Links to articles on this topic Special Features • Editorial Cartoons & Questions List of the most recent editorial cartoons Complete menu of all editorial cartoons Special Features • Editorial Cartoons & Questions Links to additional information Discussion questions Article Display Story Screen Home (opening screen) Links to related stories and background information Easy access to printing, e-mailing, and citation Easy searching from within any article Help Story subheads Framing of the issue Story text Searching • Basic and Advanced Searching • Boolean Operators – AND (default) – OR – NOT • Quoted or “phrase” searches • Parentheses link terms between operators • Truncation (wildcard) search using * Searching • Sorting the Results List – Set before executing the search – Relevance rank (default) – Reverse chronology – most recent stories at top (helpful for current events/background) • Title Field Search – Hits have keyword in title – Boolean, keyword, or phrase searches Searching • Searching the Title Field – Reduces the “noise” in broad searches – Keywords in titles indicate major development – Focuses some types of search (e.g., name) Searching • Too many hits? – – – – – Make search argument more narrow Use “Title Search” Restrict number of databases searched Make use of date ranges Avoid using “OR” – more inclusive operator than “AND” so less focused search Searching • Easy to use for novices – Hyperlinks can allow “one-step” searching; one hit can be the key to many stories – Hyperlinks reveal the complexity and pervasiveness of an event or issue – Searches are easy to construct and refine – The interface is consistent between databases – Search History allows user to repeat a search as is or with variations Sample Searches 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Terrorism and “Al Qaeda” Logging and forests China policy Energy shortage Global Warming Search Results Number of documents found Retrieved documents Activities Issues & Controversies • Tools to promote critical thinking and learning – – – – – Town hall meeting organizer Discussion questions & activities Assign student interviews Interviews with experts Newspaper Editorials giving opposing opinions on key issues Activities • Town Hall Meeting Organizer Activities • Town Hall Activity Format Sample Activities • Discussion Questions & Activities Activities • Student Interviews Activities • Interviews with Experts Activities • Newspaper Editorials Activities • Curriculum templates in multiple formats – MS Word 6.0 – HTML – Adobe Acrobat PDF Highlights – Issues & Controversies @ FACTS.com • • • • Full-text Collection Easy Access Comprehensive Hyperlinking Curriculum Activities THANK YOU! Go to http://library.kcc.hawaii.edu Click on Find Articles Then Select