ProQuest has moved PolicyFile off of its old platform (and URL) and integrated it into the main ProQuest platform (the one where we can access ABI/Inform Global, Ethnic NewsWatch, etc.) With this move, ProQuest has decided to rename the database as “Policy File Index.” It is now listed under that name on database pages.
Tag: PolicyFile
Researching Current Events
Several sections of COM1010 will be working on current event topics for their first informative speech. Before I met with these classes, I did some brainstorming about sources with Barbara and Randy. Here are some databases and web sites we recommend.
For background, use CQ Researcher or the Facts on File World News Digest.
CQ Researcher has changed its interface and it is now better in most cases to search rather than browse by topic. Their bibliographies are good for identifying research groups and government agencies.
Facts on File is especially good for foreign news summaries or country-focused issues. Search results can be filtered for “Analysis & Background” which includes editorials and primary documents like transcripts and congressional reports.
For News, we found C-SPAN has some good research features. They have “Featured Topics” pages and if you scroll down past the video and news, you will see links to government resources, legislation, House and Senate committees, and public interest groups.
For Polls and Surveys, the web site of Publicagenda.org includes “Issue Guides” and “Research Studies” (a little hidden in the tabs at the top of the page), both topical approaches to current issues.
For news, reports, and links to government agencies, USA.gov is a good place to start. Searches can be filtered by topic, agency or source, or you can just filter for sources with statistics. If you haven’t used this web site lately, it is worth another look.
For reports from think tanks and independent research organizations, we used PolicyFile, one of our databases, and a web site called Policyarchive.org.