Skip to Main Content

ENGL 1301 - Comp 1 - Argumentative/Persuasive Research

Finding a Topic

Ideas for interesting Argumentative/Persuasive paper topics are everywhere!  You can find them in the news, online and of course in the library.  One of the best places to being looking is our Opposing Viewpoints database.  From there you can browse through a list of current controversial topics, or search for one on your own.

Opposing Issues topics screen

 

Selecting a Topic - Resources

These websites are collections of controversial and current topics.  A great place to begin browsing for ideas!

Another Great place to look is the front page of your favorite newspaper. These topics are very current and often people have many different opinions on these issues.  In other words, they are perfect starting points for an argumentative paper.  You can go to the website of your favorite newspaper, or you can browse hundreds of newspapers through several of our library newspaper databases.

Newspapers

Video Tutorial - Picking a Topic

From North Carolina State University