Guides: COM 180 Public Speaking &amp; Rhetorical Analysis (Wilson): Finding & Researching Topics

COM 180 Textbook

The textbook for this COM 180 class is available online and free of charge.

Public Speaking (The Public Speaking Project)
(2011) This text offers an assortment of virtual tools to help users improve their public speaking skills.

Finding Topics

Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
Information on social issues including articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, interactive maps, videos, and streaming audio.
ProCon.org This link opens in a new window
Non-biased pros and cons of debatable issues, plus reference information relevant to those issues.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Provides professionally fact-checked and footnoted reports on the most current and controversial issues of the day.

Finding Academic Articles - Essential Databases

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Primary multidisciplinary database at Pepperdine. Use the "choose databases" link from the main search page to include other EBSCO databases such as Business Source Complete, Education Full Text or GreenFile.
Communication & Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new window
Content from CommSearch and Mass Media Articles Index along with other peer-reviewed journals in communication, mass media, and related fields of study.
ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) This link opens in a new window
Access to literature and resources covering education topic from pre-K through graduate school, sponsored by the US Department of Education.
Exploring Race in Society This link opens in a new window
Provides background information on topics related to race, ethnicity, diversity and inclusiveness plus a collection of opinion essays offering solutions to issues related to race.
PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
The American Psychological Association’s (APA) resource of peer-reviewed articles in psychology, behavioral science and mental health.
Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Articles from peer-reviewed journals in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics, including SWOT analyses and articles from Harvard Business Review.
Taylor & Francis Social Science & Humanities Library This link opens in a new window
Access to peer reviewed journals covering Behavioral Science; Education; Business, Management & Economics; Media, Cultural & Communication Studies; Politics, International Relations; Sociology; Sport, Leisure & Tourism.

Finding Statistical Information

Statista This link opens in a new window
Statistics and studies gathered by market researchers, trade organizations, scientific publications, and government sources, includes access to the Global Consumer Survey .

Statista Citation Example:
Public Religion Research (2020, September). Religious affiliation in the United States 2017, by age. Statista. https://www.statista.com/

Please note Statista also has its own citation generator; click on the quotes icon on the right hand side of a graph to select the graph's citation format and output.

United States Census Bureau Data This link opens in a new window
Leading source of up-to-date demographic data about the United States people and economy.

Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. They conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. They do not take policy positions.

Finding Newspaper & Periodical Articles

U.S. Major Dailies (ProQuest Newspapers) This link opens in a new window
Access to The New York Times (1980 - present), Washington Post (1987 - present), Los Angeles Times (1985 - present), Chicago Tribune, (1985 - present), and Wall Street Journal (1984 - present).
New York Times (NYTimes.com) This link opens in a new window
**Access requires logging in with a Pepperdine email on the NY Times homepage. Find step-by-step log-in instructions on the access guide to log in. **
Los Angeles Times This link opens in a new window
Indexing and full-text access to the Los Angeles Times. Covers 1985 to now.
Newspaper Source This link opens in a new window
National & international papers include: The Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Times (London), Toronto Star
Regional papers include: The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, The Miami Herald, Daily News (New York), San Jose Mercury News.
Television & radio news transcripts from CBS News, CNN, FOX News, NPR, and others.
Malibu Times Collection This link opens in a new window
The longest running newspaper in Malibu, California. Digital collection currently covers 1946-2010s.
The Graphic This link opens in a new window
The Graphic has been Pepperdine's primary student newspaper since the school's founding in 1937. In addition to campus news, the Graphic covers the City of Malibu, and offers student perspectives on national and cultural issues.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Features news, business and legal sources from LexisNexis®—including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790. For help on how to use Nexis Uni, visit the research guide.This database is only available to current Pepperdine students, faculty, and staff.

Finding Policy & Reference Information

Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics, and the nation’s premier resource for unbiased information on elections, politics and policy. Ballotpedia is nonprofit and nonpartisan, not affiliated with any political campaign or advocacy group.

Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Access to encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
Rand Corp. Publications This link opens in a new window
Research reports on Children and Families, Education and the Arts, Energy and Environment, Health Care, Infrastructure and Transportation, International Affairs, Law and Business, National Security, Public Safety, Science and Technology.

Finding & Using Images

Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization working to increase the amount of openly licensed work freely available for legal use, sharing, repurposing, and remixing. Use the Openverse link to find CC-licensed and public domain content, video and audio.

COM 180 Public Speaking & Rhetorical Analysis (Wilson)

Research & Instruction Librarian