LibGuides: Public Speaking: Finding Resources

Tips

Each tab in the box to the right will suggest different resources for that type of information.

Books & Encyclopedias - Good place to start your research and get background info

Databases - Short list of best bets

Wyoming Resources - Wyoming statistics, history, quick facts and laws

Statistics - Data sources from US government, from private businesses and public opinion polls

Current Events - Good place to browse for topic ideas!

Video - Includes feature films, documentaries, educational videos and lectures

Choosing quality sources for your academic work: Identifying sources
Quick summary of some of the advantages and disadvantages of different source types
Video: Why You Need Many Sources (<1min)
Video: Scholarly and Popular Sources (4 min)

More Help

Unsure where to start or which resource is best for you? Click on the yellow Ask Us! button on the right-hand side of this window to chat with library staff!

You can also reach out directly to the librarian shown on the Home page of this guide.

Types of Resources

Reference Databases (Online Encyclopedias)

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Reference books on all subjects. Great place to start your research!
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
All subjects; for quick reference
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online reference books from leading publishers

Tip: Encyclopedias are a great starting place to quickly get some background on the subject before delving into more detailed sources like journal articles. Gale eBooks is my personal favorite place to start because it has a good variety of encyclopedias that will give you more that just a definition, but are usually not too technical.

Books and eBooks

Library Catalog (WYLDCat)
Search for items in the LCCC Ludden Library

EBSCO eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
Over 300,000 eBooks on all subjects

General Databases

These databases are good starting points because they cover all topics and most of them have a variety of source types, too, like newspapers and magazines and scholarly journal articles. Tip: Use the "peer review" checkbox (if there is one) if you are required to use scholarly articles.#Databases

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Articles on all subjects; for in-depth, academic research
MasterFILE Complete This link opens in a new window
All subjects; magazine & newspaper articles, reference books, maps
ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Peer-reviewed physical science, social science, and health / life science articles

Wyoming Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Digital archive of Wyoming newspapers from 1849-1922

State of Wyoming
Gateway to info on elected officials, state agencies, courts, legislature and constitution
Wyoming Economic Analysis Division
Wyoming statistics and Cheyenne Economic Indicators
WyoHistory.org
Interactive Wyoming encyclopedia; A project of the Wyoming State Historical Society.
Wyoming Legislative Service Office (LSO)
Find information and bills of the current legislative session.

Wyoming Statutes Annotated This link opens in a new window
Access provided by Wyoming Legislative Service Office and LexisNexis for non-commercial use. Updated quarterly.

Databases

Statista is the best place to start looking for all types of statistics, also includes useful visuals and infographics!

Statista This link opens in a new window
Find and export statistics for spreadsheet analysis and visual presentations

Websites

USA.gov
Find data about the U.S., such as maps and population, demographic, and economic data.
Data.gov
home of the U.S. Government’s open data
Pew Research Center
Nonpartisan, independent social science and public opinion polling.
Gallup
A-Z list of Gallup polls by topic

Hot Topic Databases

Hot Tip: These issue-oriented, current event databases have the unique feature of being able to browse by subject and get progressively narrower, in case you are still unsure of your topic!

Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Current events; pro/con on controversial topics
Global Issues (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
International viewpoints on current events

Current News

New York Times This link opens in a new window To register for educational access to the New York Times: 1. Go to http://www.accessnyt.com/ 2. Search for Laramie County Community College. 3. Use your @student.lccc.wy.edu or @lccc.wy.edu email account to register. 4. Click on the email confirmation link. Your account is created. By logging in, you can now access NYT articles on or off campus, including using the NY Times app.

Websites

Rand Corporation
Nonprofit institution conducting research and analysis in the areas of health, education, national security, international affairs, law and business, the environment, and more.
Room for Debate
NYT opinion page - outside contributors discuss news events and other issues. Readers can post comments.

Kanopy This link opens in a new window
More than 26,000 documentaries and feature films
Films on Demand This link opens in a new window
More than 45,000 streaming educational videos

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading
Hundreds of lectures by leaders in all fields.