ENG 131 -- Intro to College English

With a persuasive essay, you want to be sure to find not only informative sources, but also sources that may have an opinion for or against your topic. Be sure to look for sources that both support your main argument as well as disagree with your main argument. A great persuasive essay will acknowledge the other side of the issue, and then explain to the reader why it is wrong or flawed.

With this in mind, here's a great three-point strategy for finding your sources:

• Use Gale eBooks to find solid background information on your topic, to give you a firm foundation for your argument.
• Check Opposing Viewpoints to find viewpoint essays that disagree with you as well as agree. You can also find data, ebooks, and a wide variety of articles related to your topic.
• Finally, search Academic OneFile to find more articles about your topic, including research-based articles, current events, etc.

Of course, you're not limited to these three databases! Depending on your career field and topic, you may want to try several different databases before you find the sources you need, and that's okay! Try clicking on the drop-down menu at the top of our A-Z Page to show our recommended databases for each subject/program field, or try a few of our Popular Databases on the right-hand side!