COM 104 Crtitical Thinking in Public Argument (Allen): Library Guides

Consider the source: Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact info.

Read beyond: Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What’s the whole story?

Check the author: Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real?

Supporting sources? Click on those links. Determine if the info given actually supports the story.

Check the date: Reposting old news stories doesn’t mean they’re relevant to current events.

Is it a joke? If it is too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure.

Check your biases: Consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgement.

Ask the experts: Ask a librarian, or consult a fact-checking site.

Government information can be very useful when searching a wide variety of topics. One of the easiest ways is to go to Google! After you type in your keywords, then type in site:gov (example: air pollution site:.gov) to limit your search to only government-related resources. This will include federal, state, and local resources.

• How to Write an Op-Ed Column (PDF) (Harvard Kennedy School): Provides detailed guidelines on how to write an op-ed column.
• Op-Ed Writing Tips and Tricks (the Op-Ed Project): A guide to help you as you formulate your ideas.
• How to Write Op-Ed Columns (Earth Institute at Columbia University): this is a guide to writing op-eds and contains a useful list of op-ed guidelines for top-circulation US newspapers.
• Writing Letters to the Editor (University of Kansas' Community Toolbox): Great site with lots of examples and checklists.

• American Enterprise Institute

  Think tank engaged in public policy research promoting freedom, opportunity and enterprise
• Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program.

  See for example, their full-text report: The State of Metropolitan America.
• Congress on New Urbanism

  Provides some full-text reports on urban development.
• Lewis Mumford Center (University at Albany).

  An urban policy center. See, for example, the full-text annual Mumford lectures.
• Cato Institute

  Promoting an American public policy based on individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peaceful international relations
• Heritage Foundation

  Heritage Foundation is a conservative research think tank based in Washington D.C. Read studies and papers on free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, etc.
• National League of Cities

  The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities.
• 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.
• RAND Corporation

  The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
• Urban Affairs Association (UAA)

  Lists numerous links under "Resources"
• Urban Institute

  Is concerned with economic & social issues. Provides full-text reports.
• KnowledgePlex

  A comprehensive news, tools and information resource for the affordable housing and community development field.
• U.S. Green Building Council

  The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is transforming the way we design, build, maintain and operate our buildings, homes and communities.
• Milken Institute

  A nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, the Milken Institute believes in the power of capital markets to solve urgent social and economic challenges and improve lives.

• Authors (blue): Last name, followed by initials. Example: Luo, L., & Craik, F. I. M.
• Year (red): The publication year is enclosed in parentheses. Example: (2008).
• Title of the article (green): Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Example: Aging and memory: A cognitive approach.
• Journal title (purple): Italicized to indicate the source. Example: Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
• Volume and issue number (orange): The volume number is italicized, followed by the issue number in parentheses. Example: 53(5),
• Page numbers (black): Indicating where the article appears in the journal. Example: 346-53.