If you are looking for topic ideas or general information about a subject in order to begin your research, the SIRS Issues Researcher database is a good one to use.

To access SIRS Issues Researcher, click on the A-Z Databases icon under Quick Links on the Library’s homepage. This will bring you to an alphabetical list of all of our databases. Scroll down to SIRS Issues Researcher and select it. If you are off campus, then you will need to enter a username and password. To find this information, log into Harcum Hatch and click on the Quicklinks tab on the right-hand side of the page. Scroll down to Library Database Password List, click on the link, and choose the username and password for SIRS Issues Researcher. A visual description of this process can be found on the Database Tutorials page.

When you enter the database, on the initial page you will find a list of Trending Topics and Editors’ Picks:

First Row: Trending Topics: Icons -- Social Media, Gun Control, Mental Health, Abortion, Death Penalty ; Second row: Editors' Picks: Icons -- Recycling, Health Care, World Hunger, Election Interference.

Click on one of the options for a summary of the issue, a comparison of two different viewpoints, critical questions, and an historical timeline. The viewpoints section, which contains article links, is especially useful:

At top center: Do the benefits of social media sites outweigh the drawbacks? ; Left column: Viewpoint 1. Yes, social media use promotes social connections and provides convenient ways to find, share, and discuss information. Links below: For Gen Z, TikTok Is the New Search Engine; Being Real Finds a Following as Gen Z Embraces Unfiltered and Free; Using a New Cyber Tool, Westerners Have Been Texting Russians About the War in Ukraine -- Right column: Viewpoint 2. No, social media use has been linked to a number of issues, including mental health problems, privacy concerns, and safety risks. Links below: Meta, TikTok Could Face Civil Liability if Held to Addict Children in California; The Dark Side of Discord for Teens; Social Media Is Riskier for Children Than 'Screen Time'.

Scroll down a little further on the initial page for more topic ideas:

Top: Need Help Choosing a Topic?; First row of boxes: Business & Economics, Civil Rights & Liberties, Communications & Technology, Crime & Punishment, Drugs, Health & Wellness; Second row of boxes: Environment & Science, Ethics, School, Family & Youth, World Culture & Politics, All Leading Issues.

SIRS also allows you to do a general article search. Type some terms into the box at the top of the screen and click the search button to the right. You will get a list of results containing links to full-text articles, mostly from newspapers and magazines. Although some peer-reviewed journal articles are included, this is not the best resource to use for scholarly research. When you click on an article title to get the full text, to the right you will see options for citing, printing, saving, and emailing. SIRS articles also include a Listen option in which the text will be read aloud to you.

More detailed instruction on the contents and use of SIRS can be found in our video database tutorial. Choose Database Tutorials under the Research Services menu on the Library’s homepage and then select SIRS Issues Researcher.

Remember that if you have questions about this resource or any other, please don’t hesitate to ask us. You may visit the Library during the hours posted on the Library's homepage, email us at library@harcum.edu, use our chat service when it is available, or call us at 610-526-6085.

    

Bill Fanshel

Evening/Weekend Librarian

wfanshel@harcum.edu

610-229-9311