Subject Guide for Hot Topics Supersites

These are internet sites which have resources on many controversial topics of current interest. If you have been assigned a paper or presentation on a current topic which you must select, one or more of these sites might give you ideas for choosing a topic. If you have already selected a topic, go directly to the heading for that topic. If a "supersite" has resources on your topic, it will be noted on the list of relevant sites. Here are brief overviews of the "supersites" which give information about several controversial topics:

ACLU Freedom Network: This organization's mission is to defend the civil rights of all Americans, both citizens and noncitizens. The website features informative materials, documents, current news, and Internet links in areas such as AIDS, church and state, criminal justice, free expression, rights of immigrants, gays, lesbians, women, and racial and ethnic minorities, voting rights, students' and workers' rights, and reproductive rights.
ArgusClearinghouse: Social Sciences and Social Issues: Annotated listings of Internet resources on bioethics issues, immigration, ethnic groups, the environment, human rights, women's and gays' issues, hate groups, and much more.
Electronic Policy Network: This site is produced by a consortium of "think tanks" such as Center for Law and Social Policy, Russell Sage Foundation, etc. It features a virtual magazine, "Idea Central," which has background reports on public interest topics.
Envirolink Network: This gateway site is a comprehensive clearinghouse on all environmental issues, from fairly technical topics to those in frequent public discussion, such as animal rights, pollution, and rainforest destruction. Resources include electronic journals, government agency documents, reports of concerned organizations, and news releases.
Ethics Updates: Under "applied ethics," you will find Internet resources on such topics as abortion, euthanasia, punishment and the death penalty, race and ethnicity, sexism, sexual orientation, poverty and hunger, and environmental ethics. For most topics, there are bibliographic essays outlining important contributions and a selection of recent philosophical and popular articles on the topic. There is also a stimulating list of possible discussion and term paper topics.
Feminist Activist Resources on the Net: Opinion pieces, news releases, court cases, agency and foundation documents are just some of the resources included here. Topics included are those most relevant to women, including reproductive rights, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and gender bias.
HandsNet: The "Headlines" section summarizes current news of relevance to human services, while the "Forums" section provides background material on such topics as aids, children and families, health and legal services, housing, and substance abuse. Requires registration.
Online NewsHour: Online Backgrounders: Background reports and interview transcripts for news stories and discussions featured on the PBS News Hour. Foreign policy, business and the economy, education, the environment, health, the military, race relations, religion, science, and welfare are just some of the areas covered.
Project Vote Smart: A nonpartisan group which gathers and disseminates information about political candidates, issues, and campaigns. An excellent source for background information and pro and con arguments on issues such as arts funding, crime, drug abuse, the environment, families, gender issues, gun control, human rights, immigration, terrorism, welfare, and many others.
WebActive: Includes reports and Internet links for nearly forty current topics, including animal rights, civil rights, families, gay and lesbian issues, gender issues, health, housing, labor, race and ethnicity issues, and more.
Wild Ideas: Subjects covered include affirmative action, bioethics issues, censorship, the death penalty, drug abuse, gender issues, gun control, human rights, health care reform, homelessness, tobacco use, and welfare reform.