Just as there are trends in fashion, there are also trends in the types of assignments that professors like to assign. It seems we have reached peak argumentative essay season around here so let me be your sherpa to the mountain of good essay research and writing!

Let’s take a look at one of my favorite databases fist, Points of View Reference Center. This database was built for argumentative essays. The databases is full of articles that explain the basic facts of a hot topic like “Working Remotely“, “The Big Bang Theory“, or “The Indian Child Welfare Act“. Within each article, there is an overview of the topic, an article arguing one side, and argument for the other side, and a guide to critical analysis. These are all amazing resources for figuring out how you want to present your argument.

Depending on your topic, there are any number of other databases I could recommend, so instead, let me point you to our amazing Topic Guides. There are several dozen guides covering a wide range. Based on your chosen topic, pick a guide that works for you. Each guide has been put together by one of the Reference Librarians with books, databases, and other materials that will help you complete your research.

Three guides in particular will be of great help to all students because the tips work pretty much universally, no matter what subject you are writing on.

1. What to Put in a Search Box
2. Types of Sources
3. Keywords
4. Scholarly vs Popular Sources
5. Evaluating Sources

Finally, here are some books that will lead you on your way to crafting the perfect argumentative essay.

1. What is Rhetoric? by Michel Meyer
2. Writing from Start to Finish: A Six Step Guide by Kate Grenville
3. Write to the Point, and Feel Better About Your Writing by Bill Stott
4. The Nuts & Bolts of College Writing by Michael Harvey
5. Keys to Great Writing by Stephen Wilbers
6. MLA Handbook by the Modern Language Association of America
7. Concise Guide to APA Style: The Official APA Style Guide for Students by the American Psychological Association

The semester is swiftly coming to an end, and many of you are probably hard at work on your final projects. For those of you who may be working on projects on the topic of the current conflict in Ukraine, here is a list of resources, books, and other items that may be of interest.

For those needing a brief overview of the current situation facing Ukraine, the database Points of View has a great primer entitled Crisis in Ukraine. This article covers the basic facts surrounding the crisis, provides several sources you can use in other research, as well as presents two opposing arguments regarding American intervention in the region. There are other articles provided by Points of View that you may also find of use; Diplomatic Relations with Russia, the United Nations, Defense Spending in the United States, the Twenty-Four Hour News Cycle, and more. Any one of these articles would be a great place to begin your research.

Our History Reference Librarian, Ralph Courtney, has put together a Library Guide specifically dealing with Russian history, including the USSR and modern history. You can find that guide here. This guide includes both physical books available to checkout, some databases that focus on history, and other web resources for research. If you notice at the top of the guide, there are also guides for many other historical areas of research all of which are excellent guides in their own right.

Additional to the databases highlighted in the Russian history guide, here are four more databases that may be of use:

1. Access World News: Full-text content from local, regional, national, and international newspapers. Also includes content from blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts and videos.
2. History Reference Center: This database includes the full text of reference books, encyclopedias, and non-fiction books from leading history publishers.
3. Military & Government Collection: Provides full text for military related periodicals and general interest magazines.
4. US Major Dailies: Full text articles from a number of major national newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.

Here is a small collection of books and government documents that may be of interest. While this is certainly not a complete list, hopefully this will be a good place to turn if you need that extra bit of help.

1. The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy
2. Children of Rus’: Right-bank Ukraine and the Invention of a Russian Nation by Faith Hillis
3. Ukraine: Report from the Front Lines: November 30, 2017, Briefing of the Commission on
4. Security and Cooperation in Europe to the 115th Congress, 1st Session
5. Ending the War in Ukraine: Kurt Volker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations: May 8, 2018, Briefing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to the 115th Congress, 2nd Session
6. Ukraine and the Art of Strategy by Lawrence Freedman
7. An Introduction to Ukrainian History by Nicholas L. Chirovsky

Finally, on March 16th, 2022, the UAA Department of History hosted a roundtable discussion entitled The Misuse of History and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine featuring UAA professors Dennison, Myers, and Dunscomb, and KPC professor Meyers. If you were not able to attend, here is a link to a video recording of the roundtable.

Did you know April 6th is National Walking Day? What better way to kick off spring then by taking a walk. There are tons of health benefits associated with walking, plus its always a good excuse to avoid your homework for just a little bit longer.

In one study, researchers took research participants on two walking trips, one in a rural area, and one in an urban area. They found that walking in both rural and urban areas had positive effects on mental health but walking in rural areas had the biggest benefit.

Another study found similar results. “This study found that walking through forest areas decreased the negative moods of ‘depression-dejection’, ‘tension-anxiety’, ‘anger-hostility’, ‘fatigue’, and ‘confusion’ and improved the participants’ positive mood of ‘vigor’ compared with walking through city areas.”

Anchorage is full of beautiful forested trails; many within a stones throw of the University. Take a look at the trails that are maintained by the Anchorage Parks & Rec Department. Just to the north of campus is the Goose Lake trail that begins behind the Conoco Phillips Integrated Science Building, does a loop around the lank, though a picnic area and back around. To the east in APU, there are several ski trails that double as walking trails in summer weather.

Still don’t think going for a walk is for you? Take a look at some of these other articles and see if any of them sway your mind.

Hillwalking and Walk Leading Motivations, Perceived Benefits and The Role of Natural Environment by N. Morocza
I Walk My Dog Because It Makes Me Happy: A Qualitative Study to Understand Why Dogs Motivate Walking and Improved Health by Carri Westgarth
Increasing Walking in College Students Using A Pedometer Intervention: Differences According to Body Mass Index by Erica Jackson
Walk This Way to Improve Your Health: To Gain Health Benefits, Walk at A Brisk Pace by Healthy Years Magazine
Walk to Benefit Mental Health by Paul Huggins
After-Meal Walks Offer Big Health Benefits by Matt McMillen

In this final week of Women’s History Month, let’s have a callback to the first week where we had a collection of women’s literature. But this week, we will instead look at women in literature. Representation of female characters has not always been great; even in today’s books, women are not given the same agency, power, or mindful representation of their male counterparts. These books seek to analyze female characters in literature and they many roles they can hold in a story.

A History of Modern Irish Women’s Literature by Heather Ingman

Inseparable: Desire Between Women in Literature by Emma Donoghue

Mad Mädchen: Feminism and Generational Conflict in Recent German Literature and Film My Margaret McCarthy

Madcaps, Screwballs, And Con Women: The Female Trickster in American Culture by Lori Landay

Seduction and Betrayal: Women and Literature by Elizabeth Hardwick

Silent Witnesses: Representations of Working-Class Women in The United States by Jacqueline Ellis

Sororophobia: Differences Among Women in Literature and Culture by Helena Michie

Sturdy Black Bridges: Visions of Black Women in Literature by Roseann P. Bell

Troubled Memories: Iconic Mexican Women and The Traps of Representation by Oswaldo Estrada

Victorian Heroines: Representations of Femininity in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Art by Kimberly Reynolds

Women in Literature: Reading Through the Lens of Gender by Jerilyn Fisher

March is winding down but we are not done celebrating just yet. Did you know that you have access to dozens of journals and publications that focus specifically on women? Journals cover a wide range of topics from the incredibly broad (like Science which covers any…you guessed it… science related topics), to the very niche (like Dakota Tawaxitku Kin, or, The Dakota Friend, a journal last published in 1851 written in both English and the Dakota language). This week, let’s look at a few of the journals available to you that might be just the thing you need to finish off your next research assignment.

Advancing Women in Leadership

Association for Women in Mathematics Newsletter

Black Women, Gender & Families

Canadian Journal of Women and the Law

Women of Color Magazine

Golden Dawn: A Journal Devoted to the Interests of Women

International Archive of Women in Architecture

Journal of Women & Aging

Journal of Women & Religion

Violence Against Women

Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives

Women & Health

Women & Language

Women & Therapy

Women in Fisheries Information Bulletin