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Find credible information on the Web

Fisher v. University of Texas
Overview of case with links to syllabus, opinions, and audio of arguments.
SCOTUS Blog
Professionally produced and edited blog devoted to covering the U.S. Supreme Court comprehensively and without bias.
Lawfare Blog
Professional legal analysis of current issues

Use Google Scholar

Use Google Scholar to find scholarly information on the Web.

Using & Finding Books

Why Use Books:

Use books to read broad overviews and detailed discussions of your topic. You can also use books to find primary sources, which are often published together in collections.

Where Do I Find Books?

You'll use the library catalog to search for books, ebooks, articles, and more.

What if MJC Doesn't Have What I Need?

If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the library catalog, use our interlibrary loan service.

Background information articles

If you're working from off campus, you'll need to sign in unless you are already signed in to Canvas or your email.

Affirmative Action
Overview article from the Gale Encyclopedia of American Law, 2010

For more overview articles, search concepts and cases in the Gale Virtual Reference Library (see link below).

Examples of search terms:

Gong Lum v. Rice
Grutter v. Bollinger
Equal protection clause
Reverse discrimination

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Use this database for preliminary reading as you start your research. You'll learn about your topic by reading authoritative topic overviews on a wide variety of subjects.

Background information videos

The Equal Protection Clause Forbids Racial Preferences in State University Admissions: A Debate
An Intelligence Squared debate from 2015 featuring attorneys, authors, professors, and constitutional scholars.
Affirmative Action on Campus Does More Harm Than Good: A Debate
When used as a factor in college admissions, affirmative action aims to foster diversity on campus and provide equal opportunities to people from certain minority groups. But is affirmative action achieving these goals and helping those it was designed to assist? Critics point to students struggling to keep up in schools mismatched to their abilities. But defenders claim that it is still necessary to ensure a diverse student body and combat the legacies of racism and discrimination. Does affirmative action on campus do more harm than good?

Find more background information videos in the MJC Library video database:

Films on Demand This link opens in a new window

Instructions for embedding Films on Demand into Canvas.
Kanopy This link opens in a new window

Background information eBooks

These eBooks are accessible from any device that accesses the Internet. Find more eBooks as well as print books in the library catalog (see column to the left).

Affirmative Action and Racial Preference by Carl Cohen and James Sterba
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2003
Two contemporary philosophers in sharp opposition, debate the value of affirmative action and racial preference. They defend thier views with analysis and commentay on landmark cases - including the decisions of the United States Supreme Court.
Silence at Boalt Hall: The Dismantling of Affirmative Action by Andrea Guerrero
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2002
In 1995 the Board of Regents voted to end affirmative action at the University of California. One year later the electorate voted to do the same across the state of California. Silence at Boalt Hall is the thirty-year story of students, faculty, and administrators struggling with the politics of race in higher education.
A Black and White Case: How Affirmative Action Survived its Greatest Legal Challenge by Greg Stohr
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2004-01-01
Follows the University of Michigan affirmative action case from the first challenges to the university's policies to the Supreme Court ruling that upheld a modified version of affirmative action.

Find focused information in library databases

All of these resources are free for MJC students, faculty, & staff.

If you're working from off campus, you'll need to sign in.

LegalTrac This link opens in a new window
LegalTrac® contains the full text of law-related articles from over 1,000 business and general interest titles. In addition, LegalTrac® provides indexing (not full text) for more than 1,400 titles drawing on a wide variety of the most highly-regarded legal publications, including major law reviews, legal newspapers, bar association journals and international legal journals
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Use this database to find credible sources for topics in law, political science, and business. This is your source for law review articles and court cases.

Nexis Uni includes:
• Print and online journals, television and radio broadcasts,
newswires and blogs
• Local, regional, national and international newspapers
with deep archives
• Extensive legal sources for federal and state cases and
statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions
since 1790
• Unparalleled business information on more than
80 million U.S. and international companies and more
than 75 million executives

View online tutorials here
EBSCOhost Databases This link opens in a new window
Search 22 databases simultaneously that cover almost any topic you need to research at MJC. EBSCO databases include articles previously published in journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and other media outlets.
Gale Databases This link opens in a new window
Search over 35 databases simultaneously that cover almost any topic you need to research at MJC. Gale databases include articles previously published in journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and other media outlets.

Ask a Librarian_Old

Getting help has never been easier. Your MJC librarians are here to help.

Call: East (209) 575-6230 / West (209) 575-6949

Text: (209) 710-5270

Email (ask@mjc.libanswers.com)

Research Help Drop-In
(See our hours)

How-To Videos

Your librarian

Susan Cassidy

Email Me

Contact:

Get research help Mondays through Saturdays via Ask a Librarian.

My Fall 2022 Research Help Schedule:

IN-PERSON (East Campus L&LC) and ONLINE CHAT:
Mondays 9-10 am, 2-4 pm
Tuesdays 9-11 am
Wednesdays 2-4 pm
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Times vary!
Make an appointment by clicking the orange Schedule Appointment button above.

EMAIL ME or contact me through the Canvas inbox (if I'm embedded in your class) for a response within 24 hours.

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(209) 575-6807 (message only)

Subjects: English

Research 101: Need More Research Help?

If you'd like much more in-depth instruction about the process of conducting research, please check out our guides:

Get Started with Library Research
Use this guide to become a more skillful researcher. Learn how to develop research questions, choose credible sources, evaluate your sources, cite them correctly, and avoid plagiarism

Citation Styles

Your instructor should tell you which citation style they want you to use. Click on the appropriate link below to learn how to format your paper and cite your sources according to a particular style.

ENGL 103 - Miranda - Affirmative Action: Home