LibGuides: SPEECH & PUBLIC SPEAKING LIBGUIDE: WEBSITES: Suggested Sites for Various Areas

SUGGESTED WEBSITES INFO & TIPS

Typically, a good rule-of-thumb for academic research is to avoid .com (commercial) & .net (network) sites...and to stick with .edu (education), .gov (government), and verifiable .org (organization) sites. That being said, there are some good .com sites out there, but you must always be critical when using these sites for academic research. When looking at any website, always be on the lookout for bias, and always be sure your source provides authoritative (author), accurate (reliable info), and current (publishing date) information.
In the lists below (categorized by subject area), you will find some recommended websites. (Remember to check out the Padua Databases as well. See the note in box above).

ACADEMIC WEBSITES

Directory of Open Access Journals This is a large collection of searchable, free academic and peer-reviewed publications and articles. (Be sure to select ARTICLES.) *************************
University of Cambridge Digital Library This site features scanned historical documents and writings, including collections from notable figures such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, etc. ******************************************************************

ARTS & POP CULTURE

For research papers, pop culture topics are often difficult to find in the databases, check out some of the sites below and/or head to Google.

American Radio History
Archive of American Television
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Crime Blogs & Websites (45 of the Best)
E! Online
Entertainment News
Google Arts & Culture
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Hollywood Reporter
Library of Congress - Digital Music Collection
Louvre
MoMA Art Terms This glossary explains some of the techniques, mediums, art movements, and other terms you’ll encounter on our website, along with links to examples in the collection.
MTV
NPR Arts & Life Database National Public Radio (NPR) is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. The mission of NPR is to work in partnership with Member Stations to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures. To accomplish that mission, we produce, acquire, and distribute programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression; we represent our members in matters of their mutual interest; and we provide satellite interconnection for the entire public radio system.
PBS (Public Broadcasting System)
Pop Matters
Profoto Profoto Academy is a series of online video courses designed to inspire, educate and enable the aspiring photographer to explore the craft of photography through light and light shaping.
Pulp Magazines Project
Romanticism and Pop Culture
Ted.com TED hosts thought-provoking talks given at events all over the world on the core topics of technology, entertainment and design – but in fact covering pretty much every aspect of human experience. The TED site is where you can find all the videos of these talks.
Variety
Virtual Field Trips (Discovery Education) These virtual events let educators take students to amazing places and give them remarkable experiences, without ever leaving the classroom. No permission slips required.

AUDIO/VISUAL SITES

25 Best Sites for Free Educational Videos

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Big Future by College Board Big Future has useful features that make it a good career exploration website for students. It has a college planning tool, a college search tool, a scholarship search, and profiles on majors and careers High school students will find this resource especially helpful for making career decisions. You can explore career resources by "clusters" or industries and ask questions. You can also see what common questions others are asking and know the growth of these fields.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Career One Stop (Exploration, Training, Etc.) Career One Stop is an all-encompassing career exploration website that caters to job seekers, students, businesses, and workforce professionals. You can access useful tools to explore career options, like informative videos, salary data, and educational prerequisites. Furthermore, it offers valuable resources for enhancing job search strategies, crafting resumes effectively, and preparing for interviews. Additionally, you can use skill assessment tools to identify careers that align with your abilities and interests. You will find training programs, certifications, and educational institutions to prepare you for a career path. They even have a locator tool that finds local workforce services and American Job Centers in your area. Plus, they offer tailored resources for specific groups like veterans, laid-off workers, and career changers.
My Next Move The U. S. Department of Labor sponsors My Next Move, another resource for anyone still determining their career path. This is a great career exploration website for students or anyone unsure of their next steps. It offers an interest assessment tool and provides extensive information on different professions. You can also find detailed descriptions of job tasks, necessary skills, expected salaries, and future prospects for each career. This career explorer website is connected to O*Net Online data. That means you'll have access to occupational data.
O'net Online (Occupational Research Center)
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Reuters Reuters is an international news agency stationed in London that actively publicizes its dedication to journalistic objectivity.

CURRENT EVENTS

Refer to the "NEWS" category on this same page.

DEBATE, OPINION, & PERSUASION

Explore the VIEWPOINTS: Opinion, Debate & Persuasive Sites tab for helpful & suggested databases and websites.

ENGINEERING

ENGLISH (WRITING, CITATION, SHAKESPEARE, ETC.)

96 Incredibly Useful Links for Teaching & Studying Shakespeare
Approaching Shakespeare Approaching Shakespeare is a free online lecture series from the University of Oxford, available both as online audio, or in iTunes. Each lecture tackles a single play, showing the listener different ways in which the work can be interpreted. This leaves open many pivotal but intriguing questions, which is one of the great appeals of Shakespeare himself.
Folger Digital Texts Forget your book? Relax. Check out the Folger Digital Text site, with meticulously accurate full-texts provide by the Folger Shakespeare Library Editions.
Globe Theatre Virtual Tour Visit this site for a virtual tour of the (new) Globe Theatre.
Interactive Map of Shakespeare's London The Agas map of Early Modern London gives glimpses into the London that Shakespeare himself would have experienced over 400 years ago. The original map was actually printed on woodblocks in 1561. Although it’s not the most exciting or information-dense website, it can be interesting all the same, especially when you zoom in to street level.
Online Literary Criticism Collection No password needed.
OpenSource Shakespeare Concordance A complete concordance or verbal index to words, phrases and passages in the dramatic works of Shakespeare.
Purdue Owl Writing Lab (MLA/Citation)
Shakespeare's Words The best online glossary to all the strange, confusing, and beautiful words that appear in Shakespeare’s works. Based on David and Ben Crystal’s incredible book, also called Shakespeare’s Words, it lets you look up any word instantly. It even features full-text editions of the plays with the definitions linked in!
Shakespeare Online Shakespeare-Online is a leading treasure trove of the man and his works. You’ll find almost anything you could be looking for here (provided it’s in written form), from the complete texts for each play and sonnet, to study guides and detailed biographies.
Shakespeare Summaries If you don’t have the time to read or watch the plays themselves, but still desire to understand the various plots, you should visit the Shakespeare’s Summaries website. The plays are split into three categories: Comedy, History, and Tragedy.

GENEALOGY

Cleveland Public Library Genealogy Resources
Cuyahoga County Public Library Geneaology Resources
Family Search (Free) It's all about family. FamilySearch is a nonprofit family history organization dedicated to connecting families across generations. FamilySearch believes that families bring joy and meaning to life. Learning about our ancestors helps us better understand who we are—creating a family bond, linking the present to the past, and building a bridge to the future. Our vision is carried out by a dedicated team of employees and volunteers who work tirelessly to preserve and share the largest collection of genealogical and historical records in the world. We strive to create and link the best and most valuable research resources to help people discover who they are by exploring where they come from. For over 100 years, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide. This site is hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Family Tree Magazine (List of Sites) Online genealogy records, where they exist, are usually scattered across several internet locations. If you do find a record, the website itself can be confusing at best. If you’re just starting out researching your family history, start at these 25 best genealogy websites for beginners (some are FREE and some cost $). Hosted by Family Tree Magazine.
Medina County Public Library Genealogy Resources
USGenWeb Project (Free) The USGenWeb Project is a group of volunteers working together and having fun providing free online genealogy help and information for every U.S. state and county. Our national site provides links to state sites, which, in turn, provide gateways to the counties. We also sponsor 20th Anniversary important Special Projects, gathering useful data you can access for free. USGenWeb was established in 1996 by a group of genealogists who shared a desire to create online centers for genealogical research. Have fun searching!!

GENERAL INFO

Infoplease

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health NIMH is a Federal agency that conducts and supports research on mental illnesses. NIMH: Extensive information on mental health topics. Access to free NIMH publications on a host of topics from disorders to treatment. Information about clinical trials for both participants and researchers. Access to statistical information about mental disorders. News in the science of mental health.
PubMed PubMed comprises more than 28 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
World Health Organization

LANGUAGES & WORLD CULTURE

LIBRARY RESOURCES

Please note the these are *additional* Library resources. For the many local Public Library resources, see the PADUA LIBRARY and PUBLIC LIBRARY main tabs above.

Library of Congress

MATH

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
Numberphile Numberphile is produced by video journalist Brady Haran. The stars of the show include mathematicians and other guests from around the world. Topics range from the sublime to the ridiculous… from historic discoveries to latest breakthroughs. In addition to hundreds of videos, we also have a new podcast of longer-form interviews. The project is supported by (and often filmed at) the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
Pew Research Center (Home) Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Covered areas: U.S. Politics / Media & News / Social Trends / Religion / Internet & Tech / Science / Hispanics / Global / ...and more.

MEDTRACK & MEDICAL

Refer to the "HEALTH & WELLNESS" & "SCIENCE" categories on this same page.

MOVIES & FILM

What Is My Movie (Film Search Engine) If you can't remember the name of a film it can be a real nuisance, and it can nag at you for ages. Well, worry not. There's a new search engine called What Is My Movie where you can simply type in some basic concepts and it will try and find matches for you. For example perhaps you remember an old cowboy movie your Dad loved that you wanted to watch, but your Dad can't remember the name. He told you it's about a 'gunslinger looking for gold in the American Civil War,' so that's exactly what you would type in on the site. If you did that, it would come back with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, You can also try it with film quotes 'all the towns in all the world' came back with Casablanca (the best film ever made).
What Is My Movie (Film Search Engine) If you can't remember the name of a film it can be a real nuisance, and it can nag at you for ages. Well, worry not. There's a new search engine called What Is My Movie where you can simply type in some basic concepts and it will try and find matches for you. For example perhaps you remember an old cowboy movie your Dad loved that you wanted to watch, but your Dad can't remember the name. He told you it's about a 'gunslinger looking for gold in the American Civil War,' so that's exactly what you would type in on the site. If you did that, it would come back with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, You can also try it with film quotes 'all the towns in all the world' came back with Casablanca (the best film ever made).

NEWS & CURRENT EVENTS

ABC News
AP (Associate Press) News
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Online
Cleveland.com
Cleveland Memory Project
CNN News
CSPAN
FactCheck.org We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
Forbes Magazine
Google News
MSNBC
NBC News
Newsela Newsela is an online platform featuring high-interest articles on everything from current events to myths and legends and from literature to science. (Create a FREE account for general access using your Google credentials.)
Newspaper Government Archives (.gov)
Newsweek
New York Times
NPR News (National Public Radio)
Reuters
The Skimm (Daily Email Newsletter)
Student News Daily
Time
Time Online
U.S. News & World Report
USA Today
Wall Street Journal
Washington Post
Washington Post

POP CULTURE

See the alphabetical listing box for "ARTS & POP CULTURE" on this page.

PUBLIC POLLS & PUBLIC OPINION

Pew Research Center (Home) Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Covered areas: U.S. Politics / Media & News / Social Trends / Religion / Internet & Tech / Science / Hispanics / Global / ...and more.
Gallup Polls Gallup delivers forward-thinking research, analytics, and advice to help leaders solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 75 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of the world's constituents, employees, and customers than any other organization. Be sure to search under desired category.
Polling Report An independent, nonpartisan resource on polls/trends in American public opinion.

READING RECOMMENDATIONS

For Reading Recommendations for books located in the Padua Library, it is highly recommended that you refer to the PADUA LIBRARY: Destiny Library Catalog tab above > How To Access a Resource List (where you find genre suggestions, etc.).

Goodreads This one is my personal favorite. I LOVE it! ***First off, if you just want to search for a good book using Goodreads, then go to Goodreads > Browse > All Genres OR Lists. Yet even beyond searching, GoodReads is more than just a FREE book recommendation & review site, although it excels at that. You can also build a virtual "shelf" of books you own or have already read, share your progress with the books you're currently reading, rate the books you've read, leave reviews, and connect with other readers. You can also use those ratings to get book suggestions from the site's massive database of books. Your friends can make direct suggestions to you, and even if the book suggestions that the site builds aren't enough, you can go diving into user-generated book lists, reviews, and more. It's a reader's dream!!!!
Library Thing This is another great site, and there is both a free and paid service (and there enough services out there that you should never have to pay for a service.) LibraryThing has been around for a long time, and it is still a great user-powered book ratings, review, and recommendation site. The service calls itself the world's largest book club, and that's a lot like the overall feel. Once you sign up, you'll be encouraged to start adding books you've read and leave reviews for them. Behind its book ratings and reviews though, LibraryThing is a powerful tool to catalog and organize your entire book collection. It doesn't take much to add all of the books in your library so you have a running collection of both your physical books and ebooks all in one place. The service will also connect to your Amazon account to automatically pull down books you own and have read. Thanks to its massive community, its book recommendations are often spot on, reflective of users who have libraries like yours and have rated books the way you have. The basic service is free, and you can add up to 200 books for free.
What Should I Read Next? This is a nice contrast: all this site does is simply ask you to type a book you've enjoyed, and it then offers a list of similar suggestions. You can also browse the results by subject. It's as straightforward as they come and doesn't require you to sign up – something of a relief compared to sites that make you jump through all sorts of hoops before you get to any recommendations, but if you're after anything more than a title and a few keywords, then you're better off elsewhere.
Which Book? Now this has a completely different approach, which you might find ridiculous or a stroke of genius – depending on your mood, perhaps. Whichbook classifies titles by feelings or states of mind. Move the sliders from "happy" to "sad" or from "safe" to "disturbing" and Whichbook generates a list of best matches. If you can't decide where you sit on the scale between "scary" and "absolutely horrifying" then there are also curated lists ranging from "Short and sweet" to "Laugh your pants off". Make of that what you will, but it’s kinda fun.

RESEARCH & SEARCH TOOLS

Also refer to the specific categories of interest on this same page (the sources listed in this box are additional resources that fit multiple categories).

Directory of Open Access Journals This is a large collection of searchable, free academic and peer-reviewed publications and articles. (Be sure to select ARTICLES.) *************************

SCIENCE

American Chemical Society
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National High School Journal of Science The National High School Journal of Science is a free, online, student-run and peer-reviewed research journal that is targeted towards high school students. Striving to bring science to a wider audience and engaging students in learning beyond the classroom walls, our journal hopes to expose young people to new ideas and topics. This high school student-run science journal always welcomes aspiring scientists to submit articles and to get involved with our publishing process.
NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health NIMH is a Federal agency that conducts and supports research on mental illnesses. NIMH: Extensive information on mental health topics. Access to free NIMH publications on a host of topics from disorders to treatment. Information about clinical trials for both participants and researchers. Access to statistical information about mental disorders. News in the science of mental health.
PubMed PubMed comprises more than 28 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
Science Friday
Scitable Science Topic Rooms are hubs for in-depth exploration of a range of topics, from life sciences to scientific communication and career planning. Topic Rooms include introductory summaries of key concepts, evidence-based readings on advanced topics, and more.
World Health Organization

SOCIAL STUDIES

American Panorama American Panorama is an historical atlas of the United States for the twenty-first century. It combines cutting-edge research with innovative interactive mapping techniques, designed to appeal to anyone with an interest in American history or a love of maps.
Bleacher Report
Digital History This is an interactive collection of historical records, articles, media, and other resources about U.S. history created by the University of Houston. *************************
Library of Congress - Digital Collection - History
National Archives
University of Cambridge Digital Library This site features scanned historical documents and writings, including collections from notable figures such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, etc. ******************************************************************
Yale University Library This is a searchable archive of historical books, articles, journals, and media that cover a variety of topics. *************************

SPORTS & RECREATION

TECHNOLOGY

MIT World
Wired
WolframAlpha Compute expert-level answers using Wolfram’s breakthrough algorithms, knowledgebase and AI technology.
90+ Best Free Google Docs Templates 2024 (Superside)

THEOLOGY & RELIGION

Catholic Online (World's Catholic Library)
Catholic News Agency (CNA)
CNS (Catholic News Service)
Catholic Teens
Catholic Answers
Lives of Saints
Official Catholic Directory
Franciscan Archive This site offers various resources on St. Francis and Franciscanism including documents, literature, liturgical texts, etc. (http://www.franciscan-archive.org/).
Franciscan Province of the Sacred Heart (Orders of Friars Minor) This site provides information about the order as well as various Franciscan resources. (http://www.thefriars.org/)
The National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order - USA This site provides various resources about the USA order of the Secular Franciscans. (http://www.nafra-sfo.org/)
Franciscans International Franciscans International (FI) works at the United Nations (UN) to address human rights injustices that impact on the poor and most vulnerable. FI is a non-governmental organisation with UN General Consultative Status and a shared ministry of the global Franciscan Family. (http://www.franciscansinternational.org/). FI is inspired by Franciscan values envisioning a global community in which the dignity of every person is respected, the resources are shared equitably, the environment is sustained, and nations and peoples live in peace (FI vision).
Franciscan Action Network Inspired by the Gospel of Jesus, and the example of Saints Francis and Clare, the Franciscan Action Network (FAN) is a collective Franciscan voice seeking to transform United States public policy related to peace making, care for creation, poverty, and human rights. (http://franciscanaction.org/). We are a grassroots organization amplifying the justice efforts of Franciscans and Franciscan-hearted people around the country. Join our growing movement that endures from St. Francis of Assisi and his call for compassion for the poor and for creation over 800 years ago.
The Franciscan Friars, TOR (St. Bernardine Monastery - Immaculate Conception Province One of the important service dimensions of our Order and Province is foreign missionary activity. Franciscans of the Third Order Regular have a world consciousness which reflects the missionary stance of the Church. The needs of the people are staggering and sometimes the problems of their spiritual life, poverty, education and medical care are overwhelming. There is progress in our missions because our missionaries believe in the reality of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. Friars of our Province are also engaged in education. Those friars who are in this ministry seek not only to broaden the horizons and challenge the minds of their students but also strive to bring them to personal commitment to Christ and empower them to become instruments of peace and justice. Education is one of the primary intentions of this website. (http://thefranciscanfriars.org/)

SPEECH & PUBLIC SPEAKING LIBGUIDE: WEBSITES: Suggested Sites for Various Areas

IMPORTANT SUGGESTION: For academic research, always try databases first...and then these websites...and then Google.

***SUGGESTED WEBSITES INFO & TIPS***