Researching current community and social issues usually requires gathering information from a number of different sources. In addition you must find and integrate information from local community and national sources. Here are some suggestions for each of your three research based assignments:
Social Problem and Identity Paper: 5 Sources Required
This is primarily an overview or survey of the social issue you are interested in. Focus on:
Social Empathy Paper Part One: 5 Sources Required
For this paper you will be focusing on local sources almost exclusively. Use Researching Local Issues and Sources tab. The two most important tools you need to search are 1) Local Newspapers, and 2) Local Government and Organization reports and documents.
Social Empathy Part Three: 10 Sources Required
You can use relevant sources from the previous research assignments, but you will want to expand your search to include more on the history of your social problem in its national and local context. Use the tools in Library Research Resources to search for scholarly journal articles and traditionally published sources. These will often provide in-depth histories and analysis of social issues and problems.
Finally: Keep track of the sources you use! Create a system for storing your sources or keep a running list of your sources (a bibliography).