Tips to Conducting Good Internet Research
When trying to search for information on the internet, keep the following tips in mind:
- Use the plus (+) and minus (-) signs in front of words to force their inclusion and/or exclusion in searches.
- Use double quotation marks (" ") around phrases to ensure they are searched exactly as is, with the words side by side in the same order.
How Good is that Website?
On the internet, anyone can publish a website... and many do! Don't accept everything you read just because it's printed online. Websites are rarely reviewed or checked for accuracy. Here are some things you should look for (With modification, information retrieved from: https://www.ivcc.edu/stylebooks/stylebook6.aspx?id=14724)
Home page
Always look at the home page, or main page, of any Web site. Look for a link that says "home" or enter the Web address only through the domain name.
Author
Look for who the author is and what you can find out about that person or organization.
Sponsor
Look for who owns the site. Is it a reputable group or organization? If so, that is a good sign, even if no individual author is listed. If you cannot tell what group or individual developed the site, think twice before using the source.
Page Linkages
Who is linking to the page, and what links to other pages does the page itself maintain?
Advertisements
Does the web page advertise for something? If so, are the ads related to the topic? This could be a red flag!
Date
Is the information current? For many disciplines, the currency of information is vital.
Documentation
Does the source tell readers where its facts are from?
Type of Site
Determine the type of site you are considering.
Home page
Always look at the home page, or main page, of any Web site. Look for a link that says "home" or enter the Web address only through the domain name.
Author
Look for who the author is and what you can find out about that person or organization.
- What are the author's qualifications?
- If there is no author, think twice before using the source.
Sponsor
Look for who owns the site. Is it a reputable group or organization? If so, that is a good sign, even if no individual author is listed. If you cannot tell what group or individual developed the site, think twice before using the source.
Page Linkages
Who is linking to the page, and what links to other pages does the page itself maintain?
Advertisements
Does the web page advertise for something? If so, are the ads related to the topic? This could be a red flag!
Date
Is the information current? For many disciplines, the currency of information is vital.
Documentation
Does the source tell readers where its facts are from?
- If the source mentions many details or statistics with no documentation, be wary.
Type of Site
Determine the type of site you are considering.
- Is it a database or other site recommended by the school library?
- Is this a blog or homepage owned by an individual person? If so, you want to avoid it unless you can verify the person's credentials.
- Is it a wiki? A wiki is a Web site where any user can modify the information, and thus there is no way to verify authorship.
- Examples of wikis include Wikipedia, Wiktionary, and Wikiquotes.
- These sources may provide a general overview or lead to more credible sources, but avoid using them in an essay.
- Is it an online periodical or online version of a print publication? Examples of online periodicals include Slate.com, Salon.com, and Wired.com, and examples of print publications on the Web include Nytimes.com and Newsweek.com.
- If you are using a periodical on the Web, you can feel more secure.