GO BEYOND A BASIC GOOGLE SEARCH!
Retrieve particular types of sites. Add this to your search:
site:.org Finds non-profit websites
site:.gov Finds government websites
site:.edu Finds college & university websites
Try it below:
GO BEYOND A BASIC GOOGLE SEARCH!
Retrieve particular types of sites. Add this to your search:
site:.org Finds non-profit websites
site:.gov Finds government websites
site:.edu Finds college & university websites
Retrieve particular file types. Add this to your search:
filetype:pdf Finds PDFs (articles, reports, etc.)
filetype:ppt or filetype:pptx Finds PowerPoints (presentations, etc.)
Try it below:
This video will highlight the differences between primary sources, secondary sources, and review articles in the Natural Sciences. (Time 4:34)
Open Captioned version
WIKIPEDIA
Wikipedia? Yes...Wikipedia. You shouldn’t cite Wikipedia as a source in your research paper. And no, it is not because Wikipedia is a bad source for information. Wikipedia is about as accurate as any other encyclopedia out there.
You shouldn’t use it as a source for your paper because it is just an encyclopedia. College level work requires more sophisticated source material. However, it is perfectly fine to use for background research.
You can also use the reference page of Wikipedia enteries to find useful sources for your paper.
Go to www.wikipedia.org and Look up your topic
Write down important names, dates, and key terms. Use these to help find information on the internet and from library databases. Some researchers even fill in a background research log to help with research.
SEARCH ENGINES
Because different search engines search the Internet in different ways, you should always search more than one search engine when looking for information for your research.
5 Search Engines
Because you are using websites for college research (and not just personal knowledge), the information you use must be accurate and credible.
Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask can assist you with this process