1. What’s the big deal? Can’t I just find everything on Google?
Internet Research
What’s the big deal?
Can’t I just find everything on Google?

2. Yes and No You can find a lot of things on Google. BUT…
Who wants to scroll through pages and pages of results that may have nothing to do with your topic/question?
Who wants to run the risk of finding false or unreliable information?

3. So What Do I Do Instead? Use online research databases.
Use other Internet search tools such as:
Other search engines (not just Google)
Learn how to use keywords and phrases to narrow down your search results
Try using Google’s Advance Search
Evaluate the websites and information that you find on the Internet.

5. What is an Online Research Database?
It’s a collection of good, reliable sources of information that can be accessed through the Internet.
It’s like going to an actual library and looking for scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, and reference books, but someone has scanned all of these items and put them in one place…and you can access them from your computer.

6. Where Can I Find Online Research Databases?
Not on Google! Only through libraries.
SD 36 provides us with excellent online resources that you can now access at home

7. Subject Directories Librarians’ Internet Index Internet Public Library
About
Yahoo Subject Directory
Google Subject Directory
Infomine
Academic Info

8. Why Use Other Search Engines?
Less than half the searchable Web is fully searchable in Google.
Getting a second opinion is often worth your time.

9. Other Search Engines Ask All the Web Altavista Yahoo
Google Scholar (although many of the articles require a subscription or a fee)

10. How Do I Get Better Search Results?
Try to think of the best 2 or 3 keywords or phrases that will sum up what you want to know.
Brainstorm synonyms.
Put quotation marks around words or phrases that need to stay together.
Use Boolean terms (and, not, or) to narrow or expand your search.
For example: use “Bengal tigers” NOT football for information about the animals but not the team.

11. Why Do We Need to Evaluate Information on the Internet?
Who can publish a website?
ANYBODY!
Do they have to be experts who have gone to school and have PhDs?
NO!
Can anyone with access to a computer publish whatever they want, whether it’s true, false, or purposely misleading?
YES!

12. How Can We Evaluate Information on the Internet?
Source
What are the author’s credentials/qualifications? Is there a bias? What was the purpose for making the website?
What is the domain of the website?
.com = commercial site
.gov = government
.net = networked service provider
.org = organization, often non-profit
.mil = military
.edu = education (K-12 as well as colleges/universities)
Accuracy of the Content
Are there spelling/grammar errors? Can facts be verified with another source?
Currency
When was the website created and when was it last updated?
Support
Does the author cite his/her sources in a bibliography?

13. Can I Use Wikipedia? No, not for real research.
Although it claims to be a type of encyclopedia, anybody can edit the web pages, making it an unreliable source of information.
Most colleges and universities (and many high schools) do NOT allow students to use Wikipedia for research.
Do scroll down to see their references though

14. Can I Copy and Paste?
No. That’s called plagiarism, and it is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Colleges and universities (and Panorama Ridge) have very strict policies about people who plagiarize. Most of the time it will get you expelled.
It is easy to copy and paste information you find on the Internet, but don’t do it.
Learn how to summarize, paraphrase and use quotations properly, and come up with something you can be proud of

15. Speaking of Plagiarism
Always cite your sources.
Internet resources (both online databases and websites) have their own special rules when it comes to citing them in bibliographies.
See handouts for Bibliography available at the circulation desk