+ Effective Internet Research Mikva Challenge: Democracy in Action Curriculum
+ Where to Start? A good place to start internet research is on the web’s largest search engine: Google, Yahoo’s search engine works a bit differently so you might want to check it out as well:
+ Tips for Searching Choose your keywords carefully. If you are looking for information about an exact phrase or individual, put quotation marks around the phrase or name. If you don’t find what you need on Google or Yahoo, try other search engines like Ask.com ( Lycos ( AltaVista ( or Search.com ( Bing ( If you are trying to find current news about an issue, all of the search engines have a “news” link on their homepage. If you don’t find what you are looking for, try using a slightly different combination of keywords.
+ Finding information you can trust When was the site last updated? Who sponsors the website? Does the site advocate a particular position (is it biased)? Does the website appear professional (correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation)? Are there links to other websites or references to other works on the topic? Does the website reflect what I already know?
+ Website Reliability: Validity Who is the author(s) of the site? Look for their credentials. Is contact information provided? The author should be accountable for her/his work. Is there a link provided to their homepage? Look for a reliable institution. What is the first part (major domain) of the web address (URL)? This indicates the site's origin:.com or.net = commercial.edu = education.org = non-profit organization.gov = government.mil = military.cu = Cuba (.it = Italy, etc.) ~ usually means an individual maintains the site (as opposed to an institution)
+ Website Reliability: Currency When was the site last updated? A reliable site is frequently revised and improved. When was the site first created? A site's longevity is a clue to its stability.
+ Website Reliability: Content What is the depth and extensiveness of the information offered? Be wary of too much or too little. Are there links to other useful and reliable sites? They should be relevant to the subject matter.
+ Website Reliability: Purpose What is the site trying to do? Is this site trying to persuade you? Educate you? Market a product? For instance, a.com site may try sell you something whereas an.edu site most often exists for the sake of education. Are there any biases that might be promoted: racial, gender, religious, or other types? Even non-profit.org sites may be biased.
+ Website Reliability: Accuracy How can you ensure the information is precise, authoritative, and current? The author should cite the sources used. Check the sources cited – are they reliable?
+ How to Cite your Sources Format: Author's last name, Author's first name. "Title of Document." (Online) Document date. URL (visited: date of visit). Example: Salda, Michael. "Cinderella Project." (Online) December, dept.usm.edu/~engdept/cinderella/cinderella.html (visited: December 8, 1999). dept.usm.edu/~engdept/cinderella/cinderella.html