Good vs. Poor Internet Resources Online Research Good vs. Poor Internet Resources

Just because something is online, that does NOT mean it is accurate! #1 Thing to Remember Just because something is online, that does NOT mean it is accurate!

Stay Away From Blogs Personal Websites Wikis – YES, this means Wikipedia! Movies (that are meant for entertainment purposes) UNLESS they are documentaries Historical Novels (that are meant for entertainment purposes) Only use biographies, autobiographies, and non-fiction. Anything you are not SURE about! Source: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/paperassignments/a/badsources.htm

If you have trouble finding credible information… Try using different KEY WORDS Put your KEY WORDS in a different order Be more specific. Delete some words from your search Try using the singular and/or plural form of a word Try going to the next page of the SERPs (search engine result pages) Ask for help! Source: http://www.kyvl.org/kids/p2_search/cantFind.html

Search Tips from Google Search Exactly – Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases. Multiple Words – Use “or” between words to get results with either of those words. Specify Type of Site – Add “site:” to your search to search certain types of sites. Narrow the Result Category – When you do a search you can click on images, news, videos, shopping, etc.

Not sure if it’s good or bad? Is it a .gov and .edu website? Is it an Online Journal or Educational magazine? Is it a well known and credible News Source? Television AND Print News (Magazines/News papers) Check the dates Investigate the author They should be an EXPERT Are the sources listed? If not, check three other sources to compare information Source: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/researchandreference/a/internet.htm

DO USE .gov and .edu sites Online Journals and Educational Magazines Well known news sources Sites and articles that are up to date/current Articles written by authors that are known as EXPERTS in their field. Sources that can be backed up by at least three other sites with the same information.

Trust Your Instincts If you are not sure if an online source is accurate or not, STAY AWAY FROM IT. When conducting research online, it is better to err on the side of caution than to take a risk. Do not use an online resource unless you are 100% sure it is credible.