Internet Research Government Online

Government Gateways The amount of information produced by the government is staggering. Billions of bills, files, research studies and other paperwork are churned out annually. Much of this is now online. How does anyone begin to study it? Through gateways.

FirstGov Gateways are simply guides or organizing sites to the plethora of government information. is crucialwww.firstgov.gov Private sites have tried to organize government information. See: and

FedWorld is supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its specialty is the treasure trove of U.S. databases, from health care studies to job listings. The site also is an excellent introduction to U.S. government reports.

FedLaw FedLaw was developed, unsurprisingly, to organize federal legal and judicial information. can provide you with information about legislation, laws, courts, hearings and other legal stuff.

Other government sites Other government sites rank among the best on the Internet: - see daily press briefings - profile your communitywww.whitehouse.gov profile a companywww.sec.gov - The Library of Congresswww.loc.gov - The National Archives and Records Administrationwww.nara.gov - Environmental Protection Agencywww.epa.gov

Internet Research Online Business

Information is your business The Internet is an incredible resource for information about business and businesses. You can track industries in which you’d like to work, like entertainment or news. You can use the Internet to do research on a company or person. You can get investment advice.

Public or Private? An important consideration: Is the business you are interested in private or public? Public companies have shares that are traded on a stock exchange. They must fill out out numerous forms and reports – that often are available online.

The SEC & EDGAR The Securities Exchange Commission – SEC – is responsible for collecting, organizing and distributing business information. The SEC has created an amazing online database – EDGAR, Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval. Find it at

Tenkwizard.com You will find that 10-K forms, filed annually at the end of the year, are perhaps the fastest and most comprehensive source of information on public traded companies. provides fast access.

Private Companies Privately held companies don’t have to fill out the forms that public companies do. You can still get online information on private companies through business web sites, wire services and other outlets

Internet Research Online Health Information

Online for Health Some studies suggest that more than half the searches undertaken online are health related. As with many other areas, from business to law, the Internet has put more information into the hands of more people than ever before.

Evaluating information With health information in particular, the online researcher must carefully evaluate and judge Internet sources. Trusty Google can take you to many sites. Some are well intentioned but wrong. Others can be malicious and dangerous.

National Library of Medicine Many fine sites can provide researchers with a wealth of good, reliable information about sickness and health. The database, Medline, at the the National Library of Medicine, has been around since

Medscape Although not a government site, Medscape has emerged as another authoritative health resource. Originally produced by the same medical professionals who created CBS Healthwatch, eventually merged with Healthwatch.

WebMD Another authoritative site for online health information is: As its name implies, WebMD offers services to doctors as well as patients.

Healthfinder.org attempts to organize the array of health information available online. You can also try a subject directory, which has someone checking out listed sites for authenticity, such as

The Merck Manual The Merck Manual has been a staple of medical professionals for years. An online version is available at

Drugs Information about drugs is available at many of these sites. However, other sites have tried to organize the vast material on drugs available in the United States. for example, has a listing of the Top 200 drugs and information on each.

Political, Business and Health Wisdom For information on government, business, sickness and health, the Internet has become perhaps the most valuable tool. Knowledge of Internet research can make you a better citizen, more successful – and keep you alive!