Conducting Online Research in a Safe & Ethical Manner A Student HOW-TO Guide

Step 1: Define Your Topic What do you want to research about? Refine Your Topic – What specifically do you need/want to know – Concept map – Brainstorm Make sure your topic is not too broad

Step 2:Finding Information Search Engines: – Google, Yahoo, BING, etc. – Will provide you with websites and links to files Library Searches – EBSCO Host, Academic Search Premiere, etc. – Will provide you with peer reviewed journal articles Online News/Newspapers

Step 2a: Internet Safety While you search for information online, remember: Guard your personal information – Do not give information about anything to anyone – People are not always who they say they are – There is really no need to communicate with anyone; your researching not socializing. Nothing is private online, assume EVERYONE is watching Think about what you see. Not everything online is appropriate nor is everything true.

Step 3: Evaluate Information Once you have found information, its time to think critically before using the information: Look at the URL ( – Is it a personal webpage? Look for “members”, “users”, personal names Personal pages are not necessarily bad, but you definitely need to double check information found on these pages I could write on a webpage that the world is flat. No one will prevent me from publishing this, but that does not mean that it is true.

Step 3: Evaluate Information Once you have found information, its time to think critically before using the information: Look at the domain – Government sites -.gov,.mil – Educational sites -.edu – Nonprofit organizations -.org Which types of sites do you feel would be the experts on your topic? Information from.com and even some.org websites should be double checked.

Step 3: Evaluate Information Once you have found information, its time to think critically before using the information: Look for “About Us”, “Philosophy”, or “Background” links, typically at the very bottom of the page – This will often tell you about the publisher of the information and you can check for bias or qualifications of the publishers Look for a “Date Updated” on the page – Is the information current enough?

Step 3: Evaluate Information A good rule to follow is this: If you can find the same information on three different sites, then it must be true. At least one site should be a.gov,.edu, etc. Wikipedia – it is a collaboration of millions of people. Some information is reliable and accurate while other information is complete junk. LOOK FOR CITATIONS and always double check the information.

Step 4: Create a Bibliography This should be done before you even start writing your research paper. Different formats exist depending on your instructor’s preference – APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian are the most common Citing these references while writing your paper will help you avoid plagiarism. If in doubt, cite the reference. It is better to site too often than not enough. Using information, words, or pictures without citing them is illegal.

Step 5: Using the Information Even though you will be citing the references from your bibliography, you want to avoid too many direct quotes. Read the material Summarize it in your own words Make your own statements and use the references to support you DO NOT cut and paste information Don’t forget to cite pictures as well

References Digital Citizenship: Using Technology Appropriately Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial How To Conduct Research Online Rules of the Road for Kids