1) Use keywords specific to your subject
2) Do not use common words like what, when, where or how - Google ignores these words
3) Use quotation marks around phrases (or dashes between words) to search for words in an exact order
4) Add keywords to narrow your search
5) Use Advanced Search to specify languages, eliminate related words and specify a type of website
Get More Out of Google - Advanced tips on Google searching
Web Source Evaluation
While all sources need to be evaluated, Web source evaluation brings its own set of concerns.
There is no automatic review or editorial process for Web sites, so you carry the burden of determining if a Web source is appropriate for your project. While there is no magic checklist that guarantees a good source, here are some criteria that may help:
| Authority | Who is the author? What individual, group, agency or organization is responsible for the content of the page? (The domain name may give you a clue.) Can you find information about the expertise of the author? |
| Purpose | Who is the intended audience? Is the material presented at an appropriate level for academic research? |
| Accuracy | Do the facts agree with other sources you have checked? Are the sources of information clearly documented? |
| Objectivity |
Is only one side of an argument represented? Are there documented facts to support the stated opinions? What sites does the page link to? Is the author's mission or agenda clearly stated? |
| Currency | Can you determine how current the information is? (Old information is often recycled onto new Web pages.) Is the site updated regularly? Do the links work? |
Here are some other criteria to consider when deciding to use a website or document you find online. Ask these questions about your online source.
|
Is it relevant or important to the purpose of your paper? - Even if a source is obviously biased or promotes a singular point of view, it may be important to your research. If you are profiling the positions of the Republican and Democratic parties, using their websites as a source of information is important even though each party has a strong point of view. You need to go to their source material to find each party's stance on issues of the day. Is it from a government or educational source? In business and academics, government and educational sources are considered more authoritative than commercial sites providing numbers or commentary. If it is from a non-profit organization, what is the reputation and stability of the organization? Is there a bias for an organization? Does the document have an identified author? When using the web you want to know who is writing the information you will use in your paper. Is the author an expert in the field? Can you find other articles or books written by the author? How recently was the site or particular web page last updated? Use sites and web pages that have been recently updated. Information from sites not updated frequently may be out of date. Does a website provide documentation for the sources of their information? Most sites do not provide a source or bibliography. You need to know the source of the information presented in a web document or website before using it. |
Companies, government agencies, individuals, etc. all have web-sites accessible through the internet. Researching for college and in business requires that you know who creates the information you find online.
One way to determine where information on a website comes from is the top-level domain of the site. Here is a list of the most common top-level domains:
.gov - Government agency (FBI, Census Bureau, Small Business Administration, etc.)
.edu - Educational institution (school, university, school district)
.org - Non-profit organization (Rock the Vote, Catholic Charities, Goodwill, etc.)
.mil - Military
.com - commerical business (Ford, Under Armour, Microsoft, etc.)
Search engines allow you to search the world wide web more efficiently. Using more than one search engine will give you varried results. You may find something different on your topic depending on the search engine you use. Below you'll find a list of the most popular search engines.
