With so many web sites, where do I start?
Five search tips for any search engine
How do I evaluate web sites?
How do I cite web sites?
With So Many Web Sites, Where Do I Start?
Millions of Web pages are available to you, but how do you find the best ones for your research? Here are a few strategies:
- PSU Librarians select and organize web resources that are listed in our Subject Guides. Click here to find a research guide related to your topic.
- There are a number of good web directories that are designed for academic research. They direct you to sources that are more scholarly in nature and suitable for a research paper or project.
Librarian's Index to the Internet
Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
Brittanica Internet Guide
- Google is still one of the best search tools for beginning researchers. Web coverage is comprehensive and results are usually highly relevant. If you haven't done it before, try a Google search!
- If you'd like to learn more about search engines other than Google, read the descriptions and ratings at Search Engine Watch.
- Choose good keywords and phrases
Brainstorming before you start searching will help generate a good list of keywords and phrases. Remember to think of alternate spellings and abbreviations for your topic.
- Be specific
You can create more targeted searches if you use phrases. Most search engines require that you put quotes around a phrase. Many search engines are also case sensitive.
- Try different searches
Search engines use sophisticated equations to calculate the number of times your search terms appear on a page. Pages that seem to best match your search request are listed first. If the first 30 sites are not relevant, try a different search. If you are not satisfied after a few searches, try a different search engine.
- Use advanced search techniques
Many search engines have advanced search capabilities such as limiting by language or type of information. Read the help screens to see which special features are available in your favorite search engine.
- Browse a subject list
Locate a search engine that organizes pages by subject to find useful sites. Start with a general category andchoose increasingly more specific sub-categories. The appropriate subject category will give you a list of pages on your topic available in that search engine.
Before you use any information from a web site, you must look carefully at the site to determine if it is a credible source that is appropriate for academic research. Here's a checklist for determining credibility:
- CURRENCY
Is the site current? There should be a "date updated" somewhere on the page.- AUTHORITY
Is the site and produced and maintained by someone with authority on the subject? What can you find out about the author's credentials?- SPONSORSHIP
Who sponsors the site? What bias might that group or organization have?- CONTENT
Is the content substantive and scholarly in nature. What is the purpose of the site? Are the authors trying to persuade, teach, sell? Do you see advertising on the site? Does the site appear to be linked to other sites that lend credibility to the subject matter (a good sign) or does it offer few or no links outside it's own web domain (bad sign).For more on evaluating sources, go to the
Evaluate Sources
section of this guide
Web sites must be cited properly in your paper or project just like any other source you use. Depending on the citation style you're using, there is a standard you must follow for citing web resources. The most common citation styles are MLA and APA.
MLA Internet Sources Style Guide
APA Internet Sources Style GuideFor more resources on citation, check out the guide to documenting Electronic Sources from the PSU Writing Center.