How do I know what is a reliable resource?
Print
A book being published and placed in a library will almost always be a reliable resource. Check out the process:
Digital
Digital sources (web sites) are not always reliable. It will take some digging. Check out the process to publish on the Internet:
Try this! Explorer Treasure Hunt |
Search Engines to Use
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So how do I conduct a safe and reliable search for resources on the Internet?
Not everything on the Internet is useful and true. Be familiar with your topic before beginning Internet research. This means, use your books first!
Generate at least 5 subtopics regarding your research topic. These topics will help guide you in your research so you can focus on what you really want to learn about your topic.
Using Google search is not always the best place to begin! A search engine is like a robot. It provides a list of a collection of sites on the Internet, not a selection. No humans are involved in helping you find information. It collects from everything on the Web, instead of selecting the BEST resources for you. This means it is up to YOU to determine what is reliable information on the Internet. A subject directory might be more helpful. The subject directory gives fewer hits, but it will be ones that are more helpful. A subscription database will provide even more reliable information. Schools and librarians subscribe to these (pay money for them) to provide helpful research for students.
Try this! Smart Searching Worksheet
Search Engine: any link listed above
Subject Directory: Internet Public Library (link above)
Subscription Database: World Book Online (link above)
Generate at least 5 subtopics regarding your research topic. These topics will help guide you in your research so you can focus on what you really want to learn about your topic.
Using Google search is not always the best place to begin! A search engine is like a robot. It provides a list of a collection of sites on the Internet, not a selection. No humans are involved in helping you find information. It collects from everything on the Web, instead of selecting the BEST resources for you. This means it is up to YOU to determine what is reliable information on the Internet. A subject directory might be more helpful. The subject directory gives fewer hits, but it will be ones that are more helpful. A subscription database will provide even more reliable information. Schools and librarians subscribe to these (pay money for them) to provide helpful research for students.
Try this! Smart Searching Worksheet
Search Engine: any link listed above
Subject Directory: Internet Public Library (link above)
Subscription Database: World Book Online (link above)
But how do I know if I've really found a reliable site?
Web sites provide lots of information to help you learn about the site.
The first thing is to know where you are on the Web. All web sites have an address (just like your home or school). The web site address is called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) ... or you can remember "You aRe Located." The URL gives you some basic information about the site. Try this! Navigating the Web
The domain tells you what kind of person or organization runs the site:
What can you trust and why? Read the page to look for company/organization, author, purpose of the page (Is the page there to sell something? advertise? give info? give an opinion?), and publication date (Is the information too old to be reliable?).
Try this! Only the Best
The first thing is to know where you are on the Web. All web sites have an address (just like your home or school). The web site address is called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) ... or you can remember "You aRe Located." The URL gives you some basic information about the site. Try this! Navigating the Web
The domain tells you what kind of person or organization runs the site:
- .com = commercial
- .org = organization
- .edu = educational institution
- .gov = government agency
What can you trust and why? Read the page to look for company/organization, author, purpose of the page (Is the page there to sell something? advertise? give info? give an opinion?), and publication date (Is the information too old to be reliable?).
Try this! Only the Best