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Academic Research Resources
HOW TO ACCESS THE BEST INTERNET INFORMATION FOR YOUR RESEARCH
- Choose 1 or 2 search tools for your Internet searching needs and get to know how to most effectively use their search features. Some recommended search engines:
- Use advanced search features found in most search engines, subject directories, etc. Or use a specialized engine like:
- Limit your domain to the one that will give you the best information for your needs, such as .edu, and .gov.
- Once you have found the perfect web site for your research, copy the URL. Then go to Google Advanced Search. Click on "Date, Usage Rights .." and paste the URL in the box titled "Find pages similar to the page" to expand targeted research.
WEB SITE EVALUATION
- Evaluate a web site.
- Check the URL - What type of site is it? (educational, commercial, governmental, etc)
- Truncate back to find source and check if this source is reputable, impartial, etc.
- Google the author to check his/her credentials
- Find the date the site was last updated (especially if current information is important)
- Look for information, such as "About Us" to find who is behind the research and whether the source is authoritative
- Check evaluations of the site
- Copy the URL of a site you want to evaluate. Go to Google Advanced Search. Click on "Date, Usage Rights.." and then paste the URL in the box titled "Find pages that link to the page". This shows you what sites link to your page as a resource. If reputable site link to this page, this demonstrates credibility. Also, by clicking on some of the sites that link to your page, you can expand your targeted searching, by exploring these new resources to find additional, similar sites that may be helpful for your research.
Finally, when conducting Internet searches for school research, don't forget our "Library Without Walls" commercial databases. You KNOW these sites are reputable & extremely valuable.
Also, many of the databases are great resources for finding refereed journal articles. When in a database such as Gale Student Resources in Context, click on the Advanced Search feature. Limit your search by selecting only the information you need, including limiting to "peer reviewed" articles.
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/santa
ACADEMIC RESOURCES
This is a great resource for finding quality, academic research
English Department Custom Search Engine
Recommended Subject Directories:
Recommended Meta-search Engines
Recommended News Engines
Recommended Library-based Search
Additional Resources
Citation Resources
- This is an outstanding, user-friendly site that helps you to quickly and easily generate citations. www.easybib.com
- Cite your sources using MLA, APA, or Chicago style. http://citationmachine.net
- This excellent citation building site also helps you create an annotated bibliography.http://bibme.org
- LEO: Literacy Education Online - Annotated Bibliographies
LEO: Annotated Bibliographies
This site gives step-by-step instructions for creating an annotated bibliography.
Thesis Builder
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