Student Resources: Finding Web Sources

Some important things to remember.

• Web sites may not be the best sources of information for college level research assignments.
• Not all Web sites can be accessed through search engines.
• Web sites must be scrutinized closely for accuracy, currency, bias, and authority.

Try this guide from the State University of New York at Albany for help Evaluating Web Content.

Rhode Island University video about Google and why the University Research Databases are a better source for your research needs.

Basic Google searching is pretty simple.  You type in some search terms and click the Search button. 

Here are some things that can make your searches more effective:

• Word order matters.
• Word choice also affects your search results.
• Punctuation is generally ignored. 
• Keep your searches simple.
  • Omit unnecessary terms
  • Avoid stop words

Use advanced search features to improve your search results. Read the Advanced Search Tips to learn more.  

This term describes readily searchable information that is accessed through popular search engines such as Google.

This term describes Internet information that can be accessed by "authenticating" as a valid user or paid subscriber.

This describes unlinked web pages and private intranets. Most "invisible" pages come from databases. Because the web page doesn't exist until the search is performed, search engines don't find database contents. 

Sometimes it is useful to think about who might be providing information on your subject and then search within their Web site.

Possible providers include:

• Government
• Higher Education
• Professional Associations
• Business
• Interest Groups