Things You'll Need:
- Internet Access
- Computers
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Step 1
Begin your search with a Web search engine, such as Yahoo! or Google. Enter keywords and phrases related to the subject matter you're interested in, and click Search.
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Step 2
In the results list, click on a site's name to go to it. Even if the site doesn't have great information, check to see if it has links to other sites that might be more useful. Use the Back button on your browser to return to the original results list.
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Step 3
If the first list had too many or too few results, tinker with your keywords to produce more focused search results. (See the Related eHow "How to Conduct an Advanced Internet Search.")
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Step 4
Go to some of the many online encyclopedias for information about your subject. From the encyclopedia's search page, enter keywords and phrases related to your subject.
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Step 5
Go to sites that specialize in Internet research, such as the Argus Clearinghouse. These sites offer links to research materials, and will sometimes do your research for you.
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Step 6
Look for online library catalogs. Some provide online access to the full text of certain articles and books.
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Step 7
Check out Internet newsgroups on your subject. You can even post a request for information to the group. (See Related eHows for more on newsgroups.)
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Step 8
Visit chat rooms that are related to your subject matter.
Comments
lcbane said
on 7/9/2008 Continuation of previous comment -- includes part truncated from #3.
3. Instead of going to a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and searching the public/visible, try using a selective directory, especially one that includes the invisible web (Invisible or Deep Web: What it is, Why it exists, How to find it, and Its inherent ambiguity --
UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/InvisibleWeb.html) . The invisible web consists of databases that may not be indexed by search engines.
4. When searching the internet for scholarly/authoritative information, skip Google and Yahoo, and go for selective directories created by librarians and experts.
A few examples of a selective directory:
INFOMINE http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Librarians' Internet Index http://lii.org
Internet Public Library http://ipl.org
The WWW V
lcbane said
on 7/9/2008 Continuation of previous comment:
4. When searching the internet for scholarly/authoritative information, skip Google and Yahoo, and go for selective directories created by librarians and experts.
A few examples of a selective directory:
INFOMINE http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Librarians' Internet Index http://lii.org
Internet Public Library http://ipl.org
The WWW Virtual Library http://vlib.org
5. Use Google and Yahoo later to expand your search.
lcbane said
on 7/9/2008 Tip: Before beginning an internet search, it is always a good idea to contact your college/local public library to see what online resources they have that you can access from home. Start your research with these databases and then search the "free" web resources.
1. Going to an online encyclopedia should be the first stop in an internet search -- just as it should be the first stop in a print search.
2. WorldCat.org can help you locate books, articles, and audiovisual materials available in libraries. If your college/local public library has paid a fee, you will be able to see which items they own. You may have to do an interlibrary loan request to get them if your college/local library doesn't own them.
3. Instead of going to a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and searching the public/visible, try using a selective directory, especially one that includes the invisible web
lcbane said
on 7/9/2008 Tip: Before beginning an internet search, it is always a good idea to contact your college/local public library to see what online resources they have that you can access from home. Start your research with these databases and then search the "free" web resources.
1. Going to an online encyclopedia should be the first stop in an internet search -- just as it should be the first stop in a print search.
2. WorldCat.org can help you locate books, articles, and audiovisual materials available in libraries. If your college/local public library has paid a fee, you will be able to see which items they own. You may have to do an interlibrary loan request to get them if your college/local library doesn't own them.
3. Instead of going to a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and searching the public/visible, try using a selective directory, especially one that includes the invisible web
Anonymous said
on 3/2/2006 You can go to www.wikipedia.org and search their user written encyclopedia. It contains nearly a million articles in English alone. It is usually accurate, but information there is written by it's users.