The Research Process: Websites

Websites are great sources for many topics. 

Use the web:

• to skim your topic
• to find local, state, and federal government information
• to find statistics
• to find quick facts
• to explore hobbies and user groups
• to use social networking sites
• to catch up with current news
• to find information on institutions and companies
• to find scholarly work not commonly available

Guide for Web Sites from YCCC Library

Parts of webpage for an MLA citation (for your Works Cited) a short YouTube tutorial from USTA Libraries

Parts of webpage for an APA citation (for your References) a short YouTube tutorial from USTA Libraries

Parts of webpage without an author for an APA citation

See How to Use Noodlebib to Cite Web Resources

Evaluating the websites that you intend to use for your assignments and projects asks you to be reasonably sure that the information you use is appropriate for your assignment and reliable.

Because anyone can publish on the web you need to, "Know what you are looking at."  Below are some tools to help you do that:

Evaluating Websites from YCCC Library

Evaluting Websites a YouTube tutorial from Cal State's Pollak Library

Additional Techniques for Evaluating Websites from YCCC Library

From Wolfgram Library at Widener University

How to Recognize a Personal Web Page

Your instructor may want you to limit the number of websites you use for your assignments.  This video points out the difference between a search in an article database and a google search.

Search Engines vs Article Databases a short YouTube video from Modesto Junior College

There are several ways of finding websites:

• Search engines (Google, Altavista, etc.)
• Specialized search engines (Google Scholar, Infomine, etc.) include more scholarly information.
• Directories (Internet Public Library, DMOZ Open Directory Project, Yahoo, etc.)
• Links from trutsted websites.

It is possible to find reliable information on the web.  Here are some techniques for making a search in Google (one of our favorites) more precise.

• Phrase searching: Use quotation marks for words that should be found together in that order, ("election reform", "four score and seven years ago")
• Multiple keywords: Google assumes you mean "civil war" and causes when you type in "civil war" causes.  You can force this by adding a + sign before each word, +"civil war +causes. 
• Narrowing a search: The more words you type in when you search Google the more precise your results will be, ("global warming" environment maine)  You can also use the word NOT or a minus sign - to get fewer results.  If you're looking for bass as in music not fish try (bass -fish)
• Broadening a search: Use OR to search for alternative terms at the same time ("election reform" OR "electoral reform") you need to capitalize OR
• Advanced search: Google search screen where you can choose to limit your search in many ways including by specific sites .edu, .gov, .org